While the Allies were still fighting their way through the murderous bocage of the Norman countryside, Germany unleashed a new weapon. It was capable of flying from its launch sites dotted around the Pas-de-Calais and strike right at the heart of Britain.
A seemingly unstoppable force that could target the island day and night, without risking a single German airmen.
Following that first shocking attack on 13th June 1944, a further 6,724 Doodlebugs were launched at Britain.
Of these around 35% made it to the capital, one of which narrowly missed killing my Grandfather. Instead, it claimed the life of one of his fellow RAF cadets walking a few hundred yards ahead in a London park.
Soon, defences would be put into place which resulted in at least 3,500 of these Buzz bombs being destroyed before they landed in Southern England. Still, 5,475 Londoners died due to V1s, and a further 16,000 were injured. Many more were to die during attacks on Britain and later on the continent.
When Germany began this new phase of warfare by employing a revolutionary approach to aerial bombing, they never realized they were handing the Allies all of their secrets. Soon, they may be on the receiving end of their very own vengeance weapons.
The Origin of the JB-2
The German Fieseler Fi 103 V-1 flying bomb, without a doubt a groundbreaking weapon, introduced a new level of terror to the home front.
Due to its distinctive sound, the V1 soon gained the Nickname”doodlebug” or “buzz bomb,”. This was down to the pulsejet engine with which this early cruise missile was equipped. Given enough fuel, the flying bomb could easily reach London and its true target, ordinary citizens on the ground.
Civilians soon learned that all was well when the purr of a Doodlebug could be heard. When that engine cut out, it was time to find shelter and quickly.
There is no doubt that the V-1 changed the dynamics of warfare, allowing the Germans to strike at long range without risking the lives of their crews. Naturally, this significant development in military technology inevitably caught the attention of the British and American forces.
In an effort to combat this new threat, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) began collecting the remains of downed V-1s to analyze and understand the underlying technology. There was a lot of wreckage to choose from.
Recognizing the potential of this powerful weapon, the USAAF tasked Republic Aviation with the development of an American version of the German missile. This led to the creation of the Jet Bomb 2 or JB-2, which closely resembled the German V-1, with only a few minor differences.
Unlike the nations they fought, the Americans and British employed a strategy of “Steel not Flesh”. If an unarmed weapon could shorten the war while saving lives, it was a weapon the US must have and soon.
Keen to capitalize on this new technology, the USAAF placed an order for 1,000 JB-2s in August 1944, even before the reverse-engineered design was fully completed.
Enthusiasm for the proposed weapon can clearly be seen when this initial order was followed by a second in December, for another 1,000 buzz bombs. These early orders were intended for the production of test and training units, allowing the USAAF to familiarize itself with the new missile technology and evaluate its potential in combat situations.
As the development of the JB-2 progressed, Republic Aviation collaborated with other manufacturers to bring the project to fruition. Willys-Overland was subcontracted to produce the airframes, while Ford Motor Company was tasked with manufacturing the engines.
This collaboration aimed to expedite the production process, ensuring that the United States would be able to leverage this powerful weapon as quickly as possible.
With men dying over Germany every day, could the JB-2 be rushed into service and start saving Allied lives? The United States was clearly determined to do just this.
By January 1945, planners from the USAAF envisaged launching 100 JB-2s each and every day at German targets within 9 months, to be increased to 500 by the following January. This meant that somewhere in the region of 75,000 JB-2s would need to be produced. However, this was quickly scaled back from 10,000 units in February 1945 to just 5,000 by May.
Production and Challenges
While the JB-2 was designed to be a near-carbon copy of the German V-1, there was one crucial difference that presented a significant challenge for American engineers. The V-1 relied on hydrogen peroxide as its primary fuel for launching, but the United States lacked the capacity to produce this critical compound in sufficient quantities.
While the V-1 itself used ordinary gasoline as its fuel, it didn’t have the thrust to make itself airborne. The engine actually worked while stationary, not requiring air to be forced into it like a conventional jet engine. The JB-2, its American doppelganger, had the same issue.
This limitation forced American engineers to explore alternative methods to get the JB-2 airborne.
As a result, the US turned to T-10 booster rockets as a substitute for the hydrogen peroxide-based propulsion system.
While this solution made the JB-2 viable, it also meant that the American “doodlebug” was not quite ready for operational deployment during the war. It did, however, undergo extensive testing before the final surrender of the Japanese in 1945.
The real question is how would the USAAF have used this weapon.
Ultimately, the JB-2 demonstrated a change in American strategic bombing doctrine, something that had already been shown with Le May’s campaign over Japan and later the use of the atomic bomb.
The reality is that the JB-2 was essentially the American cousin of the V1, itself an unguided primitive cruise missile.
At best, American forces could have attempted to spread fear and panic among the German population as the Germans had planned to do among the British public. All the time keeping up a bombing campaign without risking the lives of American crews.
With the end of World War II in September 1945 JB-2 production was terminated. By that time, 1,391 of the initial 2,000 units had been delivered to the USAAF. Although the JB-2 did not see action during the war, it would play a vital role in the development of American missile technology.
Testing and Evaluation
Post-WWII, the JB-2 continued to play a crucial role in the development of the missile technologies we are familiar with today. This powerful weapon provided a foundation for research and innovation in the field of guided missiles that has been nearly forgotten.
Testing of the JB-2 had actually begun as early as September 1944. These initial tests were carried out at Wendover Field, located along the border of Nevada and Utah. This remote location was chosen to maintain secrecy and safety during the tests.
Initially, this team consisted of a detachment from the Air Material Command and only 13 flying bombs for testing By the end of the war, a total of 213 JB-2s had been launched at Wendover Field, providing valuable insights into the missile’s capabilities and potential shortcomings.
Though never used in anger, the data gathered from these tests played a pivotal role in shaping the future of American missile technology.
In the post-war period, the USAAF continued JB-2 trials at Wendover Field. Under the designation, Project MX-544, engineers and technicians carried out a series of trials aimed at refining the missile’s performance and reliability.
Eventually, the operation was moved to Alamogordo Field in New Mexico. During May 1948 during seven separate launches, the missiles were used to test further developments in gyro and guidance systems. Another focus was testing launch methods, including a new 400 ft ramp, as well as training crews to handle and operate the weapon.
While these test launches helped develop the missile itself, at the same time it gave others the opportunity to test and accelerate other technologies. During further launches in August and September, the JB-2’s beacon was tracked with SCR-584 radar, which developed important data for its later use.
Later in October 1948, the JB-2 was also used in tests for aerial radio control, which were successful in one flight but never repeated despite plans to attempt it. By November Project MX-544 was wrapped up.
The JB-2’s versatile design made it an ideal platform for evaluating cutting-edge technologies that would eventually be integrated into future missile systems.
These tests also laid the foundation for a newer generation of missiles, such as the Martin XSSM-A-1 Matador, which incorporated a modified SCR-584 radar and AN/APW-11 radar beacon for tracking purposes.
The trials conducted with the JB-2 helped to shape the trajectory of missile technology in the United States, paving the way for innovations that would have a lasting impact on the field of military aviation.
Expanding the Testing Program
The JB-2, however, had not only undergone testing by the Air Material Command.
In addition to the AMC, starting in the summer of 1944, the 1st Proving Ground Command had been conducting JB-2 trials at Eglin Field in Florida,. These tests were designed to evaluate the missile’s performance in various launch conditions and environments, furthering the understanding of its capabilities.
At Eglin Field, the trials included both ground launches and air launches, with the latter utilizing a modified Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress.
The air launch tests were particularly significant, as they demonstrated the feasibility of deploying the JB-2 from an aircraft, thereby increasing its potential range and operational flexibility. These tests also highlighted the missile’s compatibility with existing military aircraft, which was an important factor in the development of future guided missile systems.
As well as testing the new weapon, crews were being trained up to employ it in the field. Men were even sent to Manilla following the first use of the Atom bomb on Japan, in anticipation of JB-2’s being used by the Far East Command.
Yet within the cessation of hostilities being announced within days of the attack on Nagasaki, the American doodlebug would never see action over Japan either.
5 months after the end of the Second world war, testing of the JB-2 would continue under the supervision of the 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group.
This unit was activated on February 1, 1946, and a base was established on Santa Rosa Island, California. Here the JB-2 could be launched either from a 400 ft static ramp or a 50 ft mobile ramp on the back of a trailer.
The next year in February and March, the JB-2 program even reached the cold climate of Alaska, where a Cold Weather Detachment tested the missile at Ladd Field AFB in 1947. These trials were aimed at determining the JB-2’s performance and reliability under extreme cold conditions.
The tests proved that, with minor modifications, the JB-2 could indeed be operated effectively in cold temperatures, further expanding its potential applications and reinforcing its status as a versatile and adaptable weapon system.
The 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group would also conduct 9 aerial launches in October 1947. This involved a B-17G carrying two JB-2s, shadowed by a B-25 Mitchel to capture photographic evidence, as well as being on hand to perform air-sea rescue overwatch.
The entire launch would be commanded and observed from aboard a B-29 also in tow as well as a pair of P-80s. These fighters were there to shoot down any wayward missiles, as well as ending the tests when the JB-2 came within 10 miles of the shore.
The focus of the tests being carried out on the JB-2 changed by the Summer of 1948. At this point the 1st Experimental Air Service Squadron began experimenting with radio links, which would enable an air-launched missile to be controlled. The aircraft used for these air launches also changed as the older B-17 was replaced with the B-29.
Testing continued throughout 1948 and into 1949 including air and ground lanches. While the former were clearly informative to other projects, such as the Bell GAM-63 RASCAL supersonic air-to-surface missile, it was becoming clear that the end of the road was in sight for the JB-2.
The JB-2 as a Target and Training Tool
As the US military continued to explore new missile technologies and develop more advanced weapon systems, the JB-2 found new life as a target and training tool. This versatile flying bomb, which had already contributed significantly to the evolution of guided missile technology, would now help in the development and evaluation of other military systems and equipment.
In 1949, the Air Proving Ground in Florida recommended that all remaining JB-2s be placed in storage, pending the introduction of a suitable guidance system. However, the JB-2 still had one final project to complete before being retired from active service.
This missile with its roots in Nazi Germany, was used as an air target for F-80 pilots testing the new A-1C gunsight. This was an advanced targeting system designed to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of airborne weapons.
By using the JB-2 as a target, the US military could simulate realistic combat scenarios and gather valuable data on the performance of the A-1C gunsight. In this role, the JB-2 replaced the aging QB-17 drone, offering a more cost-effective and accessible target for the testing program.
Throughout the early part of 1950, the JB-2 continued to serve as a target for trials with the new Lockheed F-94 Starfire, a development of the T-33 Shooting Star. These tests allowed pilots to hone their skills and evaluate the capabilities of the F-94, an all-weather interceptor.
The JB-2, with its high-speed and low-altitude flight characteristics, provided an ideal target for these trials, simulating the challenging conditions that pilots might face in real combat situations.
The End of the JB-2 Era
With the JB-2’s influence beginning to wane, the three B-29s assigned to the 1st Guided Missiles Squadron were called up for Korean War duties in August 1950, and flown to San Antonio for refurbishment.
Although plans were in place to modify B-17s from the 3200th Drone Unit for further testing with the LARK surface-to-air missile, these conversions never took place. It seems that the rapid development of new technologies and changing priorities within the US military meant that the JB-2 was no longer the focus of these experimental programs.
The Flying Fortresses were transferred to other units in November 1950, and missile testing moved to Patrick AFB, Florida, without the JB-2. This marked the end of the JB-2’s active service, as the once-pioneering missile was gradually replaced by more advanced systems and newer technologies.
By 1951, the JB-2’s era was over. The Ryan XQ-2 Firebee, a jet-powered target drone, had made its first flight and was poised to take over the role previously held by the American Buzzbombs.
Although the JB-2’s operational life came to an end, its legacy lived on through the valuable contributions it made to the development of guided missile technology, air defense systems, and pilot training.
The JB-2’s influence can still be seen in the modern missiles and aircraft that have evolved from the lessons learned during its testing and evaluation programs. In this way, the JB-2 played a crucial role in shaping the future of military aviation and ensuring the continued success of the United States Air Force.
