The kamikaze doodlebug

[ruxy]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2259619/The-kamikaze-doodlebug-Secret-variant-Hitlers-V1-designed-let-pilot-fly-British-targets-surprisingly-volunteered.html

[chevpol]

Rare beast, Reichlin R1, the Japanese used a similar version called Ohka (Cherry Bomb), several are preserved in Britain, (RAF Cosford and Manchester Museum of Science and Industry) Ohka powered by 4 rocket motors, R1 by pulse jet.

 

Mark

[Pzkpfw-e]

It's a Reichenburg, not a Reichlin.

Also, this airframe is a standard V1, modified to look like a Reichenburg.

[Richard Farrant]

Also, this airframe is a standard V1, modified to look like a Reichenburg.

 

I have seen this craft many times over the years, at the Headcorn museum, if you are saying this one is not a piloted version, then it must have been the Air Ministry or whoever was in charge of it who have "modified" it, as photos of it at Farnborough in 1945 show a canopy on it. :undecided:

 

 

Or have I misunderstood your post?

[Tony B]

Isn't the Headcorn 'manned' V1 one single tailfin?

[Pzkpfw-e]

I have seen this craft many times over the years, at the Headcorn museum, if you are saying this one is not a piloted version, then it must have been the Air Ministry or whoever was in charge of it who have "modified" it, as photos of it at Farnborough in 1945 show a canopy on it. :undecided:

 

 

Or have I misunderstood your post?

 

No, I'm taking my information from Phil Butler's "War Prizes" book.

He notes that the Reichenburg displayed at Farnborough, was "Almost certainly captured at the Dannenburg V-1 factory in the US Zone. The fate of this aircraft is unknown; one of the surviving V-1s in England is a standard pilotless aircraft modified to appear like a piloted version"

This, to me, says that the Headcorn one, isn't the same as the one displayed at Farnborough in 1945.

Farnborough '45

 

Lashenden's version. Note different cockpit canopy & nose profile.

Edited January 13, 2013 by Pzkpfw-e

[Richard Farrant]

I only know what I have seen and read at the museum. Here is the page from their website. I believe it may have come from the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal centre at Lodge Hill.

 

http://www.lashendenairwarfaremuseum.co.uk/5.html

Edited January 14, 2013 by Richard Farrant

[Tony B]

 

http://www.lashendenairwarfaremuseum.co.uk/ The Headcorn one has been off for restoration.

[ruxy]

I found this photograph in the book :-

 

 

The photograph is credited to the IWM , it is not very clear in the book , I have edited to show a better photograph that may aid identification - as to a genuine German kamikaze doodlebug. The book is the Coronet paperback edition.

 

I think somebody may be able to identify the site location from the distinctive buildings in the background.

 

It clearly does show a man seated in the cockpit with the canopy hinged sideways.

Edited February 18, 2013 by ruxy
edit

[Tony B]

Blimey! That books going back a bit! I was about 14 when it was published. There was a TV series as well. R. V. Jones used it to give the first public explanation of the reason the famous bombing raid on coventry was not jammed. They picked the wrong frequency!

[ruxy]

Just edited yesterdays post with a far better photograph (1979 Coronet paperback edition) of Most Secret War by R.V. Jones..

 

 

The buildings at storage location do look a bit like the previous one shown at Lashenden Museum , but a bit different.

[mustang]

Despite what Phil Butler says in his book War Prizes the fate of the Fieseler Fi103R-4 Reichenberg displayed at Farnborough in 1945 is not unknown. Because the Reichenberg did not enter the “Air Min” system its fate appeared a mystery. Whilst the Air Ministry had no record of its fate, with a little bit of work it was fully traceable through Bomb Disposal! The Lashenden Air Warfare Museum has spent many years tracing the full history of the Reichenberg (both photographic & documentary) & can trace its history from Farnborough in 1945 to the present day. The brief history is as follows:-

 

The Fi 103R-4 Reichenberg is believed to have been captured at the Danneburg V1 factory by the 5^th Armoured Division US Army & was returned to the UK in 1945. It was displayed at the German Aircraft Exhibition at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough from the 29^thOctober to the 9^th November 1945. Fitted with a standard Fi103 nose cone as there was no nose cone with the Fi 103R-4 when captured.

 

At the end of the Enemy Aircraft Exhibition the Fieseler Fi103R-4 Reichenberg was passed to the Bomb Disposal service & unlike all the other aircraft at the exhibition was not issued with an Air Min number. The Reichenberg had now “disappeared” from official records & was presumed scrapped by some people. It had in fact been sent to the Joint Services Bomb Disposal School at Broadbridge Heath, near Horsham, Surrey. Initially it was displayed inside, but was moved outside when the buildings were required for other uses.

 

In 1966 the Joint Services Bomb Disposal School at Horsham closed & the Reichenberg was transferred to the new Joint Services Bomb Disposal School at Chattenden near Rochester Kent where it was kept outside,(by this time the canopy was missing). In 1967 it was transferred to a Territorial Bomb Disposal Unit at Fort Clarence Rochester Kent where it was covered in thick black paint, fitted with a mocked up canopy of sheet Perspex (with no top) & left outside mounted on a section of “Bailey Bridge” fitted with 4 small solid wheels. It was from here that the museum acquired the Reichenberg in 1970.

 

Before the decision was taken by the museum trustees to spend a lot of hard earned money & have the Reichenberg restored, we undertook a very detailed audit of the airframe to confirm or deny its provenance. The evidence overwhelmingly confirmed that the airframe was a genuine Reichenberg & as only one was brought to the UK it was the one displayed at Farnborough. Based on the evidence from this audit the Reichenberg was given “Benchmark” status in the British Historic Aircraft Register by theBritish Aviation Preservation Council.

 

In the 43 years the museum have been custodians of the Reichenberg at no time has Phil Butler viewed the Reichenberg or contacted the museum with any evidence to support his views as to the originality of the Reichenberg.

 

The Reichenberg will be the star of the show at Combined Ops 2013 organised by IMPS on the 17^th & 18^thAugust at Headcorn Aerodrome.

 

Trevor,

Trustee & Administrator

Lashenden Air Warfare Museum

 

www.lashendenairwarfaremuseum.co.uk

Edited March 27, 2013 by mustang
typo