Buzz bomb was the name given by people in the United Kingdom to the V-1 missile during World War II (1939-1945). Germany developed the V-1, the first guided missile, in the early 1940’s. It was about 25 feet (7.5 meters) long and carried about a ton (0.9 metric ton) of explosives. The Germans called it Vergeltungswaffe Eins (Vengeance Weapon One). The V-1 had preset guidance and flew at a speed of about 360 miles (580 kilometers) per hour. The V-1’s special jet engine, called a pulse-jet, produced a loud stuttering sound that announced the missile’s approach. Because of this sound, the missile earned the name of buzz bomb. The Germans began using the missiles in 1944, but it was too late for the weapons to affect the war’s outcome.
