RELIKTE

The V1 flying bomb Fieseler Fi 103 was code-named FZG 76 and developed in 1936 and production started at the End of 1944. The 2,2 ton heavy (with fuel) V1 has a simple pulsejet engine and carried a warhead of 850 kg over a distance of 250 km at a speed of 640 km/h.

Main targed were english cities in the range when fired from France. Later in the war against Antwerp, Brusseles and Liège. A total of 8892 flying bombs were launched from the ground, about 1600 from the air using He-111 H-22.

In France work on 5 heavy fortified launch sites started in 1943: Wasserwerk Valognes (B7/Bauvorhaben 7) at Valognes, Wasserwerk Saint Pol (Wasserwerk 1) at Siracourt, Wasserwerk Desvres at Lottinghem, Wasserwerk Cherbourg (B8/Bauvorhaben 8) at near Martinvast and Wasserwerk 2 (Ersatz Bauvorhaben 8) at Brécourt.

Due to heavy bomardments most were destroyed before they could launch a single V1. More success had the 96 "ski"-sites ("Stellungen alter Bauart") with it's lage amount of buildings: 3 SKI shaped storage buildings, a building for the Dampferzeuger and the power supply, a assembly building, a bunker for fuel storage, a control bunker, a non-magnetic building for aiming the V1 and a protective wall for the launch pad.

As they were also relatively easy to identify by aerial pcitures, the system was simplified and only the very necessary buildings were build. Later the system only had the launch pad and a Richtplattform with a tent. This made it very easy to put up a new position and to hide it in woods, between buildings and alongside of roads.