It was called the Buzz bomb because of the characteristic buzzing sound of its engine. As the V-1 entered its final dive, the engine would cut out, and people along the bomb's flight path would watch the flying bomb and listen intently for the sudden silence which meant that the V-1's fall was imminent.

The V-1 was developed by the German Luftwaffe during the War and was used operationally between June 1944 and March 1945. It was used to attack targets in southeastern England, chiefly the city of London.

V-1s were launched from "ski-jump" launch sites along the French (Pas-de-Calais) and Dutch coasts until the sites were overrun by Allied forces. The V-1 was later complemented by the more sophisticated V-2 rocket. The last V-1 attack struck British soil on March 29, 1945, two days after the final V-2 attack.