V-Mail your comments and questions Dear V2ROCKET.COM; I am greatly impressed by your information on the A-4/V-2. It is with great interest that I read the comments about the launchings. I learned many new details of which I was not aware. Let's keep the information going. —Konrad Dannenberg - "We have invaded space with our rocket and for the first time. We have used space as a bridge between two points on the earth; we have proved rocket propulsion practicable for space travel. This third day of October, 1942, is the first of a new era of transportation, that of space travel" —General Walter Dornberger General Walter Dornberger and German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun were two men with a vision. The drive, energy and resourcefulness of Dornberger, mated with the ingenuity and passion of von Braun, created one of the greatest technological achievements of this century. The fact that this achievement was the product of the ruthless regime of Nazi Germany—and the fact that many thousands of people died as a result of its production and deployment—taint the image of what otherwise would be considered a monumental technological triumph. This is the A-4/V-2 Resource Site. It is devoted to one of the most awesome weapons of WWII - the V-2 rocket. The V-2 or Aggregat 4, was the first long range ballistic missile to be actively used in combat. This huge German rocket hurtled a one-ton warhead 50 miles high and hundreds of miles down range to its target. This site will try to give you an accurate account of the design, production and combat deployment of this weapon during World War 2. In an attempt to build a historical record, this website will exclude any political agendas. This website does not support any ideology of Nazi Germany. NEW BOOK: V2: The A4 Rocket from Peenemunde to Redstone, Hardcover, by Murray Barber I remember in the early 1980's there was a book published by the late Dieter Hölsken entitled "V-Missiles of the Third Reich: The V-1 and V-2." It was packed with hundreds of rare photographs and previously unknown information about the infamous German v-weapons. At the time, Hölsken's book inspired a new generation of V-2 researchers. Since then, there has not been another book of equal overall quality in my opinion, until now. Murray Barber's newest work meets that challenge. It is filled with rare and many previously unseen images—350 photographs and illustrations, technical drawings, and maps. Many of these new images were derived from Murray's close association with leading researchers around the world, including V2ROCKET.COM. Along with the period photographs, the book is overflowing with beautiful, full-color, Blender 3D illustrations by Mark Alloway. Give credit to Crecy Publishing—it is printed on large format, high-quality, satin cover stock, which makes the image resolution spectacular. Barber is an V-2 expert who has been lecturing and teaching for many years. As expected, the written account is informative and exhaustive. The book covers most aspects of the subject matter and finds a balance when recounting such a complex and interwoven drama. The multiple aspects of the missile are explained in separate chapters that are laid out basically in a sequential timeline for each subject. Historically, with a black project so large as the German missile program, it is almost impossible for chapters to not overlap, but Barber does a good job of seaming together the chapters into a coherent timeline. The book covers the early days of rocket experimentation in pre-war Germany, involvement of the German military, and leads into the development of the Peenemünde research facility on the Baltic Coast. The construction of the rocket installation is followed by the first test stands and early prototypes of the missile. Soon after, the RAF discovery of the secret facility leads the British War Cabinet to discuss appropriate measures to counter the German rocket threat. Operation Hydra—the engaging story of the RAF night attack on Peenemünde—is told through eyewitness and written accounts. "Anatomy of the Rocket" breaks down the workings of each major system of the rocket using superlative illustrations. The final challenges and preparations for the coming rocket offensive are examined such as serial production at Mittelwerk, rocket trials in Poland, and the formation of the V-2 Division. The book includes most of the color Ullstein Bild photographs taken by Walter Frentz (Hitler's personal cameraman) showing the Mittelwerk/Nordhausen tunnels and the firing trials at Blizna in 1944. In the later chapters Barber gives a good account of the V-2 campaign. It begins with "Operation Penguin," the actual combat launches against London and Antwerp, with a description of the V-2 batterie/vehicles, and gives details about the operational areas. That is followed by the tragedies and devastation in London neighborhoods. Lastly, Operation Backfire, the post-war British testing of the V-2, is explained using unpublished photographs from Charles Black, John Brittain, and Frank Micklethwaite. This book is highly recommended for collectors with an interest in aviation, rocketry, or WWII history in general.—V2ROCKET.COM CLICK HERE for more information NEW UPDATE: Charles Black Collection Added to Operation Backfire Page CLICK HERE A-4/V-2 Design and Makeup The Motor The Markings - Chapters Wernher von Braun Peenemünde City of Sudden Death Blizna / Heidelager Mittelwerk / Dora Operation Backfire - Deployment Hardened Bunkers Mobile Firing Sites Firing Timeline Firing Procedure Battery Vehicles - Scale Available V-2 Kits Modeling V-2 1/35 Scale - Various V-2 Displays Worldwide Video & Audio Reference Material V-2 In the News Links Links above may contain multiple subpages - Friends of V2ROCKET.COM ---- ---- Special Thanks To: Ed Straten, Charles Ostyn, Bert Koopman, Detlev Paul, Dr. Olaf Przybilski, Mikel Shilling, Gerhard Helm, Henk Koopman, Dr. Karl-Heinz Wellmann, Michael Imhoff, Michel van Best, Mikael Olrog, Volker Pelz, Paul Grigorieff, Alan Scheckenbach, Jirzy Komprda, Cor Lulof, Claudio Becker, Murray Barber, Ken Hartman, Stan Druzynski, Michael Keuer, Raymond Delcommune, Andy Micklethwaite, Jan Harm ter Brugge, Reiner Sigmund, Laurent Bailleul and John Pridige. - www.v2rocket.com © T Dungan / Brothers Designs Member International V-2 Research Group -- Search A-4/V-2 site or the web powered by FreeFind Site searchWeb search