"Keith Willshaw" wrote:


"M. J. Powell" wrote in message
...


Ski ramp? The ski sites took their name from the large concrete
ski-shaped bunkers used to store V1s. Those were the intended
targets.

The launch ramps were ski-shaped. I have never been able to find out
why.


Its my understanding that the ramps looked like a ski-jump
rather than a ski. Certainly the one at Duxford appears that way.

The ski sites got their name from the three 270ft long storage
buildings. (Ok one was slightly shorter). I have a detailed
construction drawing of one here - it held 20 missiles.

Build three odd shaped buildings like that - and from the PRU photos
available to me, little effort at camouflage was made - and you are
just asking for bomber attention IMHO.

Just perusing some data as well - for about 4 months, 40% of allied
bombing effort in the European theatre was expended on the ski-sites,
the storage bunkers and the modified sites. In one month alone, 3000
tons of bombs was dropped on just one modified site. Obviously as a
bomber effort attractant they succeeded too!

Eugene Griessel