Re: Doodlebugs
- From: Brian Pears <bpears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 06 Sep 2005 13:09:58 GMT
Andrew Sellon <andrew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The majority of the air launched attacks were at night. Because of Braintree's location I suspect that any overflying V-1 would have been air launched, if you have a time of day and course one might be able to judge whether it was after the start of August 1944.
The air-launched V1's were even less accurate than the land-launched ones - here's some background and an account of one raid where a V1 landed on Tudhoe Cricket Field in Co Durham.
Saturday, 23rd/Sunday, 24th December 1944 N1939
A special unit of Heinkel 111s was assembled in June 1944. It was formed to carry V1s or Buzz Bombs as they were called, thus adding 400 miles to their 150 mile range, then being able to bomb northern industrial targets without having to risk precious manned aircraft over land.
On this Christmas Eve, between 05.00 and 06.00, forty-five Heinkels of the special unit launched its attack on Manchester from some 40 miles off the east coast between Skegness and Mablethorpe. Thirty-one V1s crossed the coast and about half fell within 20 miles of the intended target, but some landed in Yorkshire, they include one that fell at Barmby Moor near Pocklington at 05.50, one that fell at Willerby on the western outskirts of Hull at 05.45 and another that landed in the mud just off Reads Island in the Humber Estuary, and yet another that fell at South Cliffe near Beverly. Three went badly astray, one landed in Shropshire, one in Northamptonshire and the third landed in Tudhoe, at 06.05, 170 miles off track, but not 20 miles from Newcastle!!
06.05.. Co Durham.. Eleven people were injured when a V1 landed on the cricket field at Tudhoe, the pavilion was destroyed. There was severe damage to 22 houses and slight damage to 368 other houses, a C of E Vicarage and nearby Catholic Church and orphanage were also damaged.
Hull.. Hull was on the route for a number of flying bombs destined for Manchester. One of these dropped on the outskirts of the city, in a field, the only damage being to windows and roofs, from blast. The event was an untimely one from the point of view of the householders who had to patch up their property in time for Christmas. It took more than six months to repair damage caused by this bomb. which was extensive. The Springhead pumping station was also damaged.
Night 1939. All times BST. Dimout begins: 17.10, ends: 09.00 Public Alert: 05.59, All-Clear: 06.15
There is a humorous corollary to this story - which I recounted elsewhere. Here is the account:
There is a rather humorous episode connected with this V1 - humorous in retrospect, but deeply embarrassing to the Royal Observer Corps at the time. The ROC had numerous observer posts around the country linked by telephone to control rooms with plotting tables. Observers in the posts reported aircraft movements to their control room who plotted these movements on a plotting table and passed on the information to Fighter Command.
All the posts in Co Durham and Northumberland belonged to "30 Group" and were linked to a control room at the back of the Post Office in Providence Row, Durham City. This control room had seen it's share of the action over the previous 5 years - they plotted the Rudolph Hess flight - they plotted the mass air raids of August 15th 1940 where the Luftwaffe was hammered and its Norwegian operations effectively ended - they plotted all the devastating raids on Tyneside and Wearside of 1941-1943. But now, as 1944 ended, things were well and truly winding down - there hadn't been a raid on the Group's area for more than a year.
So the scene is set - early hours of Christmas Eve 1944 - the control room at Durham City still manned (or rather womanned) and all 55 observer posts around the two counties were all manned too - but with only "friendly" aircraft to plot all year, everyone was very much relaxed.
06:00 the loudspeaker in the Control Room crackled into life and an urgent voice - the voice of Observer J.S. Hutchinson at Sedgefield Post - said "Post F3 - Diver, Diver, Diver, bearing 315 degrees, 3000 feet". Diver was the codeword for a V1 Flying Bomb.
The girls in the control room looked at each other in disbelief - there hadn't been a V1 within 150 miles and no raids at all for a year, he was obviously joking, probably too much Christmas spirit - he'd be in serious trouble if this gets out. They did nothing!
Five minutes later they realised their mistake when the loudspeaker again sprang to life, this time an observer at Spennymoor Post - "Post G1, Large explosion one mile north-east." Embarrassing or what?
I actually met one of the ladies who was on duty at Durham ROC Control Room that night, the one who decided to do nothing - it was a few years ago now at a ROC exhibition. Not surprisingly she is something of a celebrity in ROC circles. :-)
Cheers, Brian -- Brian Pears Gateshead, UK .
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- Doodlebugs
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- Re: Doodlebugs
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- Doodlebugs
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