January 22/23rd 1945 Jet activity?

[RodM]

The attached map shows a plot encounters with jet/rocket propelled phenomena as reported by heavy bomber crews on the nights of 1-2, 2-3, and 4-5 November 1944 - the period when the number of reported sightings simply skyrocketed. The blue area is the approximate position of Allied-controlled territory as at 7 November, while the green and yellow lines show the two bomber stream routes on 4-5 November.

If all the sightings related to V1 or V2 rockets, then with the former, one would expect the phenomena to be moving in a direction converging on Antwerp. Several of the sighting/combat reports record directions of travel inconsistent with this. With V2 rockets, the exhaust trails would have continued upwards way higher than the altitude of the bombers. The mean altitude of all these plotted encounters was 13,649 feet AGL, the lowest being 4,000 feet and the highest 26,000 feet, and most falling between 11 - 18,000 feet.

Also significant, with the jet/rocket aircraft claimed destroyed (26 for the period plotted), most either exploded in the air or simply fell back down to earth.

I certainly accept that some sightings could relate to V1s/V2s but I think these weapons don't explain the majority of sightings.

Cheers

Rod