The Henschel Hs 297 Föhn was a small German Surface-to-Air rocket from the Second World War.

In principle it was similar to the Fliegerfaust

Fliegerfaust

The Fliegerfaust , also known as the "Luftfaust" , was a prototype unguided German multi-barreled ground-to-air rocket launcher designed to destroy enemy ground attack planes.- Overview :...

, the main difference being that the Hs 297 was not designed as a shoulder-mounted weapon. In both systems, several small-caliber weapons acting as unguided rockets were to be used against low-flying aircraft

The rockets had a caliber of 7.29 cm, a length of 29.5 cm and a weight of 2.7kg. The launch took place from simply-designed racks that could hold 35 missiles (5 × 7) and from which several rockets were fired simultaneously. Also launches of individual rockets were possible. The range was 1200 meters. Aiming was achieved by direct sight through a semi-circular visor.

The device was so-called Volk-Fla-R-Werfer for mass deployment in the Volkssturm

Volkssturm

The Volkssturm was a German national militia of the last months of World War II. It was founded on Adolf Hitler's orders on October 18, 1944 and conscripted males between the ages of 16 to 60 years who were not already serving in some military unit as part of a German Home Guard.-Origins and...

. By February 1945 50 units were delivered, which were provided to troops for testing. 24 of the launcher racks went with the 3./FlakLehruVersAbt 900 (o) in the Remagen area and were used for the first time on 2 March 1945 against Allied Fighter-bombers. A few days later, after capturing the Ludendorff Bridge

Ludendorff Bridge

The Ludendorff Bridge was a railway bridge across the River Rhine in Germany, connecting the villages of Remagen and Erpel between two ridge lines of hills flanking the river...

at Remagen some of the launchers (classified as secret) fell intact into the hands of the Americans.