US ''Azon'' Guided Bomb

By Crusader1307

The US designed ''Azon” Bomb was considered one of The World's first Guided Missiles (or Bombs) developed, and was a contemporary to the German ''Fritz X'' (of similar type). The ''Akon'' (which was short for ''Azimuth Only'') – was invented by two US Army Officers looking to find a way to penetrate Imperial Japanese defenses for the purposes of destroying wooden (but reinforced) Railway Bridges erected in Burma. A precision device was needed which could be more effective with a single device against such targets protected by the dense jungles of the Target Areas. Traditional ''carpet bombing'' measures were only moderately successful (especially against the formidable Japanese air Defense, both on the ground and in The Air). Also known as The ''Vertical Bomb'', The Akon utilized a radio controlled guidance system which controlled the turn of the tail rotor system. The true drawback of the control, was that it could only remotely control a Left or Right angle turn of The Bomb, and not adjust the principle course (up, down or overall speed). The Akon was launched by a variety of US Heavy Bombers and was controlled by a in-Plane Bombardier. To maintain a visual sighting on The Akon, a forward mounted Flare would deploy on the tail section of The Bomb, which could be followed (again similar to many German Guided Bombs of The Era). First deployed in 1944, The Akon came in (2) variations of 1,000 and 2,000-Pounds. The Akon was 7-feet in length. Operationally, over 1,200 Akons were produced and used in (9) Mission deployments in both The Pacific and later European Theaters of War until The War's end in 1945.