D-day To Ve Day

spidge · 12-10-2005, 11:58 AM

Reading up on V1, V2 rockets & V3 cannons, I came across this personal story on BBC the peoples war and a piece was for the 12th of October.

an extract:

A lot of V1 Flying Bombs passed over us while we were here, many fell on Antwerp, trying to stop us using the docks. In fact the first V2 rocket fell on Antwerp on 12th October and the first V1 on the 23rd of October. In all 1 ,214 rockets landed in the city, and 302 more in the dock area. All together over 15,000 civilians were killed or wounded, later on, on the 12th of December the "Rex Cinema" was hit, 242 soldiers on short leave were killed and over 250 civilians also lost their lives.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A2051119

Gnomey · 12-10-2005, 01:28 PM

Interesting stuff spidge. I enjoyed reading that.

Gotthard Heinrici · 12-10-2005, 01:30 PM

Excellent Post Spidge!! Great Reading

51highland · 15-04-2006, 08:23 PM

My father was on leave in Antwerp at the time of the cinema being hit. He and a couple of his mates had been sent for R&R. Dad said he reckoned he was sent because he was going a bit "bomb happy".
They were going to the cinema, but decided to get a beer first ( thankfully)He told me that a MP on point duty directing traffic took a direct hit and they only found one of his white gauntlets. He returned to his unit next day, he reckoned it was better to be with the "Family" (Camerons) if he was going to be bombed. Couple of days later he got his MM off Montgomery.

Kitty · 15-04-2006, 09:19 PM

Has anyone seen that shot of a Mustang hunting down a V1 over Britain taken from a returning fighter? Breathtaking.
Thanks for the post Spidge, i hadn't realised the V bombs were falling all over Europe.
Kitty

Owen · 15-04-2006, 09:22 PM

It's the numbers of the things that amazes me. I used to think there were a few hundred V weapons launched. How wrong I was.

Kitty · 15-04-2006, 09:25 PM

I've read about 617's efforts to destroy the V suites, and how they were sent after the V2 (I think) sites because they were underground and built of ferrous concrete. A whole squadron to get one site using Tallboy and Grandslam bombs. Scary thought what might have happened if they hadn't been targeted.

von Poop · 15-04-2006, 10:09 PM

Always amazes me when you stand next to a V2 that people still alive (my girlfriends father for one) actually spent time in a London where things that size were crashing out of the sky on a regular basis. (or in V2's case roaring straight downwards at hundreds of MPH.)
Surely the Guards Chapel was one of the V weapons most 'successful' hits as well.

Gage · 15-04-2006, 10:27 PM

More than 9,000 flying bombs were launched, which is a fantastic figure. I know they were also launched from the Heinkel 111.
May 16th 1944: Hitler's offical order to attack England with flying bombs.
June 13th 1944: First V1 lands in Swanscombe, Kent.
June 18th 1944: 121 killed during Sunday service in Guards Chapel, 141 injured.
September 8th 1944: First V2 lands in England.
November 25th 1944: V2 explodes in New Cross and kills 160.
Hopefully post more info when I have time.

sapper · 16-04-2006, 12:15 PM

While on the Market Garden offensive we had to watch the V2s being fired at Britain from behind the enemy lines and nothing we could do about it.
Sapper

12-10-2005, 11:58 AM	#1 (permalink)
spidge Legendary Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 8,054	Reading up on V1, V2 rockets & V3 cannons, I came across this personal story on BBC the peoples war and a piece was for the 12th of October. an extract: A lot of V1 Flying Bombs passed over us while we were here, many fell on Antwerp, trying to stop us using the docks. In fact the first V2 rocket fell on Antwerp on 12th October and the first V1 on the 23rd of October. In all 1 ,214 rockets landed in the city, and 302 more in the dock area. All together over 15,000 civilians were killed or wounded, later on, on the 12th of December the "Rex Cinema" was hit, 242 soldiers on short leave were killed and over 250 civilians also lost their lives. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A2051119 __________________ Spidge, ------------------------------------------------------- My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." (Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.) What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site: http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm

12-10-2005, 01:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
Gnomey Per Ardua Ad Astra Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK Posts: 2,963	Interesting stuff spidge. I enjoyed reading that. __________________ "Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few" Sir Winston Chuchill, Summer 1940 "To him the people of Britain and the free world owe largely the way of life they enjoy today" Ensciption on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-1940) Statue in London Aircraft of World War 2 Forum - A Warbird Forum

12-10-2005, 01:30 PM	#3 (permalink)
Gotthard Heinrici Pog mo thon Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 4,017	Excellent Post Spidge!! Great Reading __________________ *"The Eastern front is like a house of cards. If the front is broken through at one point all the rest will collapse."* - General Heinz Guderian

15-04-2006, 08:23 PM	#4 (permalink)
51highland Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ipswich Posts: 833	My father was on leave in Antwerp at the time of the cinema being hit. He and a couple of his mates had been sent for R&R. Dad said he reckoned he was sent because he was going a bit "bomb happy". They were going to the cinema, but decided to get a beer first ( thankfully)He told me that a MP on point duty directing traffic took a direct hit and they only found one of his white gauntlets. He returned to his unit next day, he reckoned it was better to be with the "Family" (Camerons) if he was going to be bombed. Couple of days later he got his MM off Montgomery. __________________ 51 highland www.keep-em-moving.com Là á Bhlàir's math na Càirdean (Friends are good in the day of battle) Na diobair caraid's a charraid (Forsake not a friend in the fray) Cuimhnichibh na suinn nach maireann . Mairidh an cliu beo gu brath. (In memory of the Heroes who are no more. May their Fame live on forever)

15-04-2006, 10:27 PM	#9 (permalink)
Gage Battle of Barking Creek Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Somewhere in Time Posts: 1,375	More than 9,000 flying bombs were launched, which is a fantastic figure. I know they were also launched from the Heinkel 111. May 16th 1944: Hitler's offical order to attack England with flying bombs. June 13th 1944: First V1 lands in Swanscombe, Kent. June 18th 1944: 121 killed during Sunday service in Guards Chapel, 141 injured. September 8th 1944: First V2 lands in England. November 25th 1944: V2 explodes in New Cross and kills 160. Hopefully post more info when I have time. __________________ 'There I stood at the bar, wearing a Mae West, no jacket, and beginning to leak blood from my torn boot. None of the golfers took any notice of me - after all, I wasn't a member!' Kenneth Lee - after being shot down on the 18th August 1940. John McClane: "Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs..." Avatar: SOE (F Section) agent Andree Borrel murdered at Natzweiler Camp 6th July 1944.

15-04-2006, 09:19 PM	#5 (permalink)
Kitty Legendary Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 5,121	Has anyone seen that shot of a Mustang hunting down a V1 over Britain taken from a returning fighter? Breathtaking. Thanks for the post Spidge, i hadn't realised the V bombs were falling all over Europe. Kitty

15-04-2006, 09:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
Owen Grumpy Old Moose Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Under the stairs Posts: 9,484	It's the numbers of the things that amazes me. I used to think there were a few hundred V weapons launched. How wrong I was.

15-04-2006, 09:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
Kitty Legendary Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 5,121	I've read about 617's efforts to destroy the V suites, and how they were sent after the V2 (I think) sites because they were underground and built of ferrous concrete. A whole squadron to get one site using Tallboy and Grandslam bombs. Scary thought what might have happened if they hadn't been targeted.

15-04-2006, 10:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
von Poop I Like Tanks Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Perfidious Albion. Posts: 8,489	Always amazes me when you stand next to a V2 that people still alive (my girlfriends father for one) actually spent time in a London where things that size were crashing out of the sky on a regular basis. (or in V2's case roaring straight downwards at hundreds of MPH.) Surely the Guards Chapel was one of the V weapons most 'successful' hits as well.

16-04-2006, 12:15 PM	#10 (permalink)
sapper WW2 Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,515	While on the Market Garden offensive we had to watch the V2s being fired at Britain from behind the enemy lines and nothing we could do about it. Sapper

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