Missiles (V-Rockets)

"Vergeltungswaffen" of Nazi Germany: V-1 flying bomb, V-2 missile, V-3 cannon

V-weapons,

known in original German as "Vergeltungswaffen" (= retaliatory or reprisal weapons) were a set of long-range artillery weapons designed for strategic bombing during WW2.

They were comprised of:
* the V-1, a pulsejet-powered cruise missile
* the V-2, a liquid-fuelled ballistic missile and
* the V-3 cannon.

All of these weapons were intended for use in a military campaign against Britain, though only the V-1 and V-2 were so used in a campaign conducted 1944-1945.

After the invasion of Europe by the Allies in 1944, these weapons were also employed against targets on the mainland of Europe, mostly France and Belgium. Their main targets were the cities of London, Antwerp and Liège.

Strategic bombing with V-weapons killed approximately 18.000 people, mostly civilians.