launching V-1s from an aircraft carrier

Setting the gyros would be the difficult part. The V-1 took quite a while to
set and ship's movement would cause a real problem.

v/r
Gordon
====(A+C====
USN SAR Aircrew

"Got anything on your radar, SENSO?"
"Nothing but my forehead, sir."

"Gordon" wrote in message
...
| Setting the gyros would be the difficult part. The V-1 took quite a while
to
| set and ship's movement would cause a real problem.
|
| v/r
| Gordon
| ====(A+C====
| USN SAR Aircrew
|
|



This is the 'wooden hammer' concerto ?


Always amused me, beating a flying bomb with sticks, has a certain
'duck & rabbit season' feel to it.




Cheers

Dave Kearton

nt (Gordon) wrote in message ...
Setting the gyros would be the difficult part. The V-1 took quite a while to
set and ship's movement would cause a real problem.

v/r
Gordon
====(A+C====
USN SAR Aircrew

"Got anything on your radar, SENSO?"
"Nothing but my forehead, sir."


Not overly complicated. Several test V-1s were actually fired from
U-boats in the Baltic late in the war. After the war both the US and
USSR developed cruise missiles based on the V-1 that could be launched
from both subs and aircraft carriers (see Regulas).
Here's some other info on Germany's U-boat rocket plans:
http://www.prinzeugen.com/V2.htm

Rob

Glen Edwards was involved in a test at Wendover in the summer of 1945,
in which two V-1s were fired from underwing mounts on a B-17. This was
part of the run-up to the invasion of Japan, like the preparations for
the Twin Mustang (with which he was also involved).

So it would seem that stand-off missiles a heavy bomber was the
direction in which the USAAF was looking.

(Northrop was at that time building its own version of the V-1.)

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9

see the Warbird's Forum at http://www.danford.net/index.htm
Vietnam | Flying Tigers | Pacific War | Brewster Buffalo | Piper Cub

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

Glen Edwards was involved in a test at Wendover in the summer of 1945,
in which two V-1s were fired from underwing mounts on a B-17. This was
part of the run-up to the invasion of Japan, like the preparations for
the Twin Mustang (with which he was also involved).

So it would seem that stand-off missiles a heavy bomber was the
direction in which the USAAF was looking.


The Luftwaffe launched V-1's from He-111's during the war
and the US was already developing stand off weapons such
as the Bat Bomb

Keith

"The Blue Max" wrote in message
s.com...
Ignoring the political, economic, and strategic issues around the matter,
what would have been the technical problems involved in launching V-1s
from
a completed CV Graf Zeppelin?


Mostly keeping the ship afloat, the RN and RAF would make a
maximum effort against such a target.

I assume one would be limited to city-sized targets; would the sort of
catapult fitted to GZ have been capable of hefting a V-1 into the air?


It wouldnt need one, the ship was large enough to mount a
launching ramp on.

Of course it wouldnt have been able to hit anything worth a
damm unless very well stabilised.

Keith

In the 1950s we regularly launched the Regulus missile from
aircraft carriers, cruisers or submarines. The Regulus had
the same turbojet engine as did the T-33 [T-2V] advanced
pilot trainer of the 1950s and carried a nuclear warhead. It
was command controlled from either the launching ship or
from our FJ-3D carrier based fighter planes.

WDA

end



"The Blue Max" wrote in message
s.com...
Ignoring the political, economic, and strategic issues
around the matter,
what would have been the technical problems involved in
launching V-1s from
a completed CV Graf Zeppelin?

I assume one would be limited to city-sized targets; would
the sort of
catapult fitted to GZ have been capable of hefting a V-1
into the air?

--
Et qui rit des cures d'Oc?
De Meuse raines, houp! de cloques.
De quelles loques ce turqe coin.
Et ne d'anes ni rennes,
Ecuries des cures d'Oc.

To judge from the types of aircraft developed for the Graf Zeppelin, the
catapults should have been able to launch a V1 unless it weighed much more
than, say, a Ju87.

What does the French quotation at the end of your message mean? Is it in
the Languedoc dialect? Where is it from?

Gordon McLaughlin

"The Blue Max" wrote in message
s.com...
Ignoring the political, economic, and strategic issues around the matter,
what would have been the technical problems involved in launching V-1s
from
a completed CV Graf Zeppelin?

I assume one would be limited to city-sized targets; would the sort of
catapult fitted to GZ have been capable of hefting a V-1 into the air?

--
Et qui rit des cures d'Oc?
De Meuse raines, houp! de cloques.
De quelles loques ce turqe coin.
Et ne d'anes ni rennes,
Ecuries des cures d'Oc.

"Gordon McLaughlin" wrote in message
...
To judge from the types of aircraft developed for the Graf Zeppelin, the
catapults should have been able to launch a V1 unless it weighed much more
than, say, a Ju87.

That's what I figure, as long as there's no compelling other reason (like
setting up the compass, for instance).

My reason for asking was that I'm programming an old PC wargame to simulate
a Doolittle raid on New York in about 1943-4 by a pair of German CVs. The
assumptions are that the Commonwealth and USSR have capitulated in
succession, the IJN is in need of a diversion, and the two German CVs, which
can't fight a US CV, are instead launching the most irritating raid possible
that's sure to force the USN to pull carriers out of the Pacific.

Assuming they can do 25 to 30 knots for 10 hours or so and the V-1s can fly
about 250 miles, they could presumably approach during daylight, launch at
dusk, and retreat, thus ensuring that they're out of range of effective
land-based air throughout. All they have to worry about is submarines, so I
figure one carries a normal air group and the other the V-1s. Ideally, if a
V-1 could be fired without reconfiguring the whole flight deck, they both
would. I'd imagine you could flat-pack a V-1 quite small.

What does the French quotation at the end of your message mean? Is it in
the Languedoc dialect? Where is it from?

You have to read it aloud.

Et qui rit des cures d'Oc?

hickory, dickory, dock

De Meuse raines, houp! de cloques.

the mouse ran up the clock

De quelles loques ce turqe coin.

the clock struck one

Et ne d'anes ni rennes,

and down he ran

Ecuries des cures d'Oc.

hickory dickory dock.

"The Blue Max" wrote in message
s.com...
"Gordon McLaughlin" wrote in message
...
To judge from the types of aircraft developed for the Graf Zeppelin, the
catapults should have been able to launch a V1 unless it weighed much
more
than, say, a Ju87.

That's what I figure, as long as there's no compelling other reason (like
setting up the compass, for instance).

My reason for asking was that I'm programming an old PC wargame to
simulate
a Doolittle raid on New York in about 1943-4 by a pair of German CVs. The
assumptions are that the Commonwealth and USSR have capitulated in
succession, the IJN is in need of a diversion, and the two German CVs,
which
can't fight a US CV, are instead launching the most irritating raid
possible
that's sure to force the USN to pull carriers out of the Pacific.


If the commonwealth has capitulated why arent you launching attacks
from Canada ?

Assuming they can do 25 to 30 knots for 10 hours or so and the V-1s can
fly
about 250 miles, they could presumably approach during daylight, launch at
dusk, and retreat, thus ensuring that they're out of range of effective
land-based air throughout.

Hardly. Virtually any land based twin or 4 engined bombers could
reach them with escort from P-38's. The catalina's would pick them
up a long way out.

All they have to worry about is submarines, so I
figure one carries a normal air group and the other the V-1s. Ideally, if
a
V-1 could be fired without reconfiguring the whole flight deck, they both
would. I'd imagine you could flat-pack a V-1 quite small.


Why dont they have to wonder about the US Atlantic fleet ?

Keith