Description
This authentic tail rudder originates from a German V-1 flying bomb—commonly known as the “Buzz Bomb”—one of the earliest cruise missiles deployed during World War II. Recovered from London, this artifact is directly connected to the V-1 campaign that targeted the city in 1944–1945, marking a significant chapter in the history of modern warfare.
Constructed as part of the V-1’s guidance and stabilization system, the rudder played a critical role in controlling the missile’s trajectory during flight. Measuring approximately 20 by 10 inches, the piece retains a substantial presence, making it well-suited for exhibition and interpretation.
Artifacts of this nature offer a tangible link to the technological developments and human experiences of the Second World War, serving as powerful reminders of the era’s innovations and the impact of aerial warfare on civilian populations.
The V-1 was developed at Peenemünde Army Research Center by the Nazi German Luftwaffe during the Second World War. During initial development it was known by the codename “Cherry Stone”. The first of the so-called “Vengeance weapons” (V-weapons or Vergeltungswaffen) series designed for terror bombing of London — because of its limited range, the thousands of V-1 missiles launched into England were fired from launch facilities along the French and Dutch coasts. The first V-1 was launched at London on 13 June 1944, one week after (and prompted by) the successful Allied landings in Europe. At its peak, more than one hundred V-1s a day were fired at south-east England, 9,521 in total, decreasing in number as sites were overrun until October 1944, when the last V-1 site in range of Britain was overrun by Allied forces. After this, the V-1s were directed at the port of Antwerp and other targets in Belgium, with 2,448 V-1s being launched. The attacks stopped only a month before the war in Europe ended, when the last launch site in the Low Countries was overrun on 29 March 1945. – Wikipedia
Peenemünde Research Facility Map
Peenemünde Post War
