Henschel Hs 117

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	Weapon: Henschel Hs 117 Type: Surface-to-Air Missile Country of Origin: Germany Year Adopted: 1945 Overall Length (mm): 4200.0 Overall Length (in): 165.35 Weight (kg): 420.00 Weight (pounds): 925.94

The Henschel Hs 117 "Schmetterling" was a German surface-to-air missile (SAM) developed during World War II as a response to the growing threat posed by Allied bombing campaigns. Designed by Henschel under the direction of Professor Herbert A. Wagner, the Hs 117 featured a rocket-powered airframe with cruciform wings and a tail control system, making it resemble a small aircraft. It was intended to be guided by radio commands from the ground, giving operators the ability to steer it toward incoming bomber formations. The missile had an overall length of about 4.5 meters and carried a substantial high-explosive warhead to ensure the destruction of heavy bombers.

Production of the Hs 117 began in the later stages of the war, with several hundred test articles produced between 1944 and 1945. While the missile showed promise in testing, problems with guidance accuracy, reliability, and the chaotic state of German industry by 1945 prevented the weapon from entering full-scale service. Despite this, its development marked one of the earliest serious attempts at fielding a practical guided surface-to-air weapon system. A man-portable, shoulder-launched version was even considered, though it remained only experimental.

The Hs 117 never saw combat, but its notoriety lies in its place as a forerunner of modern SAM technology. Alongside other late-war German guided missile projects, it demonstrated the feasibility of using guided weapons to counter airpower, foreshadowing the extensive missile-based air defense networks of the Cold War. After the war, captured examples influenced Allied missile research, and the "Schmetterling" remains a notable step in the evolution of guided air defense systems despite its lack of battlefield impact.

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