Catching the V1 without a dive.

[Jon]

Hi Franek.
Yes the Mustang i am sure could and did.
Your point about the limited time to intercept is exactly my point, if the V1 was caught after the Flak belt just over the English coast what was the time to the centre of London for a V1 and, what could in most cases be expected to catch one and destroy it over open land before the London suburbs.

[PeterVerney]

I well remember standing with my mother in our garden, watching a V1 coming low straight over us. A Mustang dived on its tail but was firing in desperation, unable to close the range. Then suddenly we heard a rustling sound and realised his bullets were going through the hedge about 20 yards behind us.

Some V1s travelled at high speeds and could outrun some fighters but others were slower and more easily caught. We saw several shot down in this way over our village. Then when the defences were reorganised there was a battery of radar directed guns about 3 miles away which could knock them down 2 times out of 3 with 20 shots. 19 finished up in the parish.

[Brian]

Hi Peter

You may be aware that I am nearing completion of a book covering V-1 operations. May I use your above recollection as a quote, please? Are you able to add to it including a possible date - month?

Cheers
Brian

[PeterVerney]

Hi Brian

As I live in Ipswich it may be possible for us to meet up if you wish. I'm afraid I have no dates, but that would have been fairly early in the V1 period, perhaps late July early August. I was 12 at the time so the memory is a bit hit and miss, but some things stay with you.

At the time we lived in Elham Kent and had had a grandstand view of the war from start to finish. I would commend Mary Smiths book "Harvest of Messerschmitts" to everyone with an interest in such things.

[Brian]

Hi Peter

A meeting sounds like a good idea, just give me time to organise something and I will come back to you.

Yes, I have a copy of that book and agree with you.

Cheers
Brian

[Franek Grabowski]

Peter
Very best wishes to you!
PS The Mustang you have had seen must have been either Polish or from 129 Sqn.

Jon
V1 needed about 10-15 minutes to pass the distance between both belts. They were rather hard to spot, so dive chase was rather neccessity, despite better level speed.

[HARD_Sarge]

Hi Jon
well, going by the Squadrons that had V-1 kills, we should be able to work out what kind of planes could and did catch the V-1s

besides what you have listed

Mossy II
Mossy VI
Mossy XII
Mossy XIII
Mossy XVII
Mossy XIX
Mossy XXX (should of been listed as 30)

Spitfire IX
Spitfire XII

Typoon Ib

of course, can't tell how many of those were tail chases and not dive kills, but with the numbers of claims, they had to have a few