AEG Kugelwaffen
WNF Feureball
Zeppelin Werk Kugelblitz
Rentel Drehflügler "Flugschnittel"
Rentel Flugkreiselbombe
AEG Kugelwaffen
Seifenblasen
Kugelwaffen were small spherical devices that acted as armed aerial probes, AEG Kugelwaffen (Ball Weapons). They were launched to assist the Feuerballs.
These probes were much smaller than the Feuerball (roughly the size of a medicine ball) and at first were tested unarmed which meant they were “non-burning“; hence, the December 1944/January 1945 newspaper reports comparing them to shiny Christmas tree balls. Later models carried a smaller version of the electrostatic field weapon that required the small craft to approach bombers much closer than the Feuerballs, usually in groups ranging from 3-10 for effectiveness.
Allied bomber and intruder aircraft could not tell the difference between the three weapons and as such Allied Intelligence labeled all mysterious burning, reflecting, and ball-shaped aerial weapons launched against them as "Foo Fighters".
Smokey Stover Comic
The origin of this name is a play on the French word for fire (Feu) where the first French encounters took place and a mild reference to the popular US "Smokey Stover" comic about a bumbling fireman that actually started fires! Stover called himself a “Foo fighter” instead of firefighter, so the name stuck. The craft were also referred to as “Gremlins” and the derogatory “Krautmeteors” by the RAF.
The first documented attack of the "Foo Fighters" came on November 23, 1944. A Bristol Beaufighter of the 415th NFS based in Dijon 20 miles from Strasbourg was attacked by ten reddish spheres of small diameter- most likely AEG Kugelwaffen aerial probes. The aircraft's radar ceased to function.
Under the AEG project “Charite Anlage”, which involved plasma physics, the company was awarded the “Kriegsentscheidend” (Decisive for War) category in July 1942. Work was carried out immediately, led by Dr. Richard Kramer and many other plasma physicists. The project involved the use of tremendous voltages and spinning containers of mercury at fantastic speeds within a ceramic bell-shaped object to create an anti-gravity effect. In effect, the engine was a mercury-plasma gyro. Others believe the propulsion was ion-plasma; regardless, it was some form of plasma engine.
The first unarmed versions of the Kugelwaffen were tested in 1942 and some were even transported to Japan for research. It is difficult to say with any certainty whether the AEG iplasma engine for this device caused the glowing effect or if it was produced by latter armed versions of the weapons which carried Messerschmitt’s electrostatic weapon.
What is known is that the Kugelwaffen are seen in Japan as unarmed in flight testing , usually with a Sally (Japanese Army Mitsubishi Ki-21) bomber. In 1943, the Kugelwaffen were in the Mediterranean theater in the skies over Italyapproaching B-17s. No reports of hostile action, so they were still unarmed.
But after D-Day, the first attacks occurred in the skies over France. In the first encounter a formation of ten reddish Kugelwaffen approached a Beaufighter intruder and immediately its radar ceased to function. In ensuing confrontations with Allied bombers of the USAAF and RAF reports of engine failures were common whenever the Kugelwaffen and Feuerballs appeared. The Allied gunners attempted to destroy the weapons but they always responded by rising vertically at high speed and shooting far away from the aircraft, the result of a contact sensor trip mechanism.
Zeppelin Werk Kugelblitz
Rentel Drehflügler "Flugschnittel"
Rentel Flugkreiselbombe
AEG Kugelwaffen
Seifenblasen
Kugelwaffen were small spherical devices that acted as armed aerial probes, AEG Kugelwaffen (Ball Weapons). They were launched to assist the Feuerballs.
These probes were much smaller than the Feuerball (roughly the size of a medicine ball) and at first were tested unarmed which meant they were “non-burning“; hence, the December 1944/January 1945 newspaper reports comparing them to shiny Christmas tree balls. Later models carried a smaller version of the electrostatic field weapon that required the small craft to approach bombers much closer than the Feuerballs, usually in groups ranging from 3-10 for effectiveness.
Allied bomber and intruder aircraft could not tell the difference between the three weapons and as such Allied Intelligence labeled all mysterious burning, reflecting, and ball-shaped aerial weapons launched against them as "Foo Fighters".
Smokey Stover Comic
The origin of this name is a play on the French word for fire (Feu) where the first French encounters took place and a mild reference to the popular US "Smokey Stover" comic about a bumbling fireman that actually started fires! Stover called himself a “Foo fighter” instead of firefighter, so the name stuck. The craft were also referred to as “Gremlins” and the derogatory “Krautmeteors” by the RAF.
The first documented attack of the "Foo Fighters" came on November 23, 1944. A Bristol Beaufighter of the 415th NFS based in Dijon 20 miles from Strasbourg was attacked by ten reddish spheres of small diameter- most likely AEG Kugelwaffen aerial probes. The aircraft's radar ceased to function.
Under the AEG project “Charite Anlage”, which involved plasma physics, the company was awarded the “Kriegsentscheidend” (Decisive for War) category in July 1942. Work was carried out immediately, led by Dr. Richard Kramer and many other plasma physicists. The project involved the use of tremendous voltages and spinning containers of mercury at fantastic speeds within a ceramic bell-shaped object to create an anti-gravity effect. In effect, the engine was a mercury-plasma gyro. Others believe the propulsion was ion-plasma; regardless, it was some form of plasma engine.
The first unarmed versions of the Kugelwaffen were tested in 1942 and some were even transported to Japan for research. It is difficult to say with any certainty whether the AEG iplasma engine for this device caused the glowing effect or if it was produced by latter armed versions of the weapons which carried Messerschmitt’s electrostatic weapon.
What is known is that the Kugelwaffen are seen in Japan as unarmed in flight testing , usually with a Sally (Japanese Army Mitsubishi Ki-21) bomber. In 1943, the Kugelwaffen were in the Mediterranean theater in the skies over Italyapproaching B-17s. No reports of hostile action, so they were still unarmed.
But after D-Day, the first attacks occurred in the skies over France. In the first encounter a formation of ten reddish Kugelwaffen approached a Beaufighter intruder and immediately its radar ceased to function. In ensuing confrontations with Allied bombers of the USAAF and RAF reports of engine failures were common whenever the Kugelwaffen and Feuerballs appeared. The Allied gunners attempted to destroy the weapons but they always responded by rising vertically at high speed and shooting far away from the aircraft, the result of a contact sensor trip mechanism.