Secret variant of Hitler's V1.

[v2]

The kamikaze doodlebug: Secret variant of Hitler's V1 was designed to let pilot fly it to British targets (but surprisingly not enough volunteered)-
-150 V1 rockets were fitted with cockpits so they could be steered into targets before pilots attempted to bail out
- But travelling at 550mph meant escape would almost be impossible and none were used in anger against the British people in World War Two
- Now a museum in Ashford, Kent has completed its restoration of a rare example - and although it will never be flown is considered airworthy



The kamikaze doodlebug: Secret variant of Hitler's V1 was designed to let pilot fly it to British targets (but surprisingly not enough volunteered) | Mail Online

 

[stona]

Willy Fiedler,under interrogation on 16th May 1945, claimed that SS General Wolff told him that he had "thousands" of volunteers within the SS for the Fi 103 R. Fiedler was working on the Bachem "natter" project as well and there was a suggestion of using this aircraft as a human guided missile,simply to ram bombers in suicide attacks.Again the SS were confident of plenty of volunteers.

Fiedler had no reason to lie. He was soon off to the US to work for Lockheed and have a major influence on submarine launched missiles like Polaris.

Cheers

Steve

 

[R Pope]

The prototype was test flown by Hanna Reitsch. I have a pic of her getting ready to close up the canopy.
It was fitted with a sled runner type of skid for landing, and I believe a lump of concrete took the place of the explosives.

 

[Tante Ju]

The prototype was test flown by Hanna Reitsch. I have a pic of her getting ready to close up the canopy.
It was fitted with a sled runner type of skid for landing, and I believe a lump of concrete took the place of the explosives.

AFAIK Hanna Reitsch was involved in test flying the V-1 to find a cure to some of the stability problems early in the development, for which she received the Iron Cross. She may have been involved later for 'kamikaze' V-1s though.

 

[stona]

Reitsch claimed to have flown the beast later in the war after several test pilots had already failed to land it,something that wouldn't in any case be required in operational use.
I would be very wary of just about every word she wrote.
Whatever we may think of her today she was undoubtedly a very accomplished and skillful pilot.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Jack_Hill]

B-349 was not a real suicide aircraft.
She was to be equiped with R4M or Foehn unguided missiles. Both pilot and engine where to be provided with parachutes means of recuperation.
Thus, strictly speaking, making the a/c an extreme concept of course, crazy maybe, but not a pure Kamikaze.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The prototype was test flown by Hanna Reitsch. I have a pic of her getting ready to close up the canopy.

I would love to see that.

There are a few of these surviving today. 2 in the US, this one now in England, one in France, and there are two under restoration at the moment. One in Germany and one in Canada.

 

[nuuumannn]

From a frequently inaccurate, but good book:

"After aiming his R IV at and diving it close to the target, the pilot was to release the cockpit canopy (which had to hinge 45 deg to starboard before it would fall away) and then bale out using his back parachute. It was generally agreed, however, that the pilot had practically no chance at all of surviving; since the rear edge of the canopy interfered with the pulse jet cowling and the canopy's mechanism was inefficient, it would have been almost impossible to release it at high diving speeds but, if it were released, the pilot's chances of escaping injury from the pulse jet cowling would have been slim."

Sensationalist reporting at work "SECRET KAMIKAZE V 1 INTENDED FOR BOMBING LONDON!", with a picture of Samantha Fox leaning over the V 1 in an SS uniform, but with her baps out and the sub title "I was Hitler's sex slave, reader tells all" underneath... British journalism at its best!

The photos taken at the Enemy Aircraft Exhibition at Farnborough are interesting, look at all the types in the background.

 

[stona]

B-349 was not a real suicide aircraft.
She was to be equiped with R4M or Foehn unguided missiles. Both pilot and engine where to be provided with parachutes means of recuperation.
Thus, strictly speaking, making the a/c an extreme concept of course, crazy maybe, but not a pure Kamikaze.

That is true but Fiedler said that Wolff had an alternative plan to use it to ram bombers. That would have been a suicide attack and Wolff assured Fiedler and Bachem (both fully aware of Wolff's intentions) that he could raise plenty of volunteers within the SS. There was always a plan to ram should the rockets miss,with a rather optimistic last minute escape scenario.

It all came to nothing after Sieber's ill fated escapade. The development team claimed that that flight was forced on them by Kammler,Wolff and others in the SS who didn't think that the project was progressing fast enough and wanted to see some return on their investment.

It is often forgotten that the RLM had little to do with the project. They had rejected it and Bachem then ensured their continued indifference by attempting to by pass the men at the ministry ("the club") and involve none other than the General der Jagdfliegers,Adolph Galland. He expressed an interest but nothing came of it. Not to be thwarted Bachem sought and gained an audience with Himmler. Himmler liked what he heard,within 24 hours the men at the RLM received a phone call with an offer they couldn't refuse. The BP 20 became the Ba 349. The RLM number was only given after this direct intervention from Himmler,but it remained an SS project.

Helmut Schelp,of the RLM said:

"We ran the show and that show did not include Erich Bachem's vertically launched manned missile,at least not until Reichsfuhrer SS Himmler intervened."

Here's how the system was supposed to work.

Not with me on board

Cheers

Steve