Pendraken Miniatures Forum

As dis ;)cussed in the V1 release thread, a challange.
Can you spot the V1 launcher?
You can add a poll option, or just guess and reply.
(https://i.imgur.com/oWBhuzG.jpg)
Photo courtesy of Medmanham Collection at the Military Intelligence Museum  8)

I will post further V1 photos later in teh week, because one gives it away!

I guessed top, but without a good magnifying lens, a bit of a guess to be honest.

I'm thinking bottom, in the middle right around what looks like an enclosure. Seems to be a lot of tracks and activity going on there.

I know very little about this period though so could be missing the obvious!

I've gone middle right, just to the top-right of those two bomb craters.  Seems to be something 'rampy' pointing to the north-east in that field.  Although right in it's line of trajectory seems to be some houses, so I'm not overly confident!

If you want a PI, hire one. We're not here to crowd source military intelligence. Make sure you don't plan a raid until you do.

Quote from: Leon on 26 June 2019, 12:36:41 AM
I've gone middle right, just to the top-right of those two bomb craters.  Seems to be something 'rampy' pointing to the north-east in that field.  Although right in it's line of trajectory seems to be some houses, so I'm not overly confident!

I concur :)

I tried enlarging the photo, and I still couldn't see anything that I'd confidently identify as the ramp.
Something in the top left corner is a possibility.....But I wouldn't lay any money on that.

Even tried searching for the image, hoping there would be a circle around 'the target'. :-[

Cheers - Phil

V1 or 2? I think I see a 2..

I reckoned on bottom right as well.

Well, I'm sure it's just as well I wasn't tasked with deciphering photo recon images in WW2! :)

I'll go for whatever the object facing NW (if the top of the photo is N) just W of the cluster of buildings in the upper left of the image.

That's probably the same 'wossname' I was looking at, Mike.

Last time I bet a 'shiny new sixpence' (about 10 years ago) was when I challenged someone to get inside my shot on a golf course from about 100 yards. (90 ? meters)
I ended up roughly 2 feet from the pin.

The rotten sod got to within a few inches (centimeters) from the hole.

Took me AGES to find an old sixpence so I could 'pay the debt'.

Cheers - Phil

I'd go with Leon and KiwiDave with about a .10 confidence level. The shadow of the "ramp" object doesn't suggest a higher elevation at one end.

Sorry to keep you all waiting, but the answer none of you have been waiting for...
;D

(https://i.imgur.com/yte7831.jpg)
This was the first identified clue as to where launchers were. There is tell-tail sign is the long streak across the field, bottom mid left to bottom mid right in this example, which is the mark the V1 launch trolley leaves when it hits the ground after launch. Once you know to look for this, the launch site becomes easier, or in this case, a bombing target!

So, back to our original image, is that streak visible?
(https://i.imgur.com/oWBhuzG.jpg)

Yes, it is middle right, heading downwards. A further clue is the nice, efficent germans after each launch take a truck out to pick up the trolley, and turn around in the same spot each time, leaving a telltale loop.
Trace both of those lines backwards, you can spot the ramp! There is even damage to the roof of the building on the way as a few trollies fell short, and a lump taken out of a pipeline to get the V1 to safely launch. The ramp is in the middle of the factory complex!
(https://i.imgur.com/nNMdyUD.jpg)

A few other telltale shots
V1 on launcher, this allowed the allies to look for the control hut.
(https://i.imgur.com/tOzmepw.jpg)

A Tempest in pursuit to tip the V1 wings
(https://i.imgur.com/fL6jhI7.jpg)

And this last shot was one of The Intelligence Corps real triumphs
(https://i.imgur.com/VskHmt8.jpg)
Once we realised that V1s flew straight and level, until they plunged, you could track their routes back to occupied territory to work out where the launchers were, then you could look at the recon shots to spot the actual site and level it!
Also, we had several German agents we had 'turned' who were feeding false information about the V1 hits back to Germany, and were telling their handlers that the V1s were all overshooting London by about 20 mile, so the Germans cut the fuel, meaning that the rockets were in fact dropping 20miles short!  ;D Not great for Kent, but it save a lot of hits on London.

:)

Fascinating :-B

I was miles off

Thanks for sharing ML

Very interesting.

Thanks Will. Very interesting.

I'd spotted the turning circle, but had thought the white mark slightly lower and left right was linked. I certainly hadn't thought the launch ramp was so much further back.

I was sort of right - but only because of the turning circle clue.

You have to admire the original photo analysts in spotting that. 

I'd read an article about the aircraft 'tipping' the V1's in flight, but it said they would fly in front and disrupt the airflow, rather than physically contacting the V1 wings?  I've always wondered how they were able to match the speed though, as the V1 jet would be travelling up near 500-600mph and faster than a prop aircraft?

Tempest in a shallow dive could keep up, the idea was to get your wingtip under the V1, which would knock the gyroscope off, stopping the bomb flying level and knocking it out the sky, but I suspect most were brought down with cannon, like this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmZo6SRsrbk

Very interesting stuff, Mr Lemmy - thanks!

Quote from: mad lemmey on 05 July 2019, 04:41:07 PM
Tempest in a shallow dive could keep up, the idea was to get your wingtip under the V1, which would knock the gyroscope off, stopping the bomb flying level and knocking it out the sky, but I suspect most were brought down with cannon, like this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmZo6SRsrbk

Excellent, thanks!

No, thank Constance Babbington-Smith who first spotted them at Peinamunda! ;)

https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-two/world-war-two-in-western-europe/the-v-revenge-weapons/the-v1/

Interesting imagery.  It helps a lot if you know what you are looking for. Shape, tone, shadow etc., are all very well but in 1943 imagery analysts didn't until other intelligence disciplines provided collateral.  Most allied imagery was also stereo (3D) which makes all the difference.  The imagery as seen here is in mono and the clarity of the original would have been much better.  I'd like a pound for every hour I spent over a hot light table, in and out of uniform.