Special: Repelling the German V-1 Armada

Pilots,

Most of you have heard about the Battle of Britain and the terrible 'Blitz' bombing raids that ensued in 1941. However, it is less well-known that the fight in the skies over Southern England continued all the way until the end of the war, not only in aircraft-vs-aircraft engagements but also in what has become known as the 'Robot Blitz'. As you benefit from this weekend's bonuses and discounts, take a moment to learn the story of the brave British pilots that risked their lives while defending their homeland against one of the war’s deadliest inventions - the V-1 guided missile.

Promotion

Triple XP for the first victory of the day with each plane

Another week, another triple XP boost. All good things come in three's this July!

50% discount on all consumables

Make the fight easier for you by having the right consumable for the heat of battle!

30% discount on the following planes:

				De Havilland 98 Mosquito
				Supermarine Spitfire IX
				North American P-51D Mustang

Fly the legendary planes that brought down the armada of V-1 missiles, in-game!

Special Missions

Relive the battle in the skies over Britain from either side by playing one (or both) of our dedicated weekend missions!

History Flashback

On the night of 12/13 June 1944, one week after the D-Day landings in Normandy, a new kind of terror struck Great Britain. Guided missiles, launched from sites along the French and Dutch coast, came over the channel, targeting London and its population. These flying bombs - precursors of the modern cruise missile - were called V-1, with the V standing for Vergeltungswaffe, which means ‘revenge weapon’ in German.  The attacks were supposed to be retribution for the increasingly heavy Allied air raids on German cities.

This new threat was perhaps even more frightening than the Blitz and equally destructive. Up to a hundred of such missiles were launched at Great Britain every day. By 27 June 1944 the V-1s had damaged over 100,000 houses and caused major destruction to the British infrastructure. Overall 9,251 V-1s attacked Britain over the duration of the war. Of these, around 8,000 were targeted at London alone. Luckily, only around 25% of all V-1s ever reached their target. Most of them would run out of fuel or veer off course to miss their destination.

Those that did get through would be met by a fierce defence. The British responded with 'Operation Crossbow' - a campaign that consisted of the strategic bombing of V-1 sites, AA-guns on the ground and fighters in the air which intercepted those V-1-missiles that managed to slip through the defence ring. RAF pilots valiantly risked their lives by either shooting down the V-1s with their guns or manoeuvring them into the ground. The most frequently employed tactic would see British pilots position their aircraft right next to the flying missile and use the air flow above their plane's wing to tip the wing of the V-1, disturbing its auto-pilot and causing the bomb to crash. The most efficient aircraft for this were the fast Hawker Tempests that could catch up with the V-1s at their low altitude. Other aircraft that were able to pull off this defensive manoeuvre included the De Havilland Mosquito, P-51 Mustang and modified versions of the Spitfire XIV.

The tactic proved to be very effective. Of the 4,261 V-1s that the RAF managed to neutralise, more than 1,000 were destroyed by aircraft. The missiles continued to fall on Britain until the final weeks of the war, the last one exploding harmlessly in open country near Sittingbourne in Kent on 29 March 1945. Others had been less harmless and cost many British civilians and military servicemen their lives. Join us in remembering the heroic British fighter pilots who defended their country and, by their actions, prevented much greater harm.

Play a round on ‘Lighthouse’ in a British aircraft and repel your own German armada, pilots!