Why Germany Put Pilots Inside A V-1 Flying Bomb

The V-1 was built as a weapon of destruction against the Allies with thousands of these flying bombs built to target England and Belgium. But do you know that there’s also supposedly a piloted version of the V-1?

This was the Fieseler 103-R Reichenberg which was essentially a V-1 with a cockpit. But what is its purpose, and why does it need a pilot if it could already fly on its own?

A Piloted V1 Flying Bomb

After the successful Allied invasion of Normandy, Germany authorized the launch of the V1 flying bomb which was the world’s first cruise missile that could hit targets in London.

However, a different version of the bomb hasn’t gained a lot of attention – the Fieseler 103-R Reichenberg which was essentially a piloted version of the V-1.

The V-1 Original Design

The V-1’s design would feature an Argus-built pulse jet engine. This new propulsion system allowed it to reach speeds of up to 640 km.

It needed a ramp and rail system aimed at the target’s direction- the V-1 catapulted to the ramp and into the air up to 100 a day or nearly 10,000 in total were fired towards England. This went on until their launch sites were eventually overrun by the Allies.

Development of the Piloted Version

A piloted version was developed in the same year, the difference being that the original V1 was equipped with a guidance system that used an autopilot that controlled the speed and altitude of the weapon. Then, the target input’s location was input into the system before the launch. Once over the target, the engine would then automatically shut off, plummeting towards the ground before exploding.

Meanwhile, the advantage of using the piloted version of the weapon was its ability to be guided towards a moving target like an Allied ship. Moreover, targets that are more difficult to hit such as bridges and dams would be more viable options.

Reconstruction

Transforming a standard V1 into the 103r was relatively easy. The standard weapon would be split into several different areas, and converting it to accommodate a pilot meant adding a small cockpit just in front of the jet engine.

The weapon was relatively the same as the original. Despite having a pilot, it would not be equipped with any landing gear. The 103r could be dropped from the H-111 with a pulsejet engine pushing it through the air. The pilot could then aim the weapon at the target, for instance, a ship, open the canopy, and then bail out, landing safely.

A Suicide Mission

This was good in theory, but in reality, it was difficult for the pilot to bail out at high speed. Continued arguments for German pilots to survive the flight meant that these were ultimately deemed suicide missions. Germany’s focus also shifted to the ground war meant that the project was ultimately scrapped.

Although these weapons didn’t see operational use, it’s a perfect example of the desperation of the Germans in the latter stages of the war.