On 13th June 1944 - exactly one week after the Normandy Landings - the first V-1 flying bomb hit London.
On 13th June 1944 - exactly one week after the Normandy Landings - the first V-1 flying bomb hit London. The V-1 was the world's first operational cruise missile, as well as one of the most fear-inducing terror weapons of WWII. The 'V' stood for the German word Vergeltungswaffen, meaning 'Vengeance Weapons', since the flying bombs were intended as retaliation for Allied bombings against German cities. This name was chosen by the Nazi Propaganda Ministry, but the British nicknamed them "buzz bombs" due to the distinct buzzing sound made by the pulse-jet engines that powered them. At a pre-set distance, the engine would suddenly cut out and the bomb would plunge to the ground, causing its one-ton high-explosive warhead to detonate. The first V-1s were fired towards London on 12th June 1944, but all nine failed to reach England. Yet, on the following day, four of the bombs did reach their target. The first one hit next to the railway bridge on Grove Road, Mi...