{"product_id":"meteor-i-vs-v1-flying-bomb-1944-duel","title":"Meteor I vs V1 Flying Bomb: 1944 (Duel)","description":"\u003cp\u003eBritish jet fighters initiated jet vs. jet warfare when they fought Hitlers Nazi German V1 attacks on London in World War II.The V1 attack on London began on the night of 13\/14 June 1944 from bases in Normandy. On 29 March 1945 the last one to fall on Britain was shot down by gunners in Suffolk. A total of 10,500 missiles were launched, of which 3957 were destroyed by the defences  3531 reached England, 2420 falling in the London area. No fewer than 6184 people were killed and 17,981 seriously injured. Indeed, it could have been much worse, for by the end of the war the Germans had manufactured close to 32,000 flying bombs. The defences put forward to guard against the V1 were formidable  23,000 men and women with their guns, radar and communications networks were installed on coastal sites. Squadrons of Britains newest Spitfires, the F XIVs, and Hawker Tempest Vs were kept at home to battle the new menace. While the Spitfire F XIV and Tempest V had excellent lowlevel speed and were able to catch the V1, there was one aircraft that was much faster. Rushed into action on 22 July 1944 to help counter the V1 threat, Britains Gloster Meteor I was the first jet fighter to enter RAF service. At low and medium altitudes the Meteor was faster than its pistonengined contemporaries, which in turn made it perfectly suited to antiDiver V1 operations. On 4 August the Meteor scored its first V1 victory. Having just closed in on a flying bomb, Flg Off Dean of No 616 Sqn squeezed the trigger but his guns jammed. Using the Meteors superior speed, he was able overtake the missile and, using his wing tip, he tipped the craft over and sent it crashing into the ground. This was the first time a jetpowered enemy aircraft had been destroyed by a jet fighter without a shot being fired! It was also the worlds first jet versus jet encounter. As the only jet fighter squadron in Allied service in Europe, No 616 Sqn would go on to shoot down 13 V1s. A small number perhaps, but the interceptions between the V1 and Britains Gloster Meteor were historic, and ushered in a new era of aerial combat.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Osprey Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Donald Nijboer \/ paperback","offer_id":47841018872053,"sku":"DADAX1849087067","price":38.53,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/5804\/8501\/files\/714PKmqxqpL.jpg?v=1773752987","url":"https:\/\/ergodebooks.com\/products\/meteor-i-vs-v1-flying-bomb-1944-duel","provider":"Ergodebooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}