# How do I aim a V-2? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 12, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-aim-a-v-2/592506 "2011-08-12T20:53:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kombatminipig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@kombatminipig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kombatminipig)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-aim-a-v-2/592506/21 "2011-08-17T09:02:01Z")
> [@Bosstrain](#): > > Here’s a [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-2) on the V-2. As I said before, basically point and shoot (battleship). The V-2 was a precourser to what’s being used today (the USA actually got a lot of technology from the Germans), but it’s still just a freefall ballistic hunk of metal, premitive in comparison to later advancements. Hitler was dancing around like a giddy schoolgirl over this thing, too bad one didn’t come crashing back down on him. (Okay, now I have a funny image of him as a cartoon launching one and it levels his house moments after…damn you South Park.) Bosstrain…I say this humbly, but I think you’re a bit out of your depth in this discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Flying\_Monk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@Flying\_Monk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flying_Monk)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-aim-a-v-2/592506/22 "2011-08-17T15:48:14Z")
> [@kombatminipig](#): > > bosstrain…i say this humbly, but i think you’re a bit out of your depth in this discussion. a bit? ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-aim-a-v-2/592506/23 "2011-08-17T16:50:14Z")
IIRC, the V2 was actually called a “flying gas main” in England. They came in from above ballistically supersonic (as opposed to the noisy V2 flying in horizontally) so gave no warning they were coming until there was a loud explosion. The first few, the home office said were simply gas main explosions, until there were enough that people started calling them flying gas mains. George Orwell apparently has a story or remniscence about going out to Hampstead on the hill north of London. They would sit in lawn chairs and watch the skyline for noisy V1 buzz bombs come in from the south, then wait for the explosion on the skyline not long after the buzz stopped. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-aim-a-v-2/592506.md?page=1)