Flyingbombsandrockets.com

​On the 8th of September 1944, a huge explosion rocked Staveley Road, Chiswick, in southwest London. There was no siren or warning. This was the first ballistic missile, Hitler's much-vaunted V2 rocket. It weighed 13 tons and travelled via the stratosphere at 3,000 miles per hour. Three people died, and 17 were seriously injured in the blast, which reduced rows of houses to the appearance of a battlefield. For the first time, people heard the distinctive sound of the V2—first the explosion, then the roar of the rocket motors catching up (because sound travels slower than a supersonic rocket), and lastly, the noise of the sonic boom from the upper atmosphere. The noise could be heard all over the capital. A second V2 hit Epping at around the same time, but fortunately, there were no casualties.

The V2 rockets had been known to British Intelligence for some time, but it had been assumed the launch sites had been overrun after the Allied invasion of Normandy. The initial V2 attacks continued until the 18th of September, by which time about 14 had fallen in the London area, when they abruptly stopped because of the Allied operation at Arnhem. The V2 launch sites were pulled back further, and the missiles were only able to reach East Anglia.

On the 5th of October, the V2 attacks started on London again, with the first one falling in Wanstead. They were able to do this because of the Allied failure at Arnhem and the subsequent opportunity to reposition the rocket units in The Hague. It was not until the 10th of November that Churchill admitted that "we are under attack again," and the press was finally able to give details. Attacks continued at a steady rate until the last missile in March 1945. The highest number of V2s in the part of South London that I have studied was 12 in the week commencing 1st January 1945.

In spite of the lower numbers of V2s compared to the V1, it was a terrifying and destructive weapon. Because of the lack of warning, the V2 delivered death from the sky without any chance of shelter or protection. There was little point in using Anderson or Morrison shelters, as the V2's penetrating capabilities rendered them useless. Only the deepest tube stations or deep-level shelters could be considered totally safe. The V2, although fewer in number, was a much deadlier weapon than the V1. The death rate per missile for the V1 was 2.70, but for the V2, it was 11.06 (figures for the South London area of study). This was a result of the missile's penetration and concentrated blast, which caused much greater destruction at the epicentre than the V1, as well as the lack of warning.

The V2 made a crater sometimes ten feet deep. It caused an earthquake effect that shook washbasins a quarter of a mile away. Even a few miles away, floorboards shuddered, window frames shook, and clouds of soot blew out of fireplaces. The brunt of the V1 attacks had been in Southeast London. The focus now shifted, and the East and Northeastern sides were the worst hit, with Ilford recording the highest total (35), but Southeast London still endured a considerable number of V2s. This distribution of missiles was due to the launch being from the Netherlands, and short-falling missiles tended to hit the east side.

Londoners were blasted out of their homes, in some cases time and time again during the flying bomb period, and now this new terror arrived. Tens of thousands of people had no roofs, no windows, and no running water. Repairs were carried out at a vigorous pace after the V1s, but a massive backlog remained, and many waited months for glass in their windows or tiles on their roofs. Large numbers fell ill with flu and other winter illnesses. During the Blitz, there had been a sense of community, a stoic attitude—Britain at its finest hour. The V2 caused a different response. Londoners were terrified. One contemporary report describes "Brixton women praying in the street for the war to stop." The rocket attacks continued until March 1945, when the Allied advances into Europe curtailed them. To the end, a steady rate of missiles struck, causing a relentless death toll.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                     Woolworths, New Cross, 25th November 1944

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This was the worst tragedy of the entire V-weapon attacks. Reports from a number of witnesses tell that the V2 was seen in its last moments of flight, a line drawn across the November sky. The store bulged outwards and then imploded, and in the carnage, 168 people were killed and 121 were seriously injured. As the rocket exploded, there was a blinding flash of light and an enormous roar, followed by a dense cloud of smoke and powdered dust. Witnesses several hundred yards away felt the blast on their faces; some were physically pushed backward by its force. The Co-Op store next door also collapsed, killing more people inside. The bodies of passers-by were flung great distances, and an army lorry was overturned, killing its occupants. A double-decker bus spun round, causing yet more deaths and injuries; its occupants were seen still sitting in their seats, covered in dust.

There were piles of masonry and pieces of bodies all around. Where Woolworths had been, there was now an enormous gap. The debris stretched from the town hall to New Cross Gate station, and it took three days to clear this and retrieve the bodies from the rubble. Today, the site has been totally redeveloped; the extent of the damage area can be seen where the new buildings commence, both in New Cross Road and in surrounding streets.

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                          Smithfield Market, 8th March 1945

On the 8th of March 1945, at Smithfield Market, the rocket penetrated the railway tunnels that lie beneath this area, which were originally used as sidings for the market. There was a huge explosion heard all over London, and the market buildings collapsed into the void below. A massive crater formed, filled with the rubble of the devastated buildings. The market was very busy with market workers and people queuing for produce. Many of the victims of this V2 fell through the floor of the market into the railway below. In all, 110 people died, and numerous others were seriously injured. There were many women and children among the victims who had gone to the market to try and obtain one of a consignment of rabbits that had gone on sale. Today, there is no trace of the Victorian market buildings that stood at this point; they have been replaced by a typical 1960s office block.

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                                                   Hughes Mansion, 27th March 1945

This V2, which fell at 07:20 in the morning on the 27th of March 1945, was the last one to hit London and also one of the most deadly. It totally destroyed one of the blocks at Hughes Mansion. Residents were at home having breakfast, and the death toll was 134. The majority of the victims were Jewish.