GT-1 (missile)

Air-to-surface missile

GT-1

GT-1 glide torpedo mounted on North American B-25J Mitchell medium bomber

Type| Air-to-surface missile
Place of origin| United States
Service history
In service| 1944-1945
Used by| United States Army Air Forces
Production history
Designed| 1942-1943
Manufacturer| Aeronca
Specifications
Wingspan| 12 feet (3.7 m)
Warhead| Mk 13 Mod 2A aerial torpedo
Warhead weight| 600 pounds (270 kg) explosive

* * *

Engine| None

Operational
range

| 25 miles (40 km)
Maximum speed | 260 miles per hour (420 km/h)

Guidance
system

| Preset plus paravane

Launch
platform

| B-25 Mitchell

The GT-1 (Glide Torpedo 1) was an early form of stand-off weaponry developed by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Intended to deliver an aerial torpedo at a safe range from the launching aircraft, the weapon proved successful enough in testing to be approved for operational use, and the GT-1 saw limited use in the closing stages of the war.

## Design and development[edit]

The GT-1 was derived from the GB-1 series of glide bombs, developed by Aeronca for the United States Army Air Forces.[1] The weapon's airframe was inexpensive and simply designed, with a basic wing and twin tails attached to a cradle for carrying the payload.[1] The flight path of the GT-1 was determined by a preset autopilot that kept the weapon on a steady course after release.[1]

The GT-1 was usually released from its carrier aircraft at an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,000 m); this provided a standoff range of as much as 25 miles (40 km) under ideal conditions.[2][3] The GT-1's warload consisted of a Mark 13 Mod 2A aerial torpedo. The GT-1 was fitted with a paravane, trailing 20 feet (6.1 m) below the main body of the craft; upon the paravane's striking the surface of the water, explosive bolts would fire to release the torpedo, which would then execute a preset search pattern to locate and destroy its target.[1][2]

## Operational history[edit]

Initially tested during 1943,[1][4] the GT-1 proved to be successful,[5] and was issued to a single operational unit for service.[6] Launched from North American B-25 Mitchell bombers,[1][7] the GT-1 saw brief operational service late in the war;[1][4] three missions are known to have been flown using the weapon from Okinawa in late 1945.[7] On one mission, against Kagoshima, eleven of thirteen GT-1s launched successfully entered the water; three hits were recorded, against a fleet carrier, a light carrier, and a freighter.[7] The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was also capable of carrying the GT-1.[3]

Following the end of World War II, the aerial torpedo rapidly fell out of favor as a weapon of war against surface ships[citation needed], and the 'GT' category of weapons was abolished in 1947.[8]

## See also[edit]

* Project Kingfisher

## References[edit]

External videos

Preset Glide Torpedo Model GT-1

### Notes[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g Parsch 2003
2. ^ a b Esquire 1947; Volume 28, p.70.
3. ^ a b Army Ordnance, Volume 30, 1946. American Defense Preparedness Association. p.384.
4. ^ a b Cate and Craven 1958, p.259.
5. ^ Daso 1997, p.82.
6. ^ Goebel 2010
7. ^ a b c Hanle 2011
8. ^ Mann 2008, p.256.

### Bibliography[edit]

* Craven, Wesley F.; James L. Cate (1958). USAF Historical Division (ed.). Men and Planes. The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. 6\. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ASIN B000ZIBK5G.
* Daso, Dik A. (1997). Architects of American Air Supremacy: General Hap Arnold and Dr. Theodore von Kármán. Maxwell Air Force Base, AL: Air University Press. ISBN 9781585660421. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
* Goebel, Greg (2010). "World War II Glide Bombs". Dumb Bombs & Smart Munitions. VectorSite. Retrieved 2017-05-14.
* Hanle, Donald J. (January 2011). "Hail November". Air Force Magazine. 94 (1). Retrieved 2011-02-02.
* Mann, Robert A. (2008). Aircraft record cards of the United States Air Force: How to Read the Codes. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-3782-5. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
* Parsch, Andreas (2003). "GB Series". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones. designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2011-02-02.

## External links[edit]

* Media related to GT-1 at Wikimedia Commons

* v
* t
* e

United States Army Air Forces missile and guided bomb designations, 1941–1947

Bomb gliders|

* BG-1
* BG-2
* BG-3

Glide bombs|

* GB-1
* GB-2
* GB-3
* GB-4
* GB-5
* GB-6
* GB-7
* GB-8
* GB-9
* GB-10
* GB-11
* GB-12
* GB-13
* GB-14
* GB-15

Glide torpedoes|

* GT-1

Jet bombs|

* JB-1
* JB-2
* JB-3
* JB-4
* JB-5*
* JB-6*
* JB-7*
* JB-8
* JB-9*
* JB-10
* * Design Concepts not Built

Vertical bombs|

* VB-1
* VB-2
* VB-3
* VB-4
* VB-5
* VB-6
* VB-7
* VB-8
* VB-9
* VB-10
* VB-11
* VB-12
* VB-13

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template