The first V-2 was launched on September 8th 1944, from Wassenaar and it was directed to London. Memorial plaque for the first V-2 rocket launched from Wassenaar (Credits: Carmen Felix). Besides visual cover, the trees protected the rockets from the wind during lift off, improving their stability. ![]() Wassenaar was the perfect place for the purpose thanks to the vicinity of the North Sea and the trees that covered the area. The Germans were looking for a place that could facilitate the supply and preparation of the V-2 rockets with good road and rail infrastructure and potential areas of camouflage for protection. This is where the town of Wassenaar enters the V-2 story. After this first successful test, they carefully selected a strategic location in The Netherlands for their first operational launch. On Octothe Germans had their first successful V-2 test firing from Peenemünde. The Germans started to work on the development of the V-2 in the mid-1930s, at the Peenemünde Army Research Facility, in a village with a seaport north east of Germany. Thank you for reading and I’ll see you next time On the Front.Location of Wassenaar in the Netherlands from which the V-2 rocket was launched (Credits: Google Maps).įueled by alcohol and liquid oxygen, the V-2 was developed by the Germans under the leadership of Wernher von Braun, the “Father of Rocket Science” who later led the development of American missile and rocket technology. Let me know your thoughts about Hitler’s V1 and V2 wonder weapons in the comments below. In fact, researchers now believe these and other “Wonder Weapons” may have even expedited Germany’s surrender as their development and production starved the German Wehrmacht of valuable and vital recourses. The V-Series weapons were touted as Wonder Weapons by Hitler that would win the war for Germany but in truth these expensive weapons had very little impact. ![]() Von Braun worked on the Apollo Program was the chief architect behind the Saturn V Super Heavy Launch Vehicle the propelled the Apollo spacecraft to the moon. Von Braun along with other German scientist would be eventually be recruited to NASA in the 1960’s. The Soviets too recruited German scientists but in a more aggressive way forcibly moving 6,000 German scientists including their families at gun point to Russian rocket facilities. A secret program used to boost the US in the Space race against the Soviet Union. He and 1,600 other German scientists were secretly moved to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip. V-2 A4 RocketĪfter the war Von Braun surrendered to the Americans. After this the V-1’s were targeted elsewhere with the last V-1 attack occurring on March 29, 1945. ![]() The V-1 attacks over England ceased in October 1944 as the allies made their way further inland and overran the launch sites within range of the English Isles. The limited range of the V-1 meant they were fired from launch sites on the French and Dutch coast lines. RAF fighter squadrons tasks with destroying the V-1’s before they came over London would on occasion to save ammunition use their wing tips to knock the V-1 off course which would cause the missiles too loose control and crash early in empty fields or over the Channel. The result of this simple to calculate trajectory made the rockets easy to shoot down. Guided by a simple compass heading the V-1 was equipped with a front censor which calculated how far it had flown and after the distance was up the engines would cut off and it would nosedive into the ground. The V-1 carried an 850kg warhead and was propelled off of a launch track.
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