The Antwerp-X guns were stationed in consecutive belts far enough outside the city to prevent flying bombs from being downed over the population. Forward observers were stationed ahead of the guns to warn of incoming V-1s. The gunners were directed not to fire at enemy aircraft—only firing at V1s—for fear their positions would be revealed. The numerous Allied airfields established around Antwerp also presented a problem for the gunners. Until November 5, the gunners of Antwerp X were restricted to firing at targets that could be visually identified as V-1s. Aircraft were instructed to stay out of the lanes of approach for the V-1s, but friendly aircraft regularly violated this ban. From November 26 to December 11, a total of 357 friendly aircraft entered the zone at their peril.



By the middle November British units (except for the searchlight regiments) were withdrawn as the line was bolstered by additional US gun battalions. From left to right were the 740th; 184th; 126th; 125th; 407th; 405th; and 494th AAA Gun Battalions. Forward of the main line were the 789th and 788th Automatic Weapons (AW) Battalions armed with the 40mm anti-aircraft gun. An eighth gun battalion was added to the main defensive belt on December 6. When the Ardennes Offensive began on December 15-16 the Germans commenced firing of V-1s from The Netherlands. The new angle of attack was outside of the gun belt ring. A few of the existing gun battalions were forced to move to cover this new incoming track. Additionally, some of the gun battalions called up, as they were needed to blunt the German attack.



During their deployment, Antwerp-X gunners utilized some of the most modern equipment in the world. The US 90mm M1 anti-aircraft gun was the most advanced anti-aircraft gun of WWII. Some of the SCR-584 radar-controlled anti-aircraft batteries were firing shells equipped with the newly developed proximity fuse. The SCR-584 radar units controled four 90mm guns per battery using an M9 director to electrically control the battery guns. The radar was effective from 28,000 yards, the M9 director predicted the target location position based on course, height and speed which combined with the gun, shell and fuse characteristics predicted an impact position, adjusted each gun and fired the shell. British gun batteries were each equipped with eight QF 3.7-inch AA gun and two radar units, preferably the US SCR-584 with M9 director as it was more accurate than the British system. Backup for the British guns was also automatic 40mm batteries. The V-1 was harder to see on radar than a normal aircraft and the muddled terrain of Belgium and The Netherlands reflected a lot of low-level ground clutter. The guns operated 22 hours a day with two hours a day for maintenance. The life of the barrel was 1,500 to 2,000 rounds and many batteries wore out three or four sets of barrels over the course of the campaign. Because of shortages of replacement barrels some were retained until they fired as many as 2,500 rounds.



Once the German offensive had failed, the guns were called back in the middle of January 1945. The buzz bombs coming from The Netherlands had become a very serious problem for Antwerp. The number of V-1s launched had increased and the accuracy was improved because of the shorter flight time and distance. The gun defenses stationed on the southeast approaches to Antwerp were thinned out, while the northeastern approaches were augmented with four belts of heavy guns. By February the V-1 attacks had again increased to the point that the defenses had to be reinforced once again.





For almost six months the personnel of Antwerp-X were front-line in the defense of Antwerp. Field Marshall Montgomery had demanded that Antwerp-X Command to try and bring down half of all the V-1s launched at the city. This figure was reached in December (52%). In January 1945 they reached the 64% mark and by February 1945 they managed to bring down 72% of all incoming V-1s. They were required to perform professionally around the clock, at any time of day. Many times the crews were shorthanded because of their 24-hour days. 32 soldiers had been killed and 289 wounded by the end of the V-1 campaign. They exhausted 532,000 rounds of 90mm ammunition and succeeded in downing of 2,183 V-1s.



Regardless of the intrinsic imprecision of both the V-1 and V-2, Hitler's decision to focus the continental weapons on large supply ports was essentially the right calculation. The Germans were able to limit the amount of supplies off loaded in Antwerp, particularly ammunition, which forced the Allies to continue to use other ports and transportation methods. The discharge rates in the port of Antwerp reached the planned level until flying bombs stopped falling after March 30. The V-bomb campaign demonstrated an alternative to a feasible bomber force and foreshadowed warfare in the future.



In late January, early February, the number of flying bombs had increased to the highest point and then tapered off in the month of March 1945. As the V-weapon attacks on Antwerp came to an end and the German firing crews were forced to retreat by the advancing Allied troops, the last V-2 rocket was felt in Antwerp on March 27, landing in Mortsel killing 27 and injuring another 62 people. The last of the flying bombs occurred on March 30. Final numbers indicate: From October 1944 to March 1945, more than 4,800 V-1's were detected. Of these, only 4.5 percent fell into the protected area around Antwerp.

The effectiveness of the Antwerp-X defense meant that only 211 got through the massive defenses.



The V-bomb campaign saw more than 850 V-1 and V-2 missiles rain down on the Antwerp city area over a period of 167 days. Another 1,300 fell on the 50 districts surrounding the city. Together the attacks took the lives of more than 3,400 civilians and 700 allied service personnel, and destroyed or damaged more than 90,000 properties. In almost six months of terror, there were just 12 days on which no bombs fell. At the end of March 1945, the people began to return to the city, and within a few years, most important repairs had been made to city infrastructure.













Dr. Kenneth Hartman (†)

Eugene, Oregon USA



"I served in the Port of Antwerp during many months of continuous enemy air and V-weapon attacks between October 1944 and March 1945.



I will always remember the ominous silence of the daily V-1s as fell from the sky.



Seeing my dead comrades, sitting in their seats, covered in plaster dust, because a V-2 went through the roof and exploded in a crowded movie theater.



I saw and photographed where a V-1 crashed into the fifth floor of the skyscraper (Boerentoren) on Meir.



I spent hundreds of hours alone exploring the unoccupied "Castle Steen" from top to bottom.



I remember mobs of mute mourners in the Gare Centrale (La gare d'Anvers-Central) holding up pictures of their missing loved ones, in vain hope that Allied soldiers had seen them."

