The Rheintochter I (Rhine Maiden) was intended for use against Allied
bomber formations late in World War II. The German ground-to-air rocket
was fin-stabilized, and controlled by radio. The flight of the two-stage
vehicle was controlled by the four movable vanes on the nose of the
craft.
The first stage carried the missile away from the launching rail, while
the second stage brought the missile up to full speed and propelled it
to the target.
Both the booster and sustainer engines used solid fuel. After a
six-tenths of a second burn, the booster dropped off and the sustainer
motor ignited. The missile warhead was housed at the rear of the
sustainer stage. Exhaust gases were expelled through six nozzles located
between the main fins.
The program was abandoned in December 1944, after 82 Rheintochter I
rockets had been test fired. By then it had become apparent that the
missile could not reach the operational altitude of modern bomber
aircraft.