Rudder from a V1 Flying Bomb

An extremely rare rudder from a V1 Flying Bomb, the world’s first cruise missile.

Measuring approximately 50cms x 25cm the aluminium Rudder is in very good condition retaining most of the original blue paint and with no evidence of damage.

Of the small number of survivors I have seen in the past, this is by far the best example, most having suffered from extensive corrosion.

The V-1 was the first of the Vergeltungswaffen deployed for the bombing of London. It was developed at Peenemunde Army Research Centre in 1939 and during initial development was known by the codename "Cherry Stone". Due to its limited range, the thousands of V-1 missiles launched into England were fired from launch facilities along the French Pas de Calais and Dutch coasts.

The Wehrmacht first launched the V-1s against London on 13 June 1944, one week after (and prompted by) the successful Allied landings in France. At peak, more than one hundred V-1s a day were fired at southeast 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 Germans directed V-1s at the port of Antwerp and at other targets in Belgium, launching a further 2,448 V-1s. 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.

Although recovered in England, no further history to this piece remains.

A lovely display item.