Second one to be discovered this year; other one was on the Continent. "Archaeologists have discovered the exploded remains of a German V1 "flying bomb" that crashed in a forest in 1944 on the way to its target in London. The dig has turned up several key metal parts from the unpiloted V1, a predecessor of today's guided cruise missiles. It was one of thousands of"retaliation weapons," or "Vergeltungswaffen,"launched by Nazi Germany in the last months of World War II. Project leader Colin Welch told Live Science that almost 10,000 V1 flying bombs were fired mainly from launching ramps in German-controlled Holland against the southeast of England in 1944 and 1945." www.livescience.com/64017-nazi-flying-bomb-discovered.html?fbclid=IwAR1qzV6VJcdoM4Fl1TLXddT5NQxju2kIsSLrCpbi8XZBVyDEpthXWdPW4T0
Gordon, I think I have posted this before but it seems appropriate here. In 1955, when I was 15 I discovered 5 or 6 V-1's rusting away on Santa Rosa Island, Florida, across the sound from Eglin AFB. It was Federal land. They random laying around, rusting away. A launch ramp, equally rusting, also had a concrete block control house. Obviously abandoned after some testing. I "salvaged" some flared aluminum tubing from several of them with the intent of using it for brake lines in out '44 Willis Jeep. Got some installed but it soon split, an ironic attempt at repair. Some 10 or so years ago Thyssen-Krupp but a huge steel plant in Mobile Alabama to supply steel to Ingalls Shipbuilders in Pascagoula, Miss. Equally ironic, Krupp steel helped repair the USS Cole which was returned home on a Dutch heavy life ship. Interesting world.
I have no knowledge of a US version of the V-1. But the attached plates and stamped wording thought corroded were in German. Our cousin who lived nearby recalled testing that could be seen across the sound. He was an infantry Captain in Europe during the war. I imagine they either finished with the test and abandoned these or some may not have been unable to function. It was on Eglin property, they were not dangerous and were long abandoned, I ignored all sorts of no trespassing signs, what curious 15 years old would not !! Years later it was cleaned up and was simply a fly zone leading into Eglin. Nautical charts on a bay near-by had warning signs for unexploded ordinance dumped by panes either on approach or talking off. Eglin is a huge base. Thanks for the picture of the Dutch heavy lift ship, pretty remarkable craft, I believe it took pieces of the Kurst home.
Rather an interesting story behind the Loon. Here's the wiki page: Republic-Ford JB-2 - Wikipedia The German language would point to them being true V-1's though.
Good memory, Gaines. They were used by the 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group which used Santa Rosa and Wagner Field(Eglin Auxiliary Field #1). Not much remains today though... The launch bunker Remains of the Launch Ramp Remains of a crashed V-1 or JB-2
Takao, where on earth did you find those images!!!!! I clearly remember the bunker, the ramp was more intact and the "missiles" more evident. That really takes me back in time. Thank you !!! I borrowed our cousin's skiff with a 10 HP Johnson and was exploring the far side of Santa Rosa Sound when it caught my eye. I wish I had been more larcenous and taken some interesting parts!!!. You have made my day! Gaines
Here, at the Air Force Space & Missile Museum's webpage for Eglin AFB. Click on the photo gallery picture to see 9 photos pertaining to the JB-2 at Eglin, the ones I posted are the last three(7, 8, & 9). Eglin Air Force Base
It indicates they were US copies. I only opened one up, had to return with tools, and it definitely had German markings. Wish I have looked into others . Given that the Germans used metric measurements it does not seem possible it would for the US ramp but I suppose they could have adapted it to test a German one. More curious than ever now !
