The V1 launch ramp

The Origins of the V1

As early as 1932, a research centre was established south of Berlin. From 1935, a new site was created on the Baltic Sea on the island of Usedom. The researchers' objective was to develop liquid-fuelled rockets. However, at the start of the war, Hitler did not believe in these new technologies. The tide turned at the end of 1942, and on 25 July 1943, he ordered Dornberger and Von Braun to accelerate the production of "vengeance weapons." Along the Channel coast, more than 400 launch ramps were installed.

How the V1 Works

The V1 resembles a small pilotless aircraft, 8m long and weighing 2 tonnes. Its speed can reach 600 km/h with a maximum range of 260 km—a distance sufficient to reach London from our Norman coasts.

The craft consists of:

• The nose section: Ovoid in shape, housing the magnetic compass, the explosive charge, and three detonating fuses.

• The upper section: Cylindrical in shape, forming the pulsejet engine.

• The central section: Contains the 700-litre fuel tank, with a consumption rate of 24 litres per minute. Two metal spheres serve as compressed air tanks—one for fuel atomisation and the other for controlling the steering vanes.

• The rear section: Conical in shape, housing the fuel supply adjustment mechanism, two electrical batteries—one 30V and the other 1188V (consisting of 792 1.5V cells!)—as well as the autopilot.

The entire assembly is positioned on a 42m-long launch ramp, at the end of which a launch piston ensures the V1's departure.

The Mont-Cauvaire Site

At Mont-Cauvaire, the ramp was located on the boundary of the Domaine du Fossé, which was the Collège de Normandie at the time. The initial work began in March 1944. The adjacent farm was evacuated. Russian prisoners carried out the earthworks and felled trees to be used for the site’s strict camouflage. A section of SS stationed in the estate's chateau supervised the construction site.

The ramp became operational on 15 June 1944. A village resident observed through binoculars a failed engine ignition that caused the death of one prisoner and injured another. Repairs were immediate, as noted by Norbert Dufour, co-author of a book on the subject.

In August 1944, an Allied offensive was launched against the installations. On Sunday, 8 August 1944, 200 bombs were dropped on the edge of the village. On Monday the 9th, a patrol flew over the village to take photographs, and on the 10th, 140 bombs dropped on the estate destroyed many buildings, though the ramp remained hit.

On 15 August, the Germans destroyed the facilities. The V1s were scattered throughout the park with the aim of destroying as many trees as possible. A fortnight later, the Canadians liberated the village...