World War 2 Aviation Munitions Q: Air-Launched Anti-Ship Rocket/USA

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

I’ve been pouring through my books, & Google has proved a faithless friend. I appeal to the SDMB for help.

In the waning days of WW2, in the Pacific Theatre, the US military fielded an anti-ship rocket (not guided missile). It was gyro-stabilized in flight, optically aimed, & air-launched. 10 mile range, very large warhead. Intended to destroy cargo vessels.

Used in field tests against Japan.

Testing interrupted, due to lack of targets (Japan being rather short of merchant craft, by then).

Name/designation of weapon?
Aircraft used as platform?
Additional data?
Links?

[tomndebb]

You are probably thinking of the BAT missile, although there was also an earlier Pelican.

[tomndebb]

Other Bat sites:
Smithsonian
ASM-N-2 and a general page on their development

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

Thank you, but no.

I’m quite certain about it being a rocket-based system.

But the BAT link was cool.
Anybody else?

[Carnac_the_Magnificent]

Similar to this?
http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/5in-rockets.html

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

@Carnac the Magnificent!

Similar to this?
http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/5in-rockets.html

No, but the link led me to THIS!

The “Tiny Tim” system!

And…wow!

In early 1944, the U.S. Navy was in need of a powerful anti-ship weapon with some stand-off range to keep the attacking aircraft outside the range of heavy air defenses. The new fast fighter-bombers of that time couldn’t drop torpedoes, and the existing rockets were not large enough to be useful against heavy shipping. In March, CalTech showed that a large caliber air-launched rocket was feasible, and the Navy subsequently ordered to develop such a weapon with the highest priority. The result was a rocket of 11.75 inches diameter, which eventually gained the nickname Tiny Tim (obviously an ironic pun on its size). The apparently odd dimension was chosen, because it matched the diameter of the standard 500 lb SAP (Semi-Armor Piercing) bomb, which was used as the warhead, as well as the diameter of standard oil well steel tubing, which was used as the casing.

Replace the old warhead with a modern Fuel-Air Explosive device, & this could be pretty useful, even today!