Common term for
Germany's
V-1 missile. These missiles, the first to use
pulsejet engines, were among the first long-distance
cruise missiles. Large numbers of buzz-bombs were directed at
England during
World War II.
They were loud enough to be heard for miles, but due to their design, the noise stopped just before they dropped. The characteristic pattern of loud buzzing, followed by silence, became a terrifying sign of impending destruction for the English.