In 1941, Professor
Herbert A. Wagner (who was previously responsible for the
Henschel Hs 293 anti-ship missile) invented the Schmetterling missile and submitted it to the
Reich Air Ministry (RLM), who rejected the design because there was no need for more anti-aircraft weaponry. However, by 1943 the
large-scale bombing of Germany caused the RLM to change its mind, and
Henschel was given a contract to develop and manufacture it. The team was led by Professor Wagner, and it produced a weapon somewhat resembling a
bottlenose dolphin with swept wings and cruciform tail. In May 1944, 59 Hs 117 missiles were tested, some from beneath a
Heinkel He 111; over half the trials failed. Mass production was ordered in December 1944, with deployment to start in March 1945. Operational missiles were to be launched from a 37mm gun carriage. In January 1945, a prototype for mass production was completed, and production of 3,000 missiles a month was anticipated, but on 6 February,
SS-Obergruppenführer Hans Kammler cancelled the project. == Variants ==