Most improbable V1 kill

[H]

...but Charlie, you're neglecting the fact that its at St. John's!  A.

...but  Andrew, you're neglecting the fact that Charlie also stated "The displaced airflow of the rocket would probably make it unlikely that the cannonball would get close [to] the very fast moving rocket..."
...which automatically eliminates "impossible" without an argument about whether the rocket hits the cannonball or the cannonball the rocket or how effectively the flight paths would be changed for either missile to completely miss their intended targets. Either way, it could well change the outcome of St. John's steeple chase.

8)

[Flt.Lt.Andrew]

Hahahahahah , well spotted, and well said!




A.

[C]

[color=Navy]
...which automatically eliminates "impossible" without an argument about whether the rocket hits the cannonball or the cannonball the rocket or how effectively the flight paths would be changed for either missle to completely miss their intended targets. Either way, it could well change the outcome of St. John's steeple chase.

Doh...

[beaky]

Wait, I'm lost... how fast is the steeple going again? That's important.



I hadn't heard that particular story, but apparently, V1s were relatively easy to kill... a number of them were shot down , and a few were even turned off-course by a fighter pulling up alongside and  tipping it with a wing.

[C]

I hadn't heard that particular story, but apparently, V1s were relatively easy to kill... a number of them were shot down , and a few were even turned off-course by a fighter pulling up alongside and  tipping it with a wing.

Many were shot down, generally by fighters in Kent or by AAA. It was no coincidence that the first operational jet fighters (Gloster Meteors) in the RAF were based at RAF Manston - the closest airfield to France large enough for them to operate from. Most air to air kills of V1s appear to have come from Meteors, Tempests and late Mk Spitfires...

The tipping story is indeed correct, although it wasn't always necessary to make contact - often placing your wingtip underneath that of the V1 was enough for the wingtip vortices to lift the wing of the V1, in turn hopefully toppling that gyroscopic autopilot, leaving the thing to crash fairly soon after - hopefully in open ground...

[Hagar]

The tipping story is indeed correct, although it wasn't always necessary to make contact - often placing your wingtip underneath that of the V1 was enough for the wingtip vortices to lift the wing of the V1, in turn hopefully toppling that gyroscopic autopilot, leaving the thing to crash fairly soon after - hopefully in open ground...

I think that only happened a couple of times when the fighter ran out of ammo. I read you had to be very careful not to actually touch the wings or BOOM.........!

[C]

...and here's a "Spit" (according to the original caption) doing just that

[ozzy72]

Some V-1s were fitted with an anti-tilt device (some kind of wires between the wing and fuselage I believe) once the Germans got wind of the tipping. One Free French pilot ran out of ammo trying to kill one and when he realised it was going to crash into a hospital rammed it at the cost of his own life!

[HawkerTempest5]

Fighter aircraft were often damaged by the exploding V1. Jean Maridor the Free French pilot died engaging a V1 in a Spitfire XIV. I read a story about a chap named James Sheddon. Whilst engaging a V1 in his Tempest his engine over heated and cut out resulting in a forced landing. On inspection it was found that it was not debris from the V1 that had forced him down but a 20mm cannon cartridge lodged in the radiator from the Tempest of W/C Roland Bemont who also claimed a half share in Sheddon