Ruhrstahl X-4

Ruhrstahl X-4, also known as “Kramer X-4” or “Ruhrstahl-Kramer RK 344” — the rocket of a class air-air, designed during the Second world war in the Third Reich by the engineer max Kramer, who worked on “the Ruhr Stahl AG”. The design of the rocket was developed in the period from early 1943 until the end of the war.

Before the development of the guided missile of class “air-air”, doctor-engineer Kramer worked for several years on the creation of instruments for the management of bomb used during the planning phase of the bombs on the target. Then he had the idea to create guided missiles to destroy allied bombers. The idea embodied in the rocket X-4.

No matter of some info, non of them were fired against airplane in combat but few of them was used against tanks with great success. When Soviet tanks approached test-station, some technicians prepared X-4 to be used against this tanks – and had done this with success. After the war, the war the first weapon developed in West-Germany was an anti-tank-rocket Cobra based on the X4/X-7 build by Ludwig Boelkow (a former Messerschmitt-engineer).

Srecko Bradic

With special thanks to Uwe Jack for his great help! All photos- Uwe Jack