How were V-1 kills scored for pilots?
- Thread starter gwmunn
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GregP
Major
V-1 kills were tracked separately.
The V-1 wasn't a piloted aircraft, making it a non-maneuvering target that was also dangerous due to a ton of high explosives in the earhead. Aerial victories were generally counted over manned enemy aircraft normally considered as armed and dangerous. A Ju 52 in Lufthansa markings was a non-military, unarmed aircraft and should not have been counted as a victory if it were to be identified correctly.
Not to say there weren't some victories counted that should not have been counted and vice versa.
The V-1 wasn't a piloted aircraft, making it a non-maneuvering target that was also dangerous due to a ton of high explosives in the earhead. Aerial victories were generally counted over manned enemy aircraft normally considered as armed and dangerous. A Ju 52 in Lufthansa markings was a non-military, unarmed aircraft and should not have been counted as a victory if it were to be identified correctly.
Not to say there weren't some victories counted that should not have been counted and vice versa.
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One point about V-1 kills was that the best way to get one down was not to shoot at them, but rather disturb the airflow over the wings by flying extremely close to it, then get your wingtip over one of the V-1 and make this wing lose lift, so the whole device spun earthwards, This needed very high airmanship, but it reduced your risk of being "toasted" by an exploding V-1 after being shot at.
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Simon Thomas
Senior Airman
A particularly courageous V-1 destruction was by Capitaine Jean Maridor:
From "V1 Flying Bomb Aces" by Andrew Thomas, 2013 [Great book - well worth reading]
'In a chase over Kent, French pilot Capitaine Jean Maridor of No 91 Sqn fired and hit a target in the tail control, causing it to dive. To his consternation he saw it falling directly on a military field hospital, identified by a large red cross in the grounds. Many witnesses testified that the gallant Frenchman, not having time to set up another firing attack, deliberately rammed the warhead, which exploded and killed him.
From "V1 Flying Bomb Aces" by Andrew Thomas, 2013 [Great book - well worth reading]
And sadly his marriage with a WAAF was planned one week later.
