Re: Doodbug

Horace A. Basham (horace@HBASHAM.PL.NET)
Thu, 24 Apr 1997 23:25:13 -0400 

Erin Robichau and Jeremy Gordon

Kees Vanderheyden has described the V 1 flying bomb from his view point in
Holland.

I was at the other end of their flight, the receiving end, during the last
stages of WW2. Also the receiving end of the infamous V 2 rocket bombs.

Fewer of the V1s got through to london and evirons than had been sent
over. This was of course the result of the Raf and AA gunners. Also the
Ballon baggage operators of the RAF.

The damage done by these bombs were fay greater than conventional bombs
dropped from aircraft. This is accounted by the lower penetration of the
missile on landing. The blast was directed outwards. Whole streets of
houses were devastated. Civilian casalities from these bombs were not so
great as there was time to takr shelter when the sound of the engine
stopped.

Unlike the V 2s these came so fast the the sound of them was not heard
till after the rocket had landed. The damage from these bigger and more
explosive bombs caused large areas of damage in a circle from the centre
of impact. It ammounted to a large hold with total destruction with
receding degrees till finally light damage. The shock waves did make for
more damage to windows of buildings further a field. I can say that the
effect on the population was not good at all. It effected most worse than
anything they had suffered. It was a blessing when the Allied invasion
pushed the German forces back to their home land.

For those enquiring about the sheltering of the population in Underground
railway stations. These ammounted to hundreds of families taking shelter
there in the heights of the Blitz. The number is not known. Most people
would have had their own shelter dug in their gardens. Shelters such as
the Anderson. These were made of heavy colligated iron bolted together at
the ridge to form a rounded tent like structure. These were dug in to
oblong hole to half way and the dirt piled on top these were then
surround by sand bags filled with sand or soil. These shelters could with
stand blasts of high magnitude except direct hits.

Why the people could not and did not evacuate the cities was because of
their work and homes. English people are very attached to their homes. It
would take a mighty force to get them to move. Also in the case of London.
The City is too vast to make travelling out an easy journey. Indeed it
would be a tedious experience. Then there is. Where would they travel to?
Southern and eastern England is thickly populated. Only in the beginning
of the war was some children evacuated to the western counties, and some
over seas.

I know I am a Cockney lad born and brought up in the east end of London. I
know the pride of the Londoner.

This is from the exRAF engineer.


                  /~\    /^\ /^\
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Horace A. Basham                        writing from the
20 Opanuku Road                         foothills of the
Henderson                               Waitakere Ranges
Auckland 1008                                   Aotearoa
(64) 9 835 8342                    horace@hbasham.pl.net
========================================================

Erin and Jeremy wrote:-
>     Did you ever find out what caused the rockets, and where did they come
>from?(the V2 weapons)
>     What was the regular size of the "doodle-bug" and the self-propelled
>planes?
>     What kind of destruction did the V2's cause?
>     What did the RAF stand?
>     How did they know there was no one in the fields where they(the planes)
>dropped the bombs?
>
>Erin Robichau and Jeremy Gordon
>