PEENEMUENDE rocket-science! Krauts to the Moon... A Nazi Legacy.

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Baltics_014.JPG




A V2 on the Site-7 launch pad, 1943


Baltics_011.JPG




Baltics_013.JPG




Baltics_051.JPG



First Deltawing Aircraft..and also breaking the 1000km/h barrier.
A Messerschmitt 163A ready to take air at Peenemuende Airfield in 1941


Baltics_012.JPG




Baltics_049.JPG



Another Peenemuende flyer and world's first in 1939
The Heinkel HE176 jet plane


Baltics_048.JPG




To add up the numbers, they raided some Swedish ideas


Baltics_050.JPG
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Baltics_054.JPG



Baltics_053.JPG




With a tested 370km reach, the V1 was planned to be launched from mobile and transportable launch ramps by 1941. Mobility was key to prevent detection by Allied aircraft. Main targets were Antwerp and Britain/ London to be bombed from Normandy.
The original design and built were by Fieseler, one of the many German aircraft manufacturers of the time.

Not much later the means and mechanisms were developed to launch the V1 from "carrier-aircraft", becoming the first ever air-to-ground guided missile.
Due to its low speed (~600kmh) and low flight elevation , most V1's luckily never reached their targets and were shot down by the Allied flak.

Launching ramp (collapsible+ transportable) for the V1's.


Baltics_040.JPG




Baltics_041.JPG





Baltics_042.JPG




Baltics_043.JPG



A Russian Mikojan copy of the V1 at the Peenemuende Airfield.
Air + ramp launched.
After the "distribution" of the Peenemuende-Science-Gang to the different Allied countries post-WW2, this Tupolev-built guided missile became "standard-issue" within the Eastern Block countries from 1953.



Baltics_032.JPG




Baltics_031.JPG



1942....and through the enormous pressure on the Peenemuende scientists and its head Wernher von Braun by the Nazi leadership, the V2 with its longer reach (400km), higher ceiling (90km!) greater speed (5000km/h) and far smaller launching pad took flight.
Due to the high ceiling it was unreachable to the Flak, as well as being invisible to the Allied radar due to its high speed.




The V9 and V10 developments as the first intercontinental rockets with 300km ceilings, 4000km/h speed and 2-5 tonne payloads were stopped in 1943 after the "Wolf's-Lair" summit with Hitler due to the need to concentrate on war-efforts and convert a good part of the research facilities into a commercial V2 production facility.



Baltics_038.JPG




Baltics_037.JPG




Baltics_060.JPG
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Hey Pete, so you made it to Usedom in September, fine!:thumbs:

Were you able to visit Heringsdorf and stay in Hotel Fortuna?


Sure did :)
Went through Heringsdorf the next day, my GOD, what a tourist-circus!
Couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Made it through an extensive pack of free-running wild porkers at the Swinemuende/Swinoujscie ferry terminal :eek: into Poland and stayed at Ustka (aka previously Stolpmünde/ Germany) that night.

More on that in a separate yarn lateron.:gday:
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
A few more pics to close the story on Peenemuende and the German Rocket program under the Hitler regime.

And what came of it...


Baltics_044.JPG



Baltics_037.JPG



Cranes and booms...a walk around the coal-driven power station that made it all happen.

Baltics_036.JPG



Baltics_046.JPG



Baltics_039.JPG



Baltics_066.JPG



Baltics_067.JPG



Baltics_069.JPG



Baltics_070.JPG




Baltics_075.JPG
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Great overlook from the roof of the Powerstation....the airfield next door.


Baltics_073.JPG



Baltics_033.JPG




Parts of which have been set aside for some different types of rockets... :clap:


Baltics_034.JPG




Aftermath....corruption NEVER DIES!


The Yanks

Baltics_063.JPG



The Russians

Baltics_062.JPG



The Brits

Baltics_065.JPG



The French


Baltics_064.JPG




So much global mayhem and misery coming from a place like this :bang::bang:

Peenemuende...I'm glad to have spent the day to see and learn a lot...and maybe understand a few things better... but left weak-kneed and totally overwhelmed.



Baltics_074.JPG



Right next door: The U461 Russian Sub (museum)


Baltics_072.JPG




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT64MrmPaB4
 
Top Bottom