DK - World War II Map by Map

V-WEAPONS 193

NETHERLANDS

F R A N

C

E

B

EL

GI

UM

LUXEMBOURG

London

Paris

Brussels

Amsterdam

Munich

G R E A T E R G E R M A N Y

U N I T E D K I N G D O M

Siracourt

Lottinghen

Saint Omer

Renescure

Domléger

Neuville-aux-Bois

Saint Martin-l'Hortier

Biennais

Rilly-la-Montagne

Nucourt Saint Leu-d'Esserent

6

1

1

2

2

5

93

10

13

4

412

2,420

27

295

1,444

(^80886)
12
12
1
1
6
29
1
13
3
378
1
1
2
8
4
64
517
Maisons-Latte
Darfeld
Berg-en-Dal
Hopton
Greyfriars
Wiener Neustadt
Nordhausen
Friedrichshafen
Remagen
Cambrai
Arras
Tournai
Antwerp
Mons
Diest
Liège
Maastricht
Hasselt
Lille
Tourcoing
Leicester
Lincoln
Norwich
Cambridge
Southampton
Le Havre
Dover
Ipswich
Zwolle
Rotterdam
The Hague
Leiden
Bruges
Stavoren
Sneek
Birmingham
Manchester
Leeds
Chester
Stralsund
Berlin
Lübeck
Bremen
Rostock
Leipzig
Magdeburg
Dortmund
Strasbourg
Frankfurt
Mannheim
Nuremberg
Augsburg
Salzburg
Vienna
Middlesbrough
Peenemünde
Bristol
Bath
U N
I T E D
K I N
G D O
M
Baltic Sea
English^ C
hann
el
N o r t h^ S
e a
Oct 28, 1942
First glider test flight of the V-1.
Aug 17–18, 1943
Peenemünde is bombed by
nearly 600 Allied bombers
during Operation Hydra.
Oct 3, 1943
First successful flight of the V-2.
Apr 3–4, 1945
The Allies bomb
Mittelwerk’s heavily
fortified production
facility, accidentally killing
forced labor workers
from Mittelbau-Dora.
Rumors that Germany was developing long-range missiles were
confirmed in 1943 when Polish intelligence agents smuggled details
of the Vergeltungswaffen to the British. As well as terrorizing Allied
civilians, these “wonder weapons” were intended to boost morale in
Germany. The Allies responded with Operation Crossbow, intended
to disrupt the production, transport, and launch of the weapons.
Nevertheless, the first V-1 flying bombs fell on London in June 1944
and continued to affect a swathe of England throughout the summer.
These simple steel and plywood missiles were powered by a pulse-jet
that made a buzzing sound, which cut out when the bomb was about
to fall. Thousands of Londoners fled the city, but they began to return
when defensive countermeasures introduced in Operation Diver took
effect, disabling or destroying nearly half of the 12,000 missiles fired.
Those that did reach Britain caused 45,000 casualties.
The unleashing of the V-2—a large, fast, rocket-powered missile—
in September 1944 added to the toll, both in Britain and in the cities
targeted in Europe. As the Allies advanced through France to the
Netherlands in March 1945, they knocked out German launch sites,
and Europe was finally freed from the terror of the V-weapons.
V-WEAPONS
In June 1944, the Germans began targeting Britain
with new V-weapons (from Vergeltungswaffen, meaning
“reprisal weapons” in response to Allied bombing). They
succeeded—at first—in their goal of inflicting terror on
the population and destroying infrastructure.
OPERATION CROSSBOW
AUGUST 1943–MAY 1945
The Crossbow campaign set out to destroy the
German missile program. It began on August
17–18, 1943, with an attack on Peenemünde. This
was followed by bombing raids on numerous sites
associated with the V-weapons, including factories,
bunkers, launch areas, and the ski-shaped storage
buildings used for V-1s. The attacks, however, were
not enough to destroy the missile program.
2
Key V-weapons
production targets
V-1 launching areas
V-2 launching areas
Storage depots
Supply sites
Bunkers
DEVELOPMENT OF THE V-WEAPONS
1933–SEPTEMBER 1944
Germany began its program of missile
research in 1933, and by June 1942 a flying bomb
was in development at the Luftwaffe’s center
at Peenemünde. Development of the V-1 was
complete in October 1942. By the same time,
the Germans had also conducted successful tests
of the V-2—a long-range guided ballistic missile
fueled by ethanol and liquid oxygen.
1
Peenemünde research center
A NEW TERROR
Launched from occupied France and Holland,
thousands of V-1s and V-2s fell on Britain and Europe
in June 1944–March 1945, with London, Antwerp,
and Brussels bearing the brunt of the assault. As
the war ended, the Allies raced for control of the
V-weapons technology and manufacturing sites.
1930 1935 1940 1945 1950
2
3
4
5
1
TIMELINE
KEY
V-1 headquarters V-2 headquarters Axis territory, Dec 15, 1944
△ The raid on Peenemünde
This British map from 1943 shows the targets of Operation Hydra—
the bombing raid on Peenemünde on the night of August 17–18, 1943.
It forced the Germans to move V-2 production to the Mittelwerk factory.
US_192-193_V_weapons.indd 193 22/03/19 2:39 PM