Fritz X was the most common name for a German guided anti-ship glide bomb used during World War II. Fritz X was the world’s first precision guided weapon deployed in combat[1] and the first to sink a ship in combat.[citation needed] Fritz X was a nickname used both by Allied and Luftwaffe personnel. Alternative names include Ruhrstahl SD 1400 X, Kramer X-1, PC 1400X or FX 1400 (the latter, along with the unguided PC 1400 Fritz nickname, is the origin for the name “Fritz X”).
The Blohm & Voss BV 246 Hagelkorn (German language: “Hailstone”) was a guided glide bomb developed to bomb specific targets (bridges, ships, etc.) once it was released.This glider was designed by Richard Vogt, at first under the designation of BV 226, which was later changed to its definitive designation BV 246 on December 12, 1943.It was intended to be dropped from a Ju 88 or a Heinkel He 111 bomber, either of which could carry three of the weapons, and was to be dropped from a height of 7,000 m (23,000 ft) at a speed of 550 km/h (340 mph), giving it a range of up to 210 km (130 mi). In a slight dive the Bv 226 could reach a speed of 900 km/h (560 mph).