The history of guided missiles began with the launch of the Fieseler Fi 103 on the island of Usedom. The Fieseler Fi 103 (V1) was the first cruise missile to be used anywhere in the world for military purposes.
The German ‘Vengeance Weapon 1’ was used for attacks on London and Antwerp. Unlike modern cruise missiles, it was only equipped with a simple autopilot system. The design of the Fieseler Fi 103 (V1) long-­range flying bomb was based on an idea by Robert Lusser (1899-­1969), an engineer, stunt pilot and aircraft designer. Below are the dates of a few important events in chronological order:

• 1942 The Fieseler Fi 103 (V1) is designed in Kassel
• 12 June 1944 First V1 attack on London
• 22 June 1944 Firing of the 1000 th V1
• 30 March 1945 Final launch of a V1

With its pulse­jet engine and altitude of 760 m, the V1 was a precursor of the V2, which was equipped with a rocket engine.
Walter Dornberger, who was to be appointed Major-­General and Commander of the army research centre at Peenemünde in 1943, said on 3 October 1942:
“We have reached into space with our rocket and, for the first time, used space as a bridge between two points on earth. We have proven rocket propulsion practicable for space travel.”
The launch in Peenemünde laid the foundations for today’s space travel.