Published in Windlesora 06 (1987)
© WLHG
Between 6.34 pm on Friday September 8 1944 and March 27, 1945 more than 1,000 of Hitler’s giant V2 rockets hit south east England, being launched from Friesland, Walcheren Island and The Hague, Holland. The Germans’ original intention to bombard southern England from a front 160 miles long between Calais and Cherbourg had been frustrated by the Allied advance, which had overrun their fixed sites, but mobile batteries retreated to operate from the Low Countries with East Anglia as the nearest target.
On Thursday September 7, 1944 residents of three pleasant tree- lined suburban streets at The Hague were summarily evicted by the S.S.; 444 Battery then moved in commanded by the demoniac S.S. Gruppenfuhrer Hans Kammler who had arrived from Euskirchen in Germany. From October 3 to 26 1944 they operated from Friesland, with Norfolk and Suffolk in range, trying to hit Norwich and Ipswich, but their missiles tended to fall short.
On October 27 they were back at The Hague, and their first rocket blast off was the second longest overshoot of the campaign. It landed near Wick Lane in Surrey, near the border with Berkshire between the present site of the Savill Garden and the Totem pole at Virginia Water. The Rescue Party logbook at Windsor records, ‘6.50. a.m. 27th October 1944. ‘BUMP’ followed by rushing wind sound.’ Later a note was added: ‘(By Obelisk Pond.V2?).‘ I accompanied the ARP controller Mr Manning when he went to inspect the scene. The crater was about 100 feet in diameter, and over 20 feet deep. Some radiating metal fragments appeared to have been drawn back in some inexplicable manner into the bark of trees facing away from the devastated area, as though some irresistible suction force had arisen. The violent explosion shook the Great Park and Egham areas; it was felt for miles, and was followed by the ‘big bangs’ which we now associate with supersonic flight. There was a secret Wellington bomber factory in the Great Park near Smiths’ Lawn, few knew of its existence, but those who did wondered if the Nazis planned its destruction. We did not know that the general public was the target. Only two major industrial premises were hit throughout the campaign, one in Luton and one in London.
The east of Berkshire was at the extreme limit of range of these weapons, about 240 miles, and only suffered one ‘hit’ which is recorded in the County Archives: ‘19th March 1945. Cockspole Green Wargrave. At 10.07 hours the warhead of a long range rocket which had exploded in the air over Pinkneys Green fell and exploded at Cockspole Green causing 2 serious and 10 slight casualties, and blast at the Three Horse Shoes and Old Thatched Gate public houses, Goulders Farm and five cottages. Portions fell in various parts of Pinkneys Green, including field near Compton Elms and Little Winter Hill Road, these caused no casualties.’
No reports appeared at first in the press or in the wireless bulletins, and the German radio ranted about “Hitler’s Secret Weapons” and scorned the British Government for “trying to hide the terrible effects.” With no official news, rumours of alleged gas main explosions circulated; then came the first tales of “Flying Telephone Pole Bomb rockets.” Many people were all too familiar with the noise of bombs following warnings on sirens, together with aircraft noise and gunfire, but violent explosions unheralded by these sounds were frighteningly eerie and uncanny. Damage could be vast, and loss of life heavy, and tales lost nothing in the telling. Fortunately the Germans did not have atomic war heads such as those being perfected in the USA for use on the Japanese.
In the week ending November 1, 1944, 26 V2 rockets hit London, and 8, including the Egham/Great Park one, fell elsewhere. The rate was increasing. The rockets reached over 3,600 miles per hour, so that from launch to explosion was not more than 4 minutes. When the weather was clear, it was possible to see from Suffolk the vapour trails rising from Holland, and the glow from the exhaust at night. Definite “Bomb Alleys” became greatly feared.
Hans Kammler, the S.S. officer in charge, was a cold ruthless schemer, being built up by Himmler as a successor to Speer. Kammler’s work included building the gas chambers at Auschwitz; he came to believe that he alone could prevent the collapse of Germany. Irritable and overworked, the prey to terrific nervous tension, he would wake up his officers with bursts from a tommy-gun. With ferocious energy he retreated from Holland to southern Germany where he planned to set up monster rocket factories under the mountains. Eventually he mounted the final German defence against the Russians, and was shot by his own adjutant to prevent his capture. Hitler’s scientists hurriedly surrendered to the Americans.
The V1 campaign with nearly 6,000 bombs lasted 283 days from June 13 1944 until March 29 1945; the V2 campaign of over 1,000 rockets lasted 209 days.
The story of Hitler’s “Secret Weapons”, the V2 rockets and V1 flying bombs has been told in two books by Norman Longmate, his recently published “Hitler’s Rockets” and the companion volume “The Doodlebugs“.
The drawing of a “Meillerwagon” rocket transporter, inspection gantry and firing platform is reproduced by permission of the publishers, Hutchinson and Co. Ltd. from Hitler’s Rockets by Norman Longmate.
(See also The Dedworth Flying Bomb, by Pamela Marson in Windelsora No 2 which deals with the VI attack locally).
Gordon Cullingham
Windsor Local History Group 