THE V-2 ROCKET

3 October 1944, Tuesday, (23.05 hours) – Battery 2/485, Den Haag, Ockenburch, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Wanstead (Leytonstone). Eight people killed, five properties demolished.

7 October 1944, Saturday, (08.58 hours) – Battery 2/485, Den Haag, Bloemendaal, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Pitsea, Essex. Fell in orchard. Forty-nine injured including six with serious injuries.

8 October 1944, Sunday, (07.56 hours) – Battery 2/485, Den Haag, Bloemendaal, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Linford, Essex. Fell in ploughed field.

9 October 1944, Monday, (05.50 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Wanstead. Fell near AA gun site.

9 October 1944, Monday, (09.43 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Havingore Island, Essex. Fell on marshland. No damage.

9 October 1944, Monday, (13.45 hours) – Battery  2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted on marshland at Hydemarsh Farm, near Fambridge, Essex. Rocket disintegrated at high altitude. One house in nearby Southminster slightly damaged by falling fragment.

10 October 1944, Tuesday, (07.20 hours) – Battery 444, Rijsterbos, Middenleane, V-2 rocket fired, impacted North Sea near Frinton (airburst).                              

10 October 1944, Tuesday, (10.20 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted in field at Navestock, Essex. One serious casualty.

10 October 1944, Tuesday, (15.57 hours) – Battery 444, Rijsterbos, Middenleane, V-2 rocket fired exploded 1200 metres high above the harbour of Harwich.

10 October 1944, Tuesday,  (17.50 hours) – Battery 444, Rijsterbos, Middenleane, V-2 rocket fired, impacted at Woods End, minor injuries to two persons.

11 October 1944, Wednesday, (00.43 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted in ploughed field at Rawreth, Essex. Three slight casualties.

11 October 1944, Wednesday, (05.10 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted in potato field at North Ockendon, Essex. Slight damage to property.

11 October 1944, Wednesday, (06.40 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted in mud flats near pier at Southend, Essex. Rocket disintegrated before impact. Slight damage to property.

12 October 1944, Thursday, (+/- 00.06 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Walthamstow. Twenty one people injured.


12 October 1944, Thursday, (+/- 02.46 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Thames Estuary, near Clacton. Rocket disintegrated before impact.

12 October 1944, Thursday, (+/- 10.50 hours) – Battery  2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Rawreth, Essex. Slight damage to property.

In the early morning of Friday October 13, an order was given from Reichsfuhrer SS Himmler that with the exception of Battery 2/485 (which was to continue targeting London) all other batteries were now to target Antwerp. This arrangement was to continue until October 20, when Battery 444 would fire their last rocket at Antwerp before being relocated to the Den Haag area for launching against London.

13 October 1944, Friday, (06.40 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Great Burstead, Essex (airburst).


13 October 1944, Friday, (07.15 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted on a farm at Barling, Essex. Slight damage to farmhouses.

14 October 1944, Saturday, (23.44 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Barking. Fell on marshland.

15 October 1944, Sunday, (05.00 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Rettendon, Essex. Slight damage to 4 houses. Two  people slightly injured.

17 October 1944, Tuesday, (15.44 hours) – Battery  2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Little Baddow, Essex. One Property seriously damaged by blast, another by fire. Two people injured.

21-22 October 1944,  elements of Battery 444 were moving from Rijs to Den Haag on these days. Battery 3/485 opened fire against Antwerp on Oct. 21 from sites in Burgsteinfurt. Already operating in Burgsteinfurt since Oct. 10 was Battery SS 500.

During the previous three weeks in Den Haag / Wassenaar, usually one or two rockets were launched on a day. But now with the Battery 444 troops from Gaasterland, no less then 6 rockets were launched per day. The new launch Site was the Rijswijkse Bos, several metres away from a monument to peace made in 1697.

24 October 1944, Tuesday, (00.22 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Langdon Hills, Essex. 17 Houses damaged. Three Persons injured.

24 October 1944, Tuesday, (20.35 hours) – Battery 444, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Bulphan, Essex. Farm damaged.

24 October 1944, Tuesday, (20.40 hours) – Battery 444, V-2 rocket fired, impacted on mud flats at Duck Island, near Grays, Essex.

 
24 October 1944, Tuesday, (22.20 hours) – Battery 2/485, V-2 rocket fired, impacted on mud flats at Canvey Island, Essex.

24 October 1944, Tuesday, there were 6 rockets fired from Sites at Wassenaar and Rijswijk. On October 26, a new launch record was achieved by Battery 444 – a total of nine (9) rockets were fired this day from Wassenaar and Rijswijk, of which three within 45 minutes.

25 October 1944, Wednesday, (+/- 12.35 hours) – Battery 444, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Wickford, Essex. Fell in open field. Pumping station of nearby sewage works damaged. Two Persons injured.

27, October 1944, Friday, (11.15 hours) – Battery 444, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Leyton. Direct hit on house. Six Dead, thirty seriously injured and six Properties demolished.

27 October 1944, Friday, (12.00 hours) – Battery 444, V-2 rocket fired, impacted on forest land in Chingford. Hotel and historic hunting lodge damaged. Two persons suffered slight injuries. The crater from this incident still exists.

27 October 1944, Friday, (18.55 hours) – Battery 444, V-2 rocket fired, impacted on open ground in Wanstead. No damage, but One person killed, another seriously injured.

29 October 1944, Sunday, (+/- 23.52 hours) – Battery 444, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Shenfield, Essex. Fell in field. No damage. No launch record exists. However, impact is confirmed and Battery 444 was the only unit firing at London on this day.

30 October 1944, Monday, (05.10 hours) – Battery 444, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Barking. Direct hit on Beckton Gas Works, which was partially put out of action. Two persons seriously injured.

30 October 1944, Monday, (12.26 hours) – Battery 444, V-2 rocket fired, impacted West Ham. Serious damage to buildings at Victoria Dock.


30 October 1944, Monday, (12.27 hours) – Battery 444, V-2 rocket fired, impacted West Ham. Five Properties demolished. Combined casualties for both West Ham incidents: Eleven dead, Ten seriously injured.

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