V1 and V2 launch procedures?

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Thought the V2 ate hydrazine

No, ethanol as people have said. The water content was simply to reduce the combustion temperature. Straight ethanol tended to burn through the combustion chamber, but this problem was cured in post-war developments, such as the Soviet R-2, which used 96% methanol. That also ended the problem of the troops stealing the fuel.

The original reason for using ethanol was that it wasn't petroleum-based. Someone in pre-war Germany realised that there was bound to be an oil shortage in wartime, and a weapon that didn't require the stuff had a better chance of reaching production.

Although apparently the panic was real enough - Operation Teardrop was apparently the name for the US response to the supposed U-boat launched V-weapon threat.

Yes, although the organisations that had been running ASW in the Atlantic (the British Admiralty and the US Tenth Fleet) both assessed the threat as implausible. However, claims from captured spies and press stories led to a large operation, which sank several U-boats, none of them carrying missiles.

[CardinalBiggles]

You might find this film useful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80DzifHHIxk

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Yes, although the organisations that had been running ASW in the Atlantic (the British Admiralty and the US Tenth Fleet) both assessed the threat as implausible. However, claims from captured spies and press stories led to a large operation, which sank several U-boats, none of them carrying missiles.

Interestingly on a purely technical level it might have been plausible. Just a couple years later (after the war) the US successfully sub-launched cruise missiles that were very closely based on the V-1. Which doesn't mean that it would have been plausible for Germany to deploy that in 1945.

[Polkageist]

Also this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wLk2j7_KB0

Plus, the book "Ignition!" which has all sorts of amazing information about the insane quest for really good rocket fuel.

Chlorine Trifluoride, hypergolic with cloth, metals, asbestos, and test engineers.

[Tessen]

So how do you make them explode when they're full of fuel , presumably the fuel is highly flammable so you could fire incendiaries at them or throw grenades at them at a pinch?

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Tessen

So how do you make them explode when they're full of fuel, presumably the fuel is highly flammable so you could fire incendiaries at them or throw grenades at them at a pinch?

The only time they're full of fuel on the ground is just before launch. There will be a platoon of soldiers around, and while their main job is launching the thing, they do have guns and will be interested in stopping you. It may be more worthwhile to kill the soldiers first, and to wreck their vehicles. The missiles are produced in large quantities, but the launch crews and vehicles are scarcer.

Ordinary small arms might not penetrate A V-2 reliably. They are reasonably strong, and unlike just about all subsequent liquid-fuelled rockets, once you're through the skin, the fuel and oxidiser tanks have skins of their own. Any of the anti-tank weapons discussed in that thread will work fine, as would a heavy machine gun.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Tessen

So how do you make them explode when they're full of fuel , presumably the fuel is highly flammable so you could fire incendiaries at them or throw grenades at them at a pinch?

The grenades are not a strong choice. Fragments from grenades have little penetration and to use the concussion damage you'd probably need to place them by hand rather than throw them.

Hunting them with an airplane looks like a better idea and HT has a nice 5" ground attack rocket.

[Polkageist]

Explosives moreso than incendiaries I'd think, since making holes or bending components would disable the rocket. They're tough, but probably not 'fight me' tough, just enough to survive flying.

That, and the fuel is indeed highly flammable (holy smokes LOX) so even without incendiaries it's got a good chance of spontaneously igniting anyway.

So if you've got a squad of PC commandos who want to do a hit-and-run, sneaking up with a couple of rocket/anti-tank (not frag) grenade launchers and landing any hit on the rocket'll do the job. Similarly the mention of hosing it down with a heavy machine gun (leave it behind to make your escape). That'll make enough holes that the crew won't want to launch it for fear it'll blow up on the pad which'll ruin everyone's day. Basically if you can hit it with something that'll reasonably hurt a car, it'll hurt the rocket.

Probably won't go 'boom' right away if you hit it, but it MIGHT catch on fire which almost certainly would make it go boom in a moment or two. Quite the setup for a dramatic escape from the area as the burning rocket ticks closer to an explosion.

edit: I'm just yakkin', I have no expertise in this

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Hunting them with an airplane looks like a better idea and HT has a nice 5" ground attack rocket.

Thanks for the reminder about the rocket, I've been working some up. HT has a 4.5" US Army rocket; the 5" was US Navy. Heaven forbid that they should use the same one!

[Ewan]

The Party at Castle Varla episode of the TV programme Timeless might give you some inspiration.