The 44M Lidérc (Hungarian:

lidérc A lidérc () is a unique supernatural being of Hungarian folklore. It has three known varieties, which often borrow traits from one another. The first, more traditional form of the lidérc is as a miracle chicken, ''csodacsirke'' in Hungarian, whi ...

) was an experimental

air-to-air rocket An air-to-air rocket or air interception rocket is an unguided projectile fired from aircraft to engage other flying targets. They were used briefly in World War I to engage enemy observation balloons and in and after World War II to engage enem ...

developed in

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. It had an acoustic proximity fuse invented by Károly Pulváry ( Technological University of Budapest). The acoustic device was a highly advanced piece of technology in 1944, and the research of necessary

electronics Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other Electric charge, electrically charged particles. It is a subfield ...

was quite a complex project. The

sensor A sensor is often defined as a device that receives and responds to a signal or stimulus. The stimulus is the quantity, property, or condition that is sensed and converted into electrical signal. In the broadest definition, a sensor is a devi ...

consisted of a super-sensitive

microphone A microphone, colloquially called a mic (), or mike, is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and publi ...

and a squelch principle circuit with two electron tube amplifiers. The fuse worked excellently with the artificial American bomber-engine sound in the Aerotechnical Institute's

wind tunnel A wind tunnel is "an apparatus for producing a controlled stream of air for conducting aerodynamic experiments". The experiment is conducted in the test section of the wind tunnel and a complete tunnel configuration includes air ducting to and f ...

. During air combat every Me 210 Ca-1 destroyer-aircraft (Hungarian: romboló, German: Zerstörer) would have launched 2-4 Lidérc rockets into a bomber group which was expected to cause great damage and significantly impact the

morale Morale ( , ) is the capacity of a group's members to maintain belief in an institution or goal, particularly in the face of opposition or hardship. Morale is often referenced by authority figures as a generic value judgment of the willpower, ...

of bomber crews. The main goal was to scatter bomber formations, disrupting their attacks rather than destroying every aircraft, thus protecting civilians from terror-bombings. A total of a few hundred rockets were produced, but the Allied bombing raids made it impossible to finish the acoustic system. The weapon was produced in Csepel at Weiss Manfréd Works, but due to the bombing raids on the factory, DIMÁVAG continued it. The Hungarian troops used them in the defensive operations of

Csepel Island Csepel Island (, ) is an island in the Danube in Hungary. It is long; its width after sections of bifurcation and rejoining (confluence) varies from . It has an area of and its population is 165,000. The isle extends south from Budapest; its ...

Érd Érd (; ; , ) is a town in Pest County, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary. It is a city with county rights. History The area has been inhabited since ancient times. Archaeological findings indicate that prehistoric humans lived here 50,000 year ...

, and later in

Lake Velence Lake Velence ( ; ), an endorheic basin, is the third largest natural lake in Hungary. It is a popular holiday destination among Hungarians. The lake has an area of 26 km2, one third of which is covered by Phragmites, the common reed. Because ...

anti-personnel An anti-personnel weapon is a weapon primarily used to maim or kill infantry and other personnel not behind armor, as opposed to attacking structures or vehicles, or hunting game. The development of defensive fortification and combat vehicles gav ...

incendiary

rocket artillery Rocket artillery is artillery that uses rockets as the projectile. The use of rocket artillery dates back to medieval China where devices such as fire arrows were used (albeit mostly as a psychological weapon). Fire arrows were also used in mult ...

(like the

Nebelwerfer The () was a World War II Nazi Germany, German series of weapons. They were initially developed by and assigned to the German Army (Wehrmacht), Army's . Initially, two different mortars were fielded before they were replaced by a variety of roc ...

) against

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

infantry. There also was German interest in the weapon. It was demonstrated to the Plenipotentiary General of the Wehrmacht in Hungary, Hans von Greiffenberg, and a sample of the acoustic proximity fuse was handed over to Oberst Josef Hübner, Chief of Staff of th
Commanding General of the Luftwaffe in Hungary.
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:44M Lidérc Air-to-air rockets Weapons of Hungary Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1944

See also

Similar air-to-air rockets

References