V1

V1, formally Vergeltungswaffe 1, was the first of the German V-weapons developed during World War II. It was an unmanned cruise missile designed to deliver a high-explosive warhead to urban targets and to pressure Allied morale through long-range bombardment.

The V1 was a single-stage, pulsejet-powered aircraft with a relatively simple airframe. It was launched from fixed ground ramps along the German-occupied coast and used an on-board automatic navigation system to maintain a preset course and altitude. A gyroscopic stabilization system, aided by a magnetic compass, guided the craft toward its designated target area, and an explosive warhead provided the weapon’s destructive payload.

Operationally, the V1 entered service in 1944 and was used primarily against London and other Allied cities. Thousands were launched before the war’s end. Allied defenses, including anti-aircraft batteries, interceptor aircraft, and early warning systems, reduced the effectiveness of the V1 through measures such as dispersal, priority interceptions, and rapid response patrols. Not all missiles reached their targets; many failed in flight or landed short.

Legacy and impact include the V1’s influence on postwar guided weapon development and the broader evolution of cruise missile technology. The program demonstrated the feasibility of an unmanned, launched-from-ground, guided weapon and prompted significant countermeasures in subsequent conflicts.

Beyond historical use, the term V1 appears in modern contexts to denote the first version of a product or software release. In software development and product naming, V1 is commonly understood as the initial public or commercial version before subsequent updates.