Did Spitfires attack the V-1 flying bombs?

Short answer

Yes. The Mk XIV's superior performance made it the ideal aircraft against the V-1 threat, and No. 91 Squadron, based at West Malling, achieved the best record: 184 flying bombs downed with its Mk XIVs. It was the guns that actually ended the campaign in the air.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Did Spitfires attack the V-1 flying bombs?

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IX MH434 in flight at the 2018 Season Premiere AirshowAirwolfhound (CC BY SA), vía commons

The Spitfire Mk XIV, the ideal fighter

Yes, and one particular version bore the brunt of the task: the Mk XIV's superior performance made it the ideal aircraft to tackle the V-1 threat. No. 91 Squadron, based at West Malling, ended up with the best record against the flying bomb, downing 184 with its Mk XIVs.

Tipping the bomb with a wingtip

Some pilots slid a wingtip to within about six inches of the underside of the V-1's wing. The air spilling off the fighter lifted the bomb's wing, disrupted its gyroscopic autopilot and sent it into an uncontrollable dive. The first recorded tip was on 18 June 1944, by Major R. E. Turner, of the 356th Fighter Squadron, flying a North American P-51 Mustang. Estimates of bombs destroyed by this method range from at least three to at least sixteen.