 Anti-ship missiles (AShMs) were among the first instances of short-range guided missiles during World War II in 1943–1944.The German Luftwaffe used the Hs 293, the "Fritz" X, and others, all launched from its bombers, to deadly effect against some Allied ships in the Mediterranean Sea, seriously damaging ships such as the United States Navy light cruiser off Salerno, Italy.These all used radio command-guidance from the bombardiers of the warplanes that launched them.