Price: £5.00

Fiesler F103 Vergeltungswaffe 1 (Revenge Weapon No1 or V1)

The vergeltungswaffe 1 (Revenge Weapon No1 or V1) alias Fiesler F103 Kirchkern (cherry stone) was the first cruise missile to be used in action, nicknamed by the British as "doodlebug, the weapon was used in large numbers against London and other targets in England. The V1 was ejected off its launching ramp at 250 mph, after climbing in a straight line for three minutes, the compass kicked in guiding the missile to its target at its operating altitude of 3000 ft. A smaller wind driven impeller logged off the distance flown and at the appropriate distance the Argus pulse jet cut out and the missile dropped onto its target.

Just over 10,000 V1's were launched against England, of which 3,531 were destroyed by the defences, and 2,419 reached London causing 6,184 fatalities.