Doodlebug Summer: 11

Summary

Summary of "Doodlebug Summer: Episode 11" from The Man Who Calculated Death

Release Date: May 20, 2025
Podcast: The Man Who Calculated Death by PodcastOne
Episode: Doodlebug Summer: 11

Introduction: The Onslaught of V1 Flying Bombs

In this gripping episode of The Man Who Calculated Death, host Suzanne Rico delves into a pivotal moment of World War II—the three-month period in 1944 when Germany unleashed the most V1 flying bombs upon England. Titled "Doodlebug Summer: Episode 11," the episode meticulously explores the origins, deployment, and British defense mechanisms against these formidable weapons, while intertwining personal narratives that highlight the profound human impact of this aerial bombardment.

Understanding the V1 Flying Bombs

The episode opens with Suzanne introducing the subject matter:

Suzanne Rico [00:01]: "I created this bonus episode to investigate the three-month stretch in 1944 when the Germans launched the most V1 flying bombs at England."

Suzanne explains that the V1, often referred to as "buzz bombs," were revolutionary yet terrifying weapons designed to strike fear and inflict massive casualties. These early cruise missiles, propelled by pulse jet engines, could traverse the English Channel in approximately 15 minutes, targeting London and other strategic locations with alarming precision.

Family Connections: The Legacy of Robert Lusser

A significant thread throughout the episode is the revelation of Suzanne and her sister Stephanie's familial ties to the V1's development. Their grandfather, Robert Lusser, was a key inventor involved in creating these weapons for the Third Reich. This personal connection adds a layer of complexity as Suzanne grapples with uncovering her family's dark past.

Suzanne Rico [01:13]: "In 2016, at Germany's former Peenemunde Army Research Base, Stephanie and I saw our grandfather's flying bomb for the first time."

British Defense Strategies Against the V1 Bombs

The episode provides an in-depth analysis of how Britain responded to the V1 threat. Initially, the British deployed massive anti-aircraft guns, known as "ack ack," along the Channel coast. These 2,000-pound weapons fired heavy ammunition from 15-foot barrels, aiming to dismantle the fast-moving bombs. However, hitting a V1 traveling at 400 miles per hour proved exceptionally challenging.

Suzanne Rico [02:16]: "The number of people it killed, just a cold stark flash fact."

To enhance their defensive capabilities, the British incorporated rudimentary radar systems and proximity-fused shells, which detonated near the target, causing midair explosions that rendered many V1s harmless. Additionally, the Balloon Command played a pivotal role by deploying 4,000 hydrogen balloons equipped with steel cables to entangle the approaching bombs, successfully neutralizing over 200 V1s.

Despite these efforts, the ingenuity of the V1's design, particularly the modifications made by Robert Lusser's team to include cable-cutting razors on the wings, allowed the bombs to evade many of these defenses and continue their destructive path.

The Human Cost: Personal Accounts and Emotional Impact

Suzanne poignantly illustrates the human toll through vivid descriptions and personal testimonies. A particularly moving segment features Roland Polly, a surviving eyewitness to a V1 attack:

Roland Polly [07:11]: "This happened when I was eight and a half. And yeah, they're Memories that you remember as if it were yesterday."

Roland recounts the day a V1 crashed near his school, forcing him to flee on his bicycle to rescue his injured brother from the rubble. Such personal stories underscore the indiscriminate nature of the bombings and the lasting trauma inflicted on survivors.

Photographs from the era serve as a haunting visual accompaniment, depicting scenes of devastation—churches in ruin, homes reduced to rubble, and civilians grasping the harsh reality of war. These images capture moments of loss and resilience, providing a stark contrast to the technological warfare represented by the V1s.

British Offensive Measures and the Final Neutralization of the V1 Threat

As the V1 attacks persisted, the British shifted strategies to include offensive maneuvers. Allied aircraft, including Tempests, Spitfires, Mustangs, and Lightnings, were tasked with intercepting and destroying the bombs. These planes often had to engage the V1s at high speeds and low altitudes, a risky endeavor as pilots faced the imminent danger of debris from exploding bombs.

In a daring tactic, some pilots engaged the V1s in such close proximity that they could see the engines' flames. This intimate confrontation allowed pilots to manually disable the bombs by flipping them midair, effectively ending their flight path. The culmination of these efforts led to the eventual depletion of the V1 arsenal, with the last launches originating from over a thousand kilometers away in France.

Suzanne Rico [08:38]: "The battle of the flying bomb was all but over by the time doodlebug summer turned to fall."

With the Allied forces overrunning the V1 launch sites and the British anti-aircraft measures becoming more effective, the threat of the V1s was finally eradicated by the winter of 1944.

Legacy and Reflection

The episode concludes by reflecting on the legacy of the V1 campaign and its lasting impact on those who lived through it. Suzanne touches upon the enigmatic figure of her grandfather, Robert Lusser, whose contributions to the V1 program remain a topic of personal and historical investigation. This introspection highlights the complexities of familial legacy intertwined with the atrocities of war.

Suzanne Rico [08:56]: "A thousand kilometers away, my grandfather, chief designer of that first cruise missile, and an enigma of a man I'm still trying to figure out, was waiting for his country's inevitable and long overdue surrender."

Conclusion

"Doodlebug Summer: Episode 11" offers a comprehensive exploration of the V1 flying bomb campaign, blending technical analysis with deeply personal narratives. Suzanne Rico effectively captures the duality of warfare—the intersection of innovation and destruction—while navigating the intricate web of family history and historical legacy. This episode serves as both a historical account and a poignant reminder of the enduring human spirit in the face of relentless adversity.

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Notable Quotes:

• Suzanne Rico [00:01]: "I created this bonus episode to investigate the three-month stretch in 1944 when the Germans launched the most V1 flying bombs at England."

• Roland Polly [07:11]: "This happened when I was eight and a half. And yeah, they're Memories that you remember as if it were yesterday."

• Suzanne Rico [08:38]: "The battle of the flying bomb was all but over by the time doodlebug summer turned to fall."

• Suzanne Rico [08:56]: "A thousand kilometers away, my grandfather, chief designer of that first cruise missile, and an enigma of a man I'm still trying to figure out, was waiting for his country's inevitable and long overdue surrender."

Key Takeaways:

• The V1 flying bombs were a significant aspect of Germany's late-war strategy, causing over 5,000 deaths and 16,000 injuries in England.
• British defense mechanisms evolved, utilizing anti-aircraft guns, radar, proximity shells, and innovative balloon defenses to mitigate the threat.
• Personal stories, such as that of Roland Polly, humanize the historical events, highlighting the profound personal losses endured.
• The episode underscores the complex interplay between technology, warfare, and familial legacy, prompting reflection on the moral implications of scientific advancements in times of conflict.

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Transcript

[Suzanne Rico]

Wondery plus subscribers can binge all episodes of the man who Calculated Death early and ad free right now. Join Wondery plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Hey, it's Suzanne. I created this bonus episode to investigate the three month stretch in 1944 when the Germans launched the most V1 flying bombs at England. How did the Brits defend themselves and what was it like for people on the ground? Take a listen to Doodlebug summer. There's the V2 rocket right there. Where's the V1? The green, see it? The little green guy on its catapult. They are Geltungswaffen revenge weapons. In 2016, at Germany's former Peenemunde Army Research Base, Stephanie and I saw our grandfather's flying bomb for the first time. We're gonna level Britain and force them to surrender. They were serious about it back then. The way this early cruise missile worked was a mystery.

[Narrator]

A new chapter opens. The battle of the flying bombs.

[Suzanne Rico]

The number of people it killed, just a cold stark flash fact.

[Narrator]

Over 5,000 lives lost. Over 16,000 broken.

[Suzanne Rico]

And how Great Britain fought back against the V1 attack.

[Narrator]

The new attack imposes upon the British.

[Suzanne Rico]

People a staggering ver was information shrouded in history.

[Narrator]

Dawn brought no relief and cloud no comfort against the blind, impersonal enemy that dropped from the sky.

[Suzanne Rico]

In 1944, the Germans launched 10,000 V1s at England. God, they were badass looking, weren't they? They were absolutely. The super futuristic weapons. Buzz bombs roared across the sky on pulse jet power. Yeah, it would scare the crap out of you. A quick 15 minute trip to fly the 100 miles from Pas de Calais, France over the English Channel to London.

[Narrator]

Find yourself as B1 might have found you. Coming at you from dawn to dusk, from dusk to dawn.

[Suzanne Rico]

Doodlebug Summer, as the British dubbed the three months when flying bombs rained from the sky is well documented in these old films.

[Narrator]

You're a diner in a restaurant and this is where you had your last bite. You're a patient in a hospital and this is your final treatment. You're a worshipper in a church and this is where you kneeled and never got up again.

[Suzanne Rico]

But for my sister and me, it's the still photos that pack the most emotional punch. Look at it. A church spire juts into London's smoke filled sky. The dark silhouette of a V1 caught forever just above it in a death dive. God, that was a brutal war, man. A man sits on a pile of rubble that used to be his home. His white mustache drooping in defeat. Empty eyes those of someone who's lost everything. Behind him, two women in skirts and hard hats lift his wife's shrouded body. He'd been out walking the dog when the V1 hit. While she made Sunday lunch to save London, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his generals knew they had to fight back quickly. Their first move was to reposition anti aircraft weapons called ack ack guns along the channel coast. These 2,000 pound monsters shot heavy ammunition out of 15 foot long barrels as fast as troops could load them. But hitting a flying bomb Whizzing along at 400 miles an hour was tough. Adding rudimentary radar and proximity shells which exploded within a certain distance of the target helped. B1s began dropping out of the sky. Their dark blow exploding harmlessly in midair or crashing onto unpopulated ground below. The British Balloon Command was the next line of defense. Yep, you heard right. By 1944, Great Britain had manufactured 4,000 giant hydrogen balloons that hoisted steel cable aloft to entangle approaching aircraft. These foiled over 200 flying bombs before my grandfather's team found a workaround outfitting the wings of their wonder weapon with cable cutting razors. And so the bombs flew on. Ultimately, the best defense turned out to be a good offense. The idea was simple. Allied planes flew up behind V1s and shot them down. Tempests and Spitfires from the Royal Air Force plus American Mustangs and Lightnings gave chase. But those piston engine planes often had to dive from great altitude to catch their faster jet powered quarry. And pilots who didn't leave enough room between themselves and the flying bomb, they'd be hit by debris when it exploded. Finally, there was the method of last resort. The most daring aerial cowboys actually went wingtip to wingtip with the V1s edging up so close that the pilot could see the flames coming out the pulse jet engine and feel their heat. The picture proof is hair raising. A Spitfire hangs in the foreground, its right wing touching the underside of the V1's left. The Olive green fuselage of the flying bomb looks close enough to touch as the British pilot struggles to maintain perfect pace. And then the moment of truth. Banking left, the pilot suddenly raises his wingtip, flipping the v1 and sending it spiraling to the ground. Down below, Englanders watch the aerial battle being waged above.

[Roland Polly]

You'd hear them coming, this very heavy drone.

[Suzanne Rico]

Roland Polly is one of a handful of witnesses left to tell the tale.

[Roland Polly]

This happened when I was eight and a half. And yeah, they're Memories that you remember as if it were yesterday.

[Suzanne Rico]

So Roland's a kid living just outside London, his dad away fighting the Germans. War is a way of life. Pretty normal until June 27, 1944, two weeks into the Germans V1 offensive.

[Roland Polly]

I was leaving my school at 12 o' clock time and this came out of the clouds above the clinic. I dropped my bicycle, went down flat on my face. It went over my school and then about a mile away, it went up over the park and crashed on my brother's school.

[Suzanne Rico]

Roland races his bike to the Chesterfield Road School, where he finds complete devastation. But the students and all but one teacher manage to scramble into the air raid cellar just before impact.

[Roland Polly]

And the three great big concrete slabs at the entrance to the air raid shelter had collapsed, so that all had to be cleared. And my brother was in shorts, blue shorts and blue jacket, you know, matching.

[Suzanne Rico]

Hours pass before Roland finally spots rescue workers pulling out his little brother.

[Roland Polly]

And they got him out and he was covered in sort of soot and dust and his eyes were all bloodshot and I put my arm round him and in the other hand I had my bicycle and carried on home.

[Suzanne Rico]

To carry on this. Oh, so British expression downplays the drama of that day and the trauma left in the wake of war. British children like Roland and his brother had no choice but to carry on living despite the fear and uncertainty that walked beside them every day. On the other side of the battlefield, the German kids were in the same boat. My mom turned seven during doodlebug summer. And how I wish I could have gotten her together with Roland, both survivors in their 80s, to explore and even compare feelings and memories imprinted during the most divisive era of their lives. But time has a way of being as fragile as a candle flame. Opportunities snuffed out all too easily with one small puff of smoke. The battle of the flying bomb was all but over by the time doodlebug summer turned to fall. As the leaves and temperatures dropped, V1 still hit sporadically. But that winter, when Allied forces overran the last launching sites in France, the threat was finally totally neutralized. In early spring, British ack ack guns shot down the last 2v1s to fly over England. A thousand kilometers away, my grandfather, chief designer of that first cruise missile, and an enigma of a man I'm still trying to figure out, was waiting for his country's inevitable and long overdue surrender. I'm Suzanne Rico, and thanks for listening. Follow the man who calculated death in the Wondery app. You can binge the entire series early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.