Battlefieldsww2.com - Remnants from second world war in Europe

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V1 Flying Bomb Site Neuville

In 1943, the Germans built a launch base for their V-1 rockets near Neuville in northern France. A number of these simple bases were built throughout northern France. The rockets were supplied by rail from the production plants. At the base, they were prepared and fired from a concrete ramp against England.

The V-1 rocket could not be controlled inflight, therefore the launch ramps had to be pointed directly toward the target. The ramp at Neuville pointed directly at London, 140 miles away.

The distance from the ramp to the target was important because the V1 would strike the ground either when it ran out of fuel, or when a special timer shut off the fuel supply. It was a simple system, but not very accurate.

The simple, light, and small size of the base was a conscious choice by the Germans, so as to not attract too much attention from Allied bombers.