ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Fritz X

Ok kiddo, so imagine you're playing a game of basketball and you have a special ball that when you throw it, it can change direction in the middle of the air and hit the hoop perfectly. That's kind of what the Fritz X is, but instead of a basketball, it's a bomb that can change its direction in the middle of the air and hit an enemy target perfectly.

The Fritz X was invented during World War II by the Germans. It was a type of bomb that was dropped from a plane and could be guided by the person dropping it to hit a specific target. The person dropping it would use a special joystick to control the bomb and guide it to its target. The bomb had fins on the back that allowed it to change direction in the air and hit its target precisely.

Now, you might be wondering, why would they need a bomb that can change direction? Well, during World War II, the Allies had very good defenses against regular bombs. So the Germans needed a way to get around those defenses and hit their targets more accurately. The Fritz X was the solution to that problem.

But, even though the Fritz X was a very advanced bomb for its time, it did have some limitations. It had to be dropped from a high altitude in order to work properly and it was also very expensive to produce. In the end, the Fritz X was not enough to win the war for the Germans, but it did show how advanced their technology was compared to the Allies.

So, there you have it, kiddo. The Fritz X was kind of like a special basketball that could change direction in the air and hit its target perfectly. It was invented during World War II by the Germans to get around the Allies' defenses and hit their targets more accurately.