What was known as a doodlebug during the second world war.?

rgrahamh2o

The Vergeltungswaffe-1, V-1, also knows as Fieseler Fi 103/FZG-76, colloquially as the Flying bomb, Buzz bomb or Doodlebug, was the first guided missile used in war and the forerunner of today's cruise missile.

The name Vergeltungswaffe, meaning "reprisal weapon", was coined by German propaganda minister Goebbels to signify reprisal against the Allies for the bombing of the Fatherland. FZG is an abbreviation of FlakzielgerÃ¤t (anti-aircraft gun aiming device), a misleading name.

The V-1 was developed by the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War and was used between June 1944 and March 1945. It was fired at targets in southeastern England and Belgium, chiefly the cities of London and Antwerp. V-1s were launched from "ski-jump" launch sites along the French (Pas-de-Calais) and Dutch coasts until the sites were overrun by Allied forces. A small number were air launched from German aircraft over the North Sea. The V-1 was later complemented by the more sophisticated V-2 rocket. The last V-1 struck British soil on March 29, 1945, two days after the final V-2 attack.

Once launched, the "Buzz Bombs" weapons flew without human intervention to strike distant targets. The V-1 was a small pilotless aircraft with minimal guidance and a large warhead. The V-2 ballistic missile was also unmanned but of a far greater technological sophistication. Both weapons could hit a city-sized target but accuracy greater than this was rare. The V-weapons failed to turn the tide of war but did force the Allies to devote large amounts of time and resources against them.

Although the Kettering "Bug" Aerial Torpedo, a small propeller-driven flying bomb developed towards the end of World War I, was a pilotless military aircraft that could have functioned as a primitive cruise missile, the V-1 is often thought of as the first cruise missile comparable to modern missiles in terms of design, guidance systems, and propulsion.

frasier

The 'doodlebug' was the name given by Londoners to the V1 flying bombs that Germany launched against Britain in 1944.
They were essentially bombs with wings and were driven by a jet engine. The V2's were actual rockets as we would recognise them today. Bigger and cigar shaped.

Archie K

Lots of right answers already. It was the V1, not a true rocket, but rocket propelled, the nickname came from the sound and it wasn't terribly accurate. It was replaced by the V2, a true rocket. V stands for "Vergeltungswaffe" or "weapon of vengeance". RAF fighters, if they saw one, would try to catch it and flip it with their wings to make it go off course and crash since London was almost always the main target. This was no longer possible with the V2, which flew in an arch. The cruise missile is not a real comparison since the cruise technology is so much more advanced.

boredperv

It was the V-1 rocket propelled, unmanned bomb. It was also know as the "buzz-bomb" for the sound it made, this name evolved into doodlebug as doodlebug is also a name for the bomardier beetle.

Pete W

they were flying bombs loaded with high explosive. They made a droning noise like a bug I guess. When the engine cut out it would drop like a stone and cause massive damage - many landed on London and the home counties.

GenetteS

Yes it was a flying bomb with enough enough fuel to reach London. The government employed double agents who reported back that the bombs were overshooting their target so the Germans altered the amount of fuel and London was bombed less to the detriment of Kent.

When Germany was overrun there was a race by the Americans and Russians to get the scientists to work on their space projects.

karl e

The doodlebug was a large german bomb

Deconstitutionalization

You're right!
It's a V-1 rocket; the doodlebug is nickname.

Godfrey Goulash

At first the English people called them "buzzbombs" because of the noise they made. It was the American servicemen that christened them "doodlebugs" and the name stuck.

Scottyboy

the v-1 rocket

WavyD

The Doodlebug was actually designated V1 as others have said.
It was designed to be launched from makeshift ramps, from which it was catapulted into the air. The initial forward motion was required as the jet was a modification to a simple 'Ram Jet' type engine, called a Pulse Jet Engine.
The 'Buzz' or 'Hum' heard is caused by the opening and closing of the shutters at the front end of the jet tube. Every time the shutters closed, the fuel was ignited within the chamber. This caused the exhaust to propel the unit forward.

The V1 was fitted with a simple clockwork mechanical guidance system. This system would frequently fail and many would end up well off its intended target.

After WWII many of the scientists working on the V1 and V2 projects where taken on by the Americans and helped in accelerating their Space program into Orbit.

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V-1s (Doodle bugs)

V-1s were flying missiles that had enough power to fly over the Channel and were capable of destroying 2 to 3 houses.They made a droning noise and as soon as the droning noise stopped people had 15 seconds to escape from the powerful blast that followed. The V-1s, which were more commonly known as "Doodle bugs or "Buzz bombs", were fired from France when it was taken over by Hitler. They were launched during 1944. About 8,000 were launched at Britain, and over 2,000 of them hit London. Over 6,000 Londoners were killed and about 500,000 homes were destroyed. 2,500 anti-aircraft guns were moved to the south coast to shoot down the deadly V-1s before they reached London. Many more evacuees were moved out of London due to these terrifying bombs.

mad manc

v-1 rocket

Bluefurball

The doodle bug was a flying bomb, it had a jet engine and was fired from a launch ramp...the engine used to carry it just so far then would usually cut out and the bomb would crash land into selected areas...more random than judgement..

kate_wizzbomb

It was a flying bomb.... otherwise known as a V1 (V standing for Vergeltungswaffe which literally means reward weapon)

They were designed by the Luftwaffe and fired (from a ski jump like apparatus) at targets in South East England and Belgium

It was the first guided missile to be used in war.

red

rocket or bomb.

beanco

They came ove, then the engines would cut and down came the doodlebug - BANG.

anthony e

The german V1 rocket.
It was basically an unmanned winged aircraft powered by a
pulse jet (simple air /fuel rocket) with an explosive warhead.
A simple guidance system kept it flying straight,so if you launched in the right direction and measured the fuel poured in to the tank you could calculate how far it would travel.
When out of fuel ,down it came(BANG).
It was called a doodle bug because of the droning sound of the pulse jet.When the sound stopped,look out!

Dumbledore

It was the first of Germany's unmanned bombs, the V1 rocket, usually fired from ramps it was filled with fuel, aimed from occupied France, and let fly at London, it descended when fuel run out and glided to ground to explode. Some were shot down by anti-aircraft guns, and some by the RAF. My Gran lived in a street in Edmonton one street over from where two doodlebugs (V1's) chained together landed and took out virtually the entire street. Hope this helps

supremecritic

the v-1 rocket used by the germans, it got its nick name becuase of the sound it made

t-bone

America has the doodle bug but we call it cruise missle.

First guided missile - unmanned bomb

Bill H

It was a very basic flying bomb/missile, relying on a gyro for stability and enough fuel to reach its target (London more often than not).

matured

the doodlebug could be launched fro a plane or mostly it was launced from german occupied countries and had enough fuel to get to uk , when fuel ran out it dropped, it was a large bomb which made a distinctive noise, when the engine noise stopped you would know it was due to drop.they were unmanned apart from the early prototypes which had to be developed with a person on board to ensure correct stability was communicated to ground crew, these ones were not explosive and were only test ones.