V-1 flying bomb facts for kids

Quick facts for kids V-1 flying bomb Fieseler Fi 103 Flakzielgerät 76 (FZG-76)
Type	Guided missile
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
In service	1944–1945
Used by	Luftwaffe
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Robert Lusser
Manufacturer	Fieseler
Unit cost	5,090 RM
Specifications
Mass	2,150 kg (4,740 lb)
Length	8.32 m (27.3 ft)
Width	5.37 m (17.6 ft)
Height	1.42 m (4 ft 8 in)
Warhead	Amatol-39
Warhead weight	850 kg (1,870 lb)
Engine	Argus As 109-014 Pulse jet engine
Operational range	250 km (160 mi)
Maximum speed	640 km/h (400 mph) flying between 600 to 900 m (2,000 to 3,000 ft)
Guidance system	Gyrocompass based autopilot

The V-1 flying bomb was a special weapon used during World War II. People also called it the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug. It was an early type of cruise missile, which is like a small, unmanned airplane packed with explosives.

The V-1 had a jet engine that made it fly very fast. It could travel at about 600 kilometers per hour (350 miles per hour). The German air force, called the Luftwaffe, aimed these bombs at cities. They mostly targeted London in the United Kingdom and Antwerp in Belgium.

These bombs caused a lot of damage. They destroyed almost as many houses as the earlier "Blitz" bombing campaign. Sadly, 22,892 people lost their lives because of V-1 attacks.

The Allies worked hard to stop these attacks. They bombed the places where the V-1s were launched. They also shot at the bombs in the air. Sometimes, brave pilots would fly their fast planes very close to a V-1. They would then use their plane's wing to gently push the V-1 off course. This made the bomb crash harmlessly.

How the V-1 Worked

The V-1 had a simple guidance system. This system helped it fly in the right direction. However, it was not very accurate.

Only about 25 out of every 100 V-1s actually hit their targets. Many were stopped by the Allies' defenses. Others failed because of mechanical problems or errors in their guidance system.

Related pages

• V-2 rocket

Images for kids

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  V-1 cutaway, showing its inside parts

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  Rear view of a V-1 at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, showing part of its launch ramp

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  A V-1 on display in the Musée de l'Armée, Paris

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  A V-1 on a Walter catapult ramp at Éperlecque, ready for launch

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  A German crew moving a V-1 into position

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  A model of an Arado Ar 234 plane carrying a V-1 at the Technikmuseum Speyer

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  A group of large guns used to shoot down V-1s near Hastings, England, in July 1944

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  A Spitfire plane using its wing to "topple" a V-1 flying bomb off course

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  Max Wachtel, a German officer involved with the V-1 program

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  A V-1 and part of its launch ramp on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford (2009)

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  A war memorial in Greencastle, Indiana, featuring a V-1

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  A V-1 launch ramp rebuilt at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford

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  A V-1 flying bomb on display at the Imperial War Museum London

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  A V-1 on display at the Air Zoo museum

See also

In Spanish: Fieseler Fi 103 para niños