The German Airforce, Luftwaffe, began experimenting with pilotless aircraft in 1939. The first powered flight of a ZG-76 occurred on the 10th December 1942 when a flying bomb was launched from an aircraft.
Air launched V1
Further testing was carried out and ground launched V1 followed. Launching was facilitated by a 48 metre (160 feet) ramp. Full production commenced in March 1944 at the Volkswagen plant in Fallersleben, near Hamburg. By the end of April 1944, 1,000 flying bombs were ready for launching.
Ground Launched V1
V1 in flight
The V1 was 8.3 metres (27 feet) long. It was powered by Argus As 109-014 Pulsejet and steered by gyroscopes and a magnetic compass.
V1 Rocket I flight
The V1 had an operational range of 250 km (160 miles) delivering a 850 kg (1,870 pound) war head. The range was determined by a setting on a vane anemometer which cut the fuel link and set the wings to put the bomb into a dive.
The ground launched V1 was propelled along an ramp by a steam operated catapult. The steam was pumped into a hollow tube which propelled a trolley up the 48 metre ramp to the launch speed of 580 km/h (360 mph).
V1 Launching Ramp Showing hollow tube and trolley
The construction of fixed launch sites in the Pas de Calais began in late summer 1943. The intent was to launch an offensive in December 1943 in conjunction with the V2 and V3 weapons. The storage bunkers were shaped like a ski, a feature that would come to the notice of the allies. Intelligence reports would identify the ’ski sites’ as rocket launching locations.
Ski site layout
Ski site layout
V1 launch ramp Pas de Calais
By November 1943 the Allies had identified 75 ski sites in the Pas de Calais. In response to the threat, the Allies launched ‘Operation Crossbow’ the intent being to destroy and neutralise the V1 ski sites by air bombardment. The first raid was launched by the USAF on 15th December 1943. The Operation would be expanded to cover all Vengeance Weapon locations including production, storage and launching sites. This included the V2 heavy sites at Watten and Wizernes, the V3 gun at Mimoyecques , as well as the V1 sites.
Operation Crossbow
The attacks lead to the focus of the Germans on using mobile launch facilities for the V1.
V1 on mobile launch ramp
V1 being loaded onto launch ramp
V1 ready to launch
V1 launching
V1 descends towards target
V1 targets London
Despite the efforts of Operation Crossbow, the first V1 landed on London at 04:25 13th June 1944, seven days after the Allied landings in Normandy. It hit a railway bridge on Grove Road killing six people in nearby houses.
Attacks launched from the Pas de Calais continued until Allies overran the last V1 launch site in range of Britain in October 1944. A total of 9,521 V1s had been launched from the region.
The Vengeance weapon campaign would continue from the Low Countries.
