German V-1 Buzz Bomb

Development of a New Weapon

In June 1944, the German army began the use of what would be a very unique, very deadly, and historical weapon called the V1. The 'V' stood for Vergeltungswaffe which meant "vengeance weapon." Better known to Londoners as the "Buzz Bombs" or "doodlebugs," these flying bombs made a very distinct sound as they flew overhead at low altitude, before the timing mechanisms expired, and the bomb fell to earth, and exploded.

The people of London learned to go about their normal business and walk the streets as these huge 25-foot long, cross-shaped, bombs flew overhead. However, once they heard the engine cut off, it was time to take immediate cover. This was because as they tipped over for the final descent, the imbalance cut off the fuel flow to the engine. The German High Command also initiated the later use of the V2 rocket, which was the first manmade object to reach the fringes of outer space, but the V1 was much more effective as a weapon system against England.

It was back in October of 1937 that the German Government had decided to open a highly secret weapon development area on a peninsula that stretched out into the Baltic Sea at Peenemunde. This area was suggested by Werner von Braun and Walter Dornberger, Adolf Hitler's two main rocket designers, because it was very secluded and could be separated from the rest of the area with armed security gates.

Engineers, technicians, maintenance personnel, and all those associated with these projects were forced to move their entire families into this highly secure area. Peenemunde became isolated from the rest of the country, providing schooling for their own children, housing for the families, hospitals, and all other necessities of life, so that no one had to leave this secret and highly secure area. This is where the Germans were developing the bombs and missiles, including the Fieseler Fi-103 V1 flying bomb.

DEPLOYMENT AND OPERATIONS

The idea of the V1 was presented to the German Army by the Argus Motorenwerke and the Fieseler Flugzeugbau companies. They had also built the Fieseler Storch utility aircraft which was powered by an eight cylinder Argus piston engine. They now developed this small, unmanned airplane, that could carry a large warhead, and powered it with a new pulse-jet engine design. The German military was easily sold on the idea and development and manufacturing began immediately. The pulse-jet engine, invented by Paul Schmidt, was a very simple and cost effective method of propelling this flying bomb.

The only moving part on the engine was a shutter assembly in the front air intake. As air rushed into the engine through the intake and between these dozens of tiny shutters, it was mixed with fuel, and then ignited by a spark plug. The combustion would force the shutters in the front to close and the burst of thrust would be forced out of the back, pushing the missile forward. This process would take place several times per second, creating a very distinctive sound, and enough thrust to propel the bomb at more than 400 mph. After two years of testing and manufacturing these flying bombs, Hitler gave the order to attack England with this new weapon in June of 1944, shortly after the allied landings at Normandy.

V1's were originally launched from northern France by catapults attached to 157 foot long launch rails, but were eventually also released from airplanes. The tail section of the bombs contained rudders and elevators that were controlled automatically by an electrical compass in the nose and on-board gyros powered by spherical tanks of compressed air. Approximately the first ten percent of each day's launches would contain a small radio transmitter that emitted a signal when the missile approached within thirty kilometers of its intended target.

Through triangulation, the Germans could calculate the location of each missile, make adjustments on subsequent launches for wind conditions, and therefore improve the accuracy of their aim. The range of the flight was predetermined and set inside the bomb before it was launched. Most missiles fired against London were targeted for Tower Bridge, right in the center of the city. A tiny propeller on the nose of the bomb was attached to the Veeder counter. Every 30 rotations of the propeller would count down one number on the counter. When the pre-set counter reached zero, the bomb was considered to be at its target. The air hose from the servo to the rear elevator was automatically cut, a spring mechanism would snap down the elevators, and the V1 would descend into a steep dive. This had become the world's first cruise missile.

Between June 1944 and March 29, 1945, a total of 9,251 V1 flying bombs were launched against England. Only 2,419 of them made it to their intended targets. Over 2000 of them had been shot down or knocked off course by Royal Air Force fighter aircraft. Spitfire pilots learned that by placing the wing tip of their fighter plane underneath the V1's outer wing, that this would often upset the missile, tumble the gyros, and send it crashing out of control into the English countryside. An additional 1,971 V1's were shot down by anti-aircraft guns and 278 were snagged by barrage balloons that dotted the approach paths to the south of London.

FIGHTER FACTORY V1

The V1 of the Fighter Factory was recovered from the Nordhausen munitions factory, which was hidden deep inside the Harz Mountains in Southeastern Germany. It was manufactured in 1944 by slave labor supplied from the nearby Buchenwald concentration camp. After being hidden for over a half century under this mountain, it was recovered after the unification of East and West Germany and restored by a small firm in Munich.

This particular bomb also has a triangular bracket on the top of the fuselage, where it could be attached for an air launch from a Heinkel He 111 twin engine bomber. The Heinkel aircraft would launch their V1's from over the North Sea, where they would obtain greater accuracy and longer range. The only known radio homing device to have survived and still exist today is in this particular V1. The engine is fully functional and has been test run on a specially fabricated steel stand.

Fiesler Fi-103 (V1) Specifications
Engine:	Argus pulse-jet 600 pounds of thrust
Length:	25' 4"
Wingspan:	17' 6"
Weight:	4800 lbs. Fully fueled
Fuel:	150 gallons of gas 1 mile per gallon
Range:	Approximately 160 miles from launch site
Performance:	Speed between 360-400 mph Flew at altitude of 2000-3000 ft Average flight time of 22 minutes
Armament:	2337 pound war head

Design specifications of our Buzz Bomb.

Click here to see historic photos of our Buzz Bomb.

For more information on the V-1, please view these sites
US Airforce Museum on the JB-2 Loon (modeled on the V-1)
Warbird Resource Group listing for the V-1