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The VI Flying Bomb
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In June, 1942, Germany began working on a new secret
weapon. It was officially known as the F2G-76 but was also called Vergeltung
(Retribution) as it was built in response to the mass bombing of urban areas in
Germany. |
The
V-1 (also known as a flying bomb, buzz bomb or doodlebug) was a pilot-less
monoplane that was powered by a pulse-jet motor and carried a one ton warhead.
They were launched from a fixed ramp and traveled at about 350mph and 4,000ft
and had a range of 150 miles (240km). It was 25 feet (8 meters) long and had a
wingspan of about 20 feet (5.5 meters ).
British intelligence first became aware
of this new weapon when on 22nd August, 1942, a Danish naval officer discovered
an early test version that had crash landed on a small island between Germany
and Sweden. The officer sent a photograph and a detailed sketch of the bomb to
Britain and preparations began to deal with this new weapon that had the
potential to win the war for Germany.
Military intelligence eventually discovered that the V-1
missile was being built at Peenemόnde and in May, 1943, Winston Churchill
ordered Operation Crossbow, a plan to destroy V-1 production and launch sites.
Over the next few months over 36,000 tons of bombs were dropped on these
targets.
Intelligence had prepared the British authorities for an attack on
Southern England by robot weapons. Bombing attacks were made on the
German research estabishment at Peenemόnde and factories belived to be
involved in the production. These attacks delayed the introduction of
the new weapon and prior the Normandy Invasion of 6 June 1944 much
effort had been expended in attacking launching sites in the Pas de
Calais area between Dieppe and Calais (France).
Germany launched its new weapon from
Pas-de-Calais on the northern coast of France, on 12th June, 1944. The first ten
failed to reach the country but on the following day one landed in Essex. Over
the next few months 1,435 hit south-east England. These attacks created panic in
Britain and between mid June and the end of July, around one and a half million
people left London.
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Albert Speer wrote about the testing
of the rocket in his autobiography: Inside the Third Reich.
On June 13, 1942, the armaments chiefs of the three
branches of the armed forces, Field Marshal Milch, Admiral Witzell and
General Fromm, flew to Peenemunde with me to witness the first firing of
a remote-controlled rocket.
Wisps of vapour showed that the fuel tanks were being filled. At the
predetermined second, at first with a faltering motion but then with the
roar of an unleashed giant, the rocket rose slowly from its pad, seemed
to stand upon its jet of flame for the fraction of a second, then
vanished with a howl into the low clouds. Wernher von Braun was beaming.
For my part, I was thunderstruck at this technical miracle, at its
precision and at the way it seemed to abolish the laws of gravity, so
that thirteen tons could be hurtled into the air without any mechanical
guidance.
Approximately twenty-five feet long, the Waterfall rocket was capable of
carrying approximately six hundred and sixty pounds of explosives along
a directional beam up to an altitude of fifty thousand feet. |
Initial response was to extend the attacks on the launching sites,
whilst fighters formed the first defence over the Channel and the South
Coast. 192 heavy AA guns and equal number of light weapons provided the
next line of defence. On the eastern outskirts of London 480 balloons
provided the final element. Initial patrols were made by 11 squadrons,
two Mosquito-equipped for night operations.
These arrangements were inadequate and the guns were increased to 376
heavy and 540 light weapons and the balloons were strengthened to around
1000. Fighter units included the new 150 Wing at Newchurch with three
squadrons of Tempests, Spitfires of 41, 91 and 322 Squadrons and
Mustangs of 129, 306 and 315 Squadrons. A special flight of Tempest was
formed at Wittering with pilots of the Fighter Interception Unit. This
moved to Newchurch to join the other Tempest squadrons. Over the weeks
which followed further units became involved including Polish Mustang,
radar-equipped Mosquito and Typhoon squadrons.
Rosy Norwalk was an American Red
Cross nurse working in London. She wrote about her experiences in her
journal:
16th May 1944: We just got a buzz bomb alert. Almost in unison we
asked what that was. "It's the Nazi's latest weapon," he told us,
pronouncing it 'Nassi's.' "A pilotless aircraft - mostly a bomb with
wings and motor attached. Looks like a small airplane as it approaches.
When the motor cuts off the bomb either falls straight down or explodes
or drifts on awhile before falling to explode. You're all right as long
as you can hear the motor. Get your helmets back on, girls, as the
Nassi's send them over in swarms, any time of the day or night." And he
rushed off to the next compartment... |
By 15 July 2578 V1s had reached England. 1241 were destroyed by the
defenses, 1280 falling in the London area. Between 9-15 July the
percentage destroyed reached 50%, mainly by the fighters. The damage
caused were still to high whereby the guns were moved to the coastal
area. On 19 July 412 heavy and 600 light weapons were in place together
with 168 Bofors and some rocket batteries. Now the fighters patrolled
over the Channel and over central Kent, between the guns and the
balloons. The guns were now receiving stocks of proximity-fused shells,
which increased their results. Between 16 August and 5 September only
17% of the 1124 launched V1s reached their target area. An estimated 6,184
people were killed by these flying bombs.
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Aircraft
