13/10/2023
FYI: Did you know that as early as 1940 Italy had a "fire-and-forget" weapon?
We are talking about this one: the Motobomba FFF.
The Motobomba FFF was a preset trajectory torpedo developed in Italy in the 1930s and employed by the Regia Aeronautica and the Luftwaffe during World War II. The name comes from the initials of the designers: lieutenant colonel Prospero Freri, colonel Amedeo Fiore and chief designer Carlo Filpa.
The weapon was a 500 mm diameter electric torpedo, weighing 360 kg, of which 120 kg consisted of the warhead, which was airdropped from 4-5,000 m. Early models had a single parachute with a 6 m2 sail, attached to the central part of the torpedo body and opening automatically at about 130 m altitude. In later models, a 1.5 m2 "pilot" parachute was added, which reduced the fall speed to 100 m/s; both were hooked to the tail of the torpedo, which thus descended vertically.
When the torpedo entered the water it stabilized at a depth of about 1 m, and mercury switches activated electric propulsion. The ordnance would then begin a 15- to 30-minute cruise on an increasing spiral course at about 15 to 20 mph. When it encountered a target on its course, an impact fuse would activate its warhead against the live work.
If, on the other hand, the weapon did not encounter any ships, a self-destruct system would detonate it 50 minutes after impact with water. Magnetic tinder was also tested, unsuccessfully.
The first successful attack employing FFFs took place on the night of August 20th, 1940: Major Lucchini conducted a successful mission over Gibraltar, followed by other attacks on targets in the waters of Albania, Libya and Egypt. Aircraft from the 32nd Wing attacked Gibraltar again in June 1941, while on the night of the 13th of the same month, Second Lieutenant Torelli from Rhodes struck the port of Alexandria.
The most extensive use of FFFs occurred during the mid-August battle, in countering Allied convoys bound for Malta: on August 12th, 1942, ten Savoia-Marchetti SM.84s from the 38th Group of the 32nd Wing attacked the convoy south of Cape Spartivento.
The attack dispersed the ships, enabling the subsequent conventional attack.
By September 1942 there were no less than 180 in Italy, including 80 second-generation (Mk.II) in Sardinia, 50 in Sicily and another 50 at the 5th Experimental Squadron.
The FFF Motobomba was sold, or the right to use its patent was otherwise assigned, to Germany, which produced it itself, renaming it the "Fugzeugtorpedo LT350," and employed it with great success in Luftwaffe actions.
The operation in which they were used most heavily by the Germans occurred against Bari on December 2nd, 1943, when 105 Ju.88 planes used the FFF (and presumably other bombs), to destroy the 30 ships at the berth. As many as 17 sank, including one that had bombs with deadly Yprite on board.
Here you will find a very useful video to understand their operational use.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe6ovQPyiuk
This innovative weapon aroused the keen interest of U.S. intelligence, which was eager to gain possession of it after the Cassibile armistice.
You will find the FFF Motobomba (and other special weapons!) in our next game, Warriors of the Blue, currently on Kickstarter here: http://kck.st/3M19F7h
(Sources: Wikipedia and www.aereimilitari.com)