HE-111 Armed with V1 ?

[SouthViper]

Sorry if this subject was asked before, feel free to joint it where .

I was searching about the He-111 German bomber from WWII and find an interesting version proposed to be armed with the V-1 missile.

I do not remember if this was just a Project or it was really used during that conflict.

Seeing the ICM 1/48 line of several versions of the He-111s, I ask what is the ICM kit more indicated to do this version?

Thank you all

 

SouthViper from Brazil 

Edited January 23, 2023 by SouthViper
Fix grammar

[MilneBay]

If it's any use there's an article on building one here.

 

https://modelingmadness.com/review/axis/luft/bioll111.htm

[dogsbody]

I have a 1/72 Italeri He 111 H-20 that has a V-1.

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

[G.R.Morrison]

The Luftwaffe began testing the feasibility of air-launched V-1s in the summer of 1943, but pursued this operationally by early 1944 with Erprobungskommando Karlshagen (named for the airfield), training personnel coming from the III/KG 3 (formerly a Ju 88A unit).  The ground-launched V-1 attacks against London had ended in the first week of September 1944 with the capture of the Pas de Calais area.  He 111s, equipped with a modified V-1 beneath the starboard wing were air-launched on a small scale beginning in mid-June 1944, increasing in July. to mid-January 1945.  The night missions were flown over the North Sea at low level (often at 100 meters), with the missile launched toward London on the selected compass-heading once they came within range.  After a climb to 500-600 meters altitude, they started and ran the ramjet of the V-1 for 10 seconds, and then away it went.

 

One unit employed was the II/KG 53, equipped with modified He 111H-16 and He 111H-20, and flying from Zwischenahn and Wittmundhafen.  But RAF nightfighters were hunting them – on the nights of 5. and 6.November 1944 they lost four, including WNr.701235 “A1+AM” of the 4./KG 53 in which two Ritterkreuz recipients were missing, Hptm. Heinz Zöllner and observer, Ofw. Karl Christmann.

 

Hope this helps, GRM

 

BTW, Heinkel didn't produce a "He 111H-22", this was a designation given to the modified H-16 and H-20.

[elger]

Both the Italeri 1/72 and the Promodeler 1/48 kits have extremely simplified suspension systems for the V-1. Profimodeller's 1/32 conversion set for the Revell kit appears to have it right. Here's a detailed review of their set, and it shows the instructions for the suspension system towards the bottom of the page

 

https://forum.largescalemodeller.com/topic/5245-profimodeller-132-he-111-h-22-with-v1-attachment-conversion/

[elger]

Oh and the plan to launch V1s from the air was called Unternehmen Rumpelkammer ("operation store room")

[fernandocouto]

18 hours ago, elger said:

Both the Italeri 1/72 and the Promodeler 1/48 kits have extremely simplified suspension systems for the V-1. Profimodeller's 1/32 conversion set for the Revell kit appears to have it right. Here's a detailed review of their set, and it shows the instructions for the suspension system towards the bottom of the page

 

https://forum.largescalemodeller.com/topic/5245-profimodeller-132-he-111-h-22-with-v1-attachment-conversion/

Plenty of parts with delicated details ignored before! Hope they would release in smaller scales.

 

According to colour scheme from this link:

 

There was one He111H-22 (or more)  with felxible dorsal gun stand instead of HDL 131 turret. A good news to modellers want to combine separately sold He111 and V-1 kits.

 

 

[brewerjerry]

Hi

    link to details of the manchester , north of england attack that maybe of interest 

  cheers

     jerry 

 

https://aircrashsites.co.uk/air-raids-bomb-sites/luftwaffe-v1-attack-on-manchester-christmas-eve-1944/

[SouthViper]

3 hours ago, brewerjerry said:

Hi

    link to details of the manchester , north of england attack that maybe of interest 

  cheers

     jerry 

 

 

Very impressive, realy fantastic !

Thanks for sharing. 

 

SouthViper from Brazil 

[elger]

6 hours ago, fernandocouto said:

Plenty of parts with delicated details ignored before! Hope they would release in smaller scales.

 

According to colour scheme from this link:

 

There was one He111H-22 (or more)  with felxible dorsal gun stand instead of HDL 131 turret. A good news to modellers want to combine separately sold He111 and V-1 kits.

 

 

 

Yes my theory is, like G.R. Morrison said earlier in the thread, that a "H-22s" with the standard gun stand were H-16s and "H-22s" with the turret were H-20s. Near where I grew up two of these V-1 carrying aircraft collided and subsequently crashed; one of these was an H-16 based on manufactering numbers and dataplates found in wreck pieces that remain at the crash site. Other than the fact they collided it's unclear what happened - the aicraft were from different units and had taken off from two different air strips located near Oldenburg.

 

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/49746

 

And I agree about releasing this conversion set in smaller scales

 

 

[bil]

The book to read is “Air-launched Doodlebugs: The Forgotten Campaign”, Peter J C Smith, Pen and Sword Aviation, 2006, ISBN 1-84415-401-7. A detailed account of the development and operational use of the He111/V1 weapons system. It includes a drawing showing the fitment of the zahlwerk on the starboard wing, used to determine the launch point. This is a detail I’ve not noticed on any profiles or models. I’ve noticed it on a photo that I can’t now immediately find.

[bil]

The photo I mentioned above is on p.289 of the He111 tome by Forsyth and Creek (Classic 25) - and the profile on the same page omits the zahlwerk!

[bil]

And don’t forget that the cockpit glazing and radio aerial and fin connection on the H 16 and H 20 was changed compared with the earlier versions.

[SouthViper]

On 24/01/2023 at 07:11, bil said:

The book to read is “Air-launched Doodlebugs: The Forgotten Campaign”, Peter J C Smith, Pen and Sword Aviation, 2006, ISBN 1-84415-401-7. A detailed account of the development and operational use of the He111/V1 weapons system. It includes a drawing showing the fitment of the zahlwerk on the starboard wing, used to determine the launch point. This is a detail I’ve not noticed on any profiles or models. I’ve noticed it on a photo that I can’t now immediately find.

Hi Bil

Do you could recommend any shop where I could buy this book ?

Any help will be much appreciated .

Thank you 

 

SouthViper from Brazil 

[bil]

I bought it from a local shop years ago.  It’s listed on Amazon UK as a physical book or a kindle download; I assume you can order from Brazil.

 

Since I experienced the Photobucket debacle some years ago I haven’t had access to online photo storage, I could if you like email scans of the relevant pages.

[Don149]

Three of them passed over Wakefield , the first one woke me up , ( aged nine ) . By that stage of the war we didn`t bother getting out of bed 

when " Wailing Winnie " sounded as we knew they would be heading for Manchester Liverpool or Belfast . Also our air raid shelter had been 

full of stagnant water since about `43 . But my Dad , who was an air raid warden , rushed home to get us up , saying these were not Piloted 

aircraft and could come down any time . He and I stood at our front door and watched two more pass over , When the second one was some

distance away we heard  it cut out followed by the explosion . That  one came down on farm land at Grange Moor , on the road to Huddersfield

killed two cows ! .

[PatG]

I know Revell did a He-111 in 48th scale with a V1.

 

I had it years ago so not too sure if it is still available.

[elger]

I bought the book after it was mentioned here - I like that it gives a lot of technical and historical background but the author gets details wrong (the map with crash locations in The Netherlands in the appendix is highly inaccurate. The author mentions the crash of this Heinkel on September 19/20 1944, https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=50049 but claims it was lost due to a collision with another Heinkel flown by the unit's commander "Bohnet", but I have no record of that aicraft being lost near "Gaastmeer" - and other sources claim Bohnet went missing on September 25th that year.) If information about this other Heinkel lost on the same day as the one linked here is out there I'd be very interested in hearing about it).

 

But as I said: for the technical background and historical context on the Luftwaffe side it's interesting, and it also goes into considerable depth regarding the defense in the UK, the impact of the campaign and even the political implications of that so quite interesting overall.

 

In my research looking for info about this Bohnet, I came across this article which is also interesting and sums up the campaign nicely. https://www.key.aero/article/dawn-cruise-missile

[Peter Roberts]

I got to know Fred Stevens and Andy Kellett, a night fighting crew from No 456 Squadron RAAF. They saw a V1 launched out over the North Sea while on patrol one night and chased the He111 back to Holland. The He111 dropped back to not much above sea level and Fred said the only way they could keep it in sight was to fly lower than it and keep it against the sky! This is at night, over the sea. He kept getting a warning light saying they were dangerously low. The He111 obviously didn’t see them because it climbed as it got to the Dutch coast and they were able to shoot it down. Brave? Beyond brave in my book.