Dismantling an V1 along the A1 at Wilp

Hein Heun was engaged by one of our regular partners to support the EODD in dismantling a V1 in Wilp nearby Deventer. The V1 was the first World War II V-weapon and also the first unmanned aerial vehicle in the world. The name V1 (German abbreviation) or V-1 (English abbreviation) was a derivative of Vergeltungswaffe 1 (Retaliation Weapon 1). Actually, the designation was Fieseler Fi 103 or FZG-76. The V1 is 7.90m long, 1.42m high and has a wingspan of 5.37m. Loaded, the object weighs 2150kg and can reach a speed of 656km / h over a range of 240km.

This V1 was equipped with a very explosive charge in the nose and was on its way to its target “Antwerp” (and not to England as RTL Nieuws said) by means of its primitive jet engine and a simple guidance system under its own power.

At the end of 1944, a number of Abschussrampen (launching equipment) were brought into use in the eastern Netherlands. The flying bombs, V1 that were launched there, were intended for the already liberated and for the Allies an very important port city of Antwerp, “The Target”. In the woods of the Oostermaet estate east of Lettele near Deventer and on the Biesterije estate south of Rijssen, concrete foundations have been uncovered and can be viewed by the public.

Unfortunately or fortunately, “The goal” was not achieved by this V1 but ended up at the village of Wilp, along the A1 (highway) where this V1 was found last November during the widening work on the A1. The V1 found was reasonably intact and the EOD investigated the V1 to draw up a plan in consultation with all competent authorities, so that the V1 could be dismantled and subsequently detonated (checked and detonated) at a suitable location.
The V1 was dismantled on Sunday March 8 by the EOD, with a large area cordoned off. This meant that part of both the IJssel, A1 highway and the village of Wilp had to be evacuated completely.

Within a sample of 630 meters around the V1 found, there should be no people and animals and no people within a radius of 1400 meters.

The dismantling did not go entirely according to plan and therefore we switched over to plan B. As a result, the planning of the dismantling was delayed and the evacuated people were able to return home 1 hour later.

To detonate the V1, the explosive part was cut into pieces and destroyed in the detonation location equipped by means of 8 detonations.