V-1 Flying Bomb 1942–52 Book Review
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | June 2012 | Title | V-1 Flying Bomb 1942–52 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Steven J. Zaloga | Publisher | Osprey Publishing |
| Published | 2005 | ISBN | 978-1841767918 |
| Format | 48 pages, softbound | MSRP (USD) | $17.95 |
Review
Steven J. Zaloga’s classic OSPRY offering forms the ideal companion to his later German V-Weapon Sites 1943–45 (Fortress 72).
V-1 Flying Bomb 1942–52 outlines the whole history of Fiesler’s FZG 76 (Fi 103) cruise missile – the last major Nazi Vergeltung (“vengeance”) weapon approved and the first to enter service.
After discussing the program’s two-year design and development, Zaloga recaps deployment and operation – including air-launched options and Allied countermeasures. With resources withering, German inter-service rivalries certainly play revealing roles.
The author packs considerable detail into 48 pithy pages. Coverage notes V-1 technical and production upgrades – and concludes with absorbing addenda on U.S. and Soviet variants.
Zaloga’s solid study also contains astute analyses and bibliographic remarks. Informative illustrations, photos, charts, and maps supplement this admirable introduction.
Recommended.