Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is one of the most extraordinary “relic” pieces we have ever offered, the horizontal stabilizer section of a V-1 Flying Bomb, often referred to as the V-1 Rocket, dubbed the “Buzz Bomb” or “Doodlebug” by the Allies due to the characteristic buzzing noise it emitted. This is the largest V-1 Relic we have ever seen outside of a museum, making this a truly once-in-a-lifetime offering. You only ever find small bits and tags from a V1 rocket if you’re lucky, but to find something of this caliber is truly unprecedented.

This outstanding piece was excavated in the United Kingdom, and still has some small remnants of the original green paint, red primer, and servo motor. Due to its condition, we believe that it may have been shot down rather than crashed. It is hard to say for certain, but there may be .303 bullet holes in the stabilizer that would corroborate this. The stabilizer measures roughly 79” long and 23” wide. There are many pieces of it that are heavily oxidized and therefore fragile, especially near the ends of the stabilizer.

It appears that remnants of the original Pneumatic Servo motor operating elevator are still intact on the underside of the stabilizer, and we would recommend displaying the piece from this side, as it is in much better condition and retains much more of the original paint & primer. This small motor shows a very different type of oxidation due to the different materials in its manufacture. There is a small raised plate next to this motor where the other motor would have sat, which is now missing. At the bottom-middle of the stabilizer is likely the catch for locking the rudder at the end of its flight, with still-intact wiring attached! This piece would have originally connected to the piece of the servo motor now missing. These pieces alone when compared with a diagram of the V1 confirm its authenticity!

Across both sides of the stabilizer are small holes which do not appear to have been caused by oxidation or excavation due to their shape and angles of impact. These could very well have been caused by bullets or other armaments piercing the V1. The V1's straight and level flight meant that many were shot down before they even reached their targets by anti-aircraft guns or just by soldiers firing at it with their rifles. Considering this piece was excavated in the United Kingdom, this is a very real possibility. The V1 was first used against England in June 1944, giving soldiers stationed on the homefront some time to learn their weaknesses. 

One pilot mentions “The difficulty of intercepting these doodlebugs, as we call them, is considerable because they're so small and they certainly can shift. The light from the jet at the back makes it rather hard to judge the range accurately, particularly at dawn or dusk. Once you get used to this, it's not so bad, but you've got to be careful that you don't get too close when firing or it'll blow up and you’ll go straight through the explosion, which is extremely unpleasant I can tell you because it happened to me. I saw the doodlebug when it was about two miles out to sea coming up to Dover at about 3000 feet. I was in at right angles to its path and slightly above. I dove to the left until I was dead behind it. That made it about 400 yards away, and then I fired a short burst. That didn't seem to make any difference because it continued to go like hell. I think first and gave it another burst. One moment it was a doodlebug and the next it was a colossal mass of orange flame and black smoke. I couldn't avoid it, and instinctively ducked and closed my eyes. I flew straight into it and my aircraft bumped violently for a few seconds. I lost control and came out upside down. As soon as I realized what had happened, I rolled it over again and came back to base not much the worse. Since then I've shut down another three, probably another and I'm hoping for more this evening.”

The stabilizer is very weak in certain spots, and you will need to identify the strongest spots in order to decide how to mount or hang the piece. Due to its fragility, it may be best displayed seated on its end, displaying the gorgeous underside with the servo motor and remnants of original paint.

Truly one of the most prestigious pieces of ordnance history we have ever offered, one that we will likely never see another of. This is a once-in-a-lifetime piece, ready to become the centerpiece of your WWII Collection. Comes ready for further research and display!