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PEENEMUENDE, NATIONAL SOCIALISM, and the V-2 MISSILE, 1924-1945 Michael
ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: ENGINEERING CONSENT: PEENEMUENDE, NATIONAL SOCIALISM, AND THE V-2 MISSILE, 1924-1945 Michael Brian Petersen, Doctor of Philosophy, 2005 Dissertation Directed By: Professor Jeffrey Herf Departmen t of History This dissertation is the story of the German scientists and engineers who developed, tested, and produced the V-2 missile, the world’s first liquid -fueled ballistic missile. It examines the social, political, and cultural roots of the prog ram in the Weimar Republic, the professional world of the Peenemünde missile base, and the results of the specialists’ decision to use concentration camp slave labor to produce the missile. Previous studies of this subject have been the domain of either of sensationalistic journalists or the unabashed admirers of the German missile pioneers. Only rarely have historians ventured into this area of inquiry, fruitfully examining the history of the German missile program from the top down while noting its admi nistrative battles and technical development. However, this work has been done at the expense of a detailed examination of the mid and lower -level employees who formed the backbone of the research and production effort. This work addresses that shortcomi ng by investigating the daily lives of these employees and the social, cultural, and political environment in which they existed. It focuses on the key questions of dedication, motivation, and criminality in the Nazi regime by asking “How did Nazi authori ties in charge of the missile program enlist the support of their employees in their effort?” “How did their work translate into political consent for the regime?” “How did these employees come to view slave labor as a viable option for completing their work?” This study is informed by traditions in European intellectual and social history while borrowing from different methods of sociology and anthropology. -
The History of the America's Space Program
The History of the America’s Space Program By Matthew Behrens, the co-founder on the premise that the U.S. currently “The Soviet Union cannot attack the of Homes not Bombs and Toronto Ac- faces no major military competitor, the continental U.S. within the near fu- tion for Social Change is an organizer rapid U.S. build-up of nuclear arms fol- ture. It has no navy of importance of the Campaign to Stop Secret Trials lowing WWII was based on a similar and with a second-rate merchant ma- in Canada. understanding: the master of the globe rine, Soviet overseas operations gen- wanted to remain so forever. erally would be out of the question.” he proposal for National Mis- In a secret plan drafted two At the same time, the U.S. was sile Defence (and the various months after the atomic bombing of contemplating an all-out attack on the Tspace warfare programs into Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the U.S. ad- Soviets, who had lost more than 10% which it is designed to evolve), has a ministration of Harry Truman explored of their population during the war, it long, murky history that involves eve- the idea of launching 20 or 30 nuclear was also recruiting thousands of former ryone from Nazi war criminals and weapons against the USSR, even Nazi war criminals to work on its mili- power-crazed U.S. generals (who in- though: tary and space warfare programs. spired the film Dr. Strangelove) to weak-kneed U.S. Recruitment liberals who gave in to fears of Nazi Scientists and myths rather than op- As Christopher Simpson points pose the frightening plans of out, when the U.S. -
FROM the CHIEF HISTORIAN BORIS CHERTOK's Rockets and People
NASA HISTORY DIVISION Office of External Relations volume 26, number 2 second quarter 2009 FROM BORIS CHERTOK’S THE CHIEF ROCKETS AND PEOPLE HISTORIAN By Asif A. Siddiqi, visiting scholar, Space, Policy, and Society Research Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology For those interested in the history of Russian space exploration, and more broadly in the history of space exploration during the Cold War, the mem oirs of Boris Chertok provide a striking and unique perspective. Chertok This is my last newsletter as the National is one of those rare actors in history who not only played a critical role Aeronautics and Space Administration in the program but has been able to convey with grace and eloquence his (NASA) Chief Historian. Having reached the experiences to the broader public. For over 40 years, Chertok worked at canonical 30 years of federal government ser- the senior-most levels of the famous “OKB-1” design bureau, which in its vice, I will be retiring shortly after the Apollo present incarnation as the Energiya Rocket-Space Corporation continues 11 40th anniversary, returning to full -time to play a leading role in the Russian human spaceflight program. research and writing. It has been an honor to Chertok began his career as an electrician in 1930 at an aviation factory serve, especially during the 50th -anniversary near Moscow. Thirty years later, he was one of the senior designers in celebrations, as historian for the world’s pre - charge of the Soviet Union’s crowning achievement as a space power: the mier agency for exploration. launch of Yuriy Gagarin, the world’s first space voyager. -
The German Rocket Jet and the Nuclear Programs of World War II Max Lutze Union College - Schenectady, NY
Union College Union | Digital Works Honors Theses Student Work 6-2016 The German Rocket Jet and the Nuclear Programs of World War II Max Lutze Union College - Schenectady, NY Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses Part of the European History Commons, German Language and Literature Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Military History Commons, and the Military, War, and Peace Commons Recommended Citation Lutze, Max, "The German Rocket Jet and the Nuclear Programs of World War II" (2016). Honors Theses. 179. https://digitalworks.union.edu/theses/179 This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Work at Union | Digital Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Union | Digital Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The German Rocket, Jet, and Nuclear Programs of World War II By Max Lutze * * * * * * * * * Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Honors in the Department of History UNION COLLEGE March, 2016 2 Abstract German military technology in World War II was among the best of the major warring powers and in many cases it was the groundwork for postwar innovations that permanently changed global warfare. Three of the most important projects undertaken, which were not only German initiatives and therefore perhaps among the most valuable programs for both the major Axis and Allied nations, include the rocket, jet, and nuclear programs. In Germany, each of these technologies was given different levels of attention and met with varying degrees of success in their development and application. -
Intelligence, Reparations, and the US Army Air Forces, 1944-1947
Petrina, S. (2019). “Scientific Ammunition to Fire at Congress:” Intelligence, reparations and the US Army Air Forces, 1944-1947. Journal of Military History, 83(3), 795-829. “Scientific Ammunition to Fire at Congress:” Intelligence, Reparations, and the U.S. Army Air Forces, 1944-1947 "Secrets by the Thousands!" "Nazi Science Secrets!" "A Technological Treasure Hunt!" "All the war secrets, as released, are completely in the public domain." Military intelligence was not quite as accessible as it seemed to journalists in late 1946 and early 1947. This particular bounty of intelligence derived from extensive exploitation strategies hatched by American and British forces in the closing months of World War II (WWII). These efforts anticipated the Potsdam Conference and Agreement of July and August 1945, where Germany and the Nazi economy were carved up for postwar occupation and reparations. The largest was Operation LUSTY (LUftwaffe Secret TechnologY), launched by the United States (US) Army Air Forces (AAF) in 1944. LUSTY was a small army of engineers, scientists, AAF officers, and troops, numbering 3,000 at its peak in the summer of 1945. The task was no mystery, teams scoured the German countryside and cities, crating up over three million documents from Braunschweig targets alone. About 16,280 items and 6,200 tons of miscellaneous materiel and documents were shipped through London and Paris and back to Wright Field and Freeman Field in Ohio and Indiana in the first three of LUSTY's sixteen months of existence. Jets such as the Me-262 and Ju-290 were flown; He-162s, Ho-229s, Me-163s, V-2 rockets, and Ötztal's wind tunnels were shipped.1 For General Henry H. -
Ballistic Missile Operations
Ballistic milestones MILE STONES missile Dr Carlo Kopp operations THE 1991 GULF WAR BROUGHT THE WORD ‘SCUD’ INTO THE EVERYDAY MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC LEXICON. Arguably, this is a sad reflection on our times, that in the public consciousness the sustained bombardment of Britain by A-4/V-2 ballistic missiles in the later months of World War II was all but forgotten. That the R11/8K11/SS-1 Scud is a direct linear descendent of the A-4/V-2 ballistic missile is another basic reality that has eluded those who define public perceptions of world developments. The technical aspects of the evolution of the A-4 missile, known by its propaganda name V-2, have been studied extensively and a vast amount of literature exists detailing this program, including some excellent W3 references. What has been studied much less is the operational side of A-4 and how this progenitor of today’s Inter-Continental, Intermediate Range and Tactical Ballistic Missiles set the pattern for the operational use of such weapons, a pattern which persists to this day. For better or for worse, many operational realities remain unchanged as long a basic technology remains unchanged. The principal designer of the A-4 was Dr Wernher von Braun of NASA fame, a patrician of Prussian aristocratic descent who pursued a career in rocket physics rather than the family tradition of politics. A recently restored example of the A-4 on the Meillerwagen TEL, both owned by the US Air Force museum. Splinter camouflage was typical for operational weapons, using a range of patterns and colours. -
REMEMBERING the SPACE AGE ISBN 978-0-16-081723-6 F Asro El Yb T Eh S Epu Ir Tn E Edn Tn Fo D Co Mu E Tn S , .U S
About the Editor here is no doubt that the last 50 years have witnessed numerous accomplishments in Steven J. Dick is the Chief Historian for NASA and what has often been termed “the new Director of the NASA History Division. He worked ocean” of space, harkening back to a long as an astronomer and historian of science at the U.S. tradition of exploration. Earth is now circled by Naval Observatory in Washington, DC for 24 years thousands of satellites, looking both upward into before coming to NASA Headquarters in 2003. space at distant galaxies and downward toward Earth Among his recent books are Societal Impact of for reconnaissance, weather, communications, nav- Spaceflight (NASA SP 4801, 2007, edited with Roger igation, and remote sensing. Robotic space probes Launius), Critical Issues in the History of Spaceflight have explored most of the solar system, returning (NASA SP- 4702, 2006, edited with Roger Launius), astonishing images of alien worlds. Space telescopes The Living Universe: NASA and the Development of have probed the depths of the universe at many Astrobiology (2004, with James Strick), and Sky and wavelengths. In the dramatic arena of human Ocean Joined: The U.S. Naval Observatory, 1830 -2000 spaceflight, 12 men have walked on the surface of the (2003). Dr. Dick is the recipient of the Navy Moon, the Space Shuttle has had 119 flights, and the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, two NASA International Space Station—a cooperative effort of Group Achievement Awards, and the 2006 LeRoy E. 16 nations—is almost “core complete.” In addition to Doggett Prize for Historical Astronomy of the Russia, which put the first human into space in April American Astronomical Society. -
Operation Paperclip and the Contrasting Fates of Wernher Von Braun and Arthur Rudolph
VEIL OF PROTECTION: OPERATION PAPERCLIP AND THE CONTRASTING FATES OF WERNHER VON BRAUN AND ARTHUR RUDOLPH Allison Eldridge-Nelson A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS December 2017 Committee: Walter Grunden, Advisor Benjamin Greene © 2017 Allison Eldridge-Nelson All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Walter Grunden, Advisor Toward the end of World War II, the United States government initiated Operation Paperclip which set out to secretly secure the top rocket scientists from Nazi Germany. To accomplish this, officials manipulated policy procedures, covered their tracks, and years later misrepresented their knowledge of the project’s details. The resulting problematic immigration policy enabled the government to allow former Nazi scientists to travel to the U.S. and be employed by the military well ahead of executive approval, and amidst strong dissent. This thesis will take these arguments a step further by contextualizing it within two personal narratives of participants of Operation Paperclip. The two examined scientists, Wernher von Braun and his colleague Arthur L. Rudolph, became highly regarded in their field and were bestowed with public praise, titles, and awards, yet their fates were drastically different. As this thesis tracks the constantly shifting immigration policy that was shaped by America’s national interests in the immediate post-WWII era, it will explain the unchecked and unstable procedures that resulted in skewed perceptions of von Braun and Rudolph. Although von Braun worked alongside Rudolph, and held powerful positions of authority, his prominence and importance to the U.S. -
Germany's Rocket Development in World War II by Martin Hodapp
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo · Hawai‘i Community College HOHONU 2013 Vol. 11 at the time, Goddard had successfully launched a liquid Germany’s Rocket fueled rocket in 1926. By the late 1920s, space travel Development in World War II had ceased to be a crazy idea on the fringes of society. Martin Hodapp, [email protected] The rigorous theoretical work of Oberth together with History 395 Literature Review, UH Hilo the boisterous attention grabbing of Valier had made the concept acceptable to the German public.1 All of Many important technological innovations came the speculation and excitement about rocketry did not about during World War II as a consequence of each side remain merely a phenomenon of popular culture. trying to gain an advantage over the other. Examples of Lieutenant Colonel Karl Becker of the German this include radar, sonar, the atomic bomb, and ballistic Army Ordnance Offce had taken an interest in rockets. missiles. These missiles in the form of the German V2 In particular, he was interested in the possibility of using were frst deployed on September 7, 1944. This paper solid fuel rockets as a delivery method for chemical will explain the events that led up to the deployment weapons on the battlefeld.2 It is interesting to note that of this new weapon system. This paper will be largely a this idea had actually been discussed by Oberth in the literature review as my research has relied primarily on 1929 version of his book. However, his delivery system Michael Neufeld's The Rocket and the Reich; it covers in consisted of a large intercontinental ballistic missile detail many aspects of my research. -
'Smash the Myth of the Fascist Rocket Baron': East German Attacks On
- I 'Smash the Myth ofthe Fascist Rocket Baron' 107 During the 1950s, von Braun, his associates and the US government had largely neutralized his Nazi problem through a selective use of history and through a 6 conspiracy of silence about his SS officer status and the Y-2 program's exten 'Smash the Myth of the Fascist Rocket sive abuse of concentration camp labor.4 Those were certainly two things that Mader tried to expose; his book became a big seller throughout the Warsaw Pact. Baron': East German Attacks Geheimnis von Huntsville went on to spawn a major East German motion picture, which opened in spring 1967 with the otherwise unnamed 'Rocket Baron' (von on Wernher von Braun in the 1960s Braun was in fact a Pruss ian baron) as one of the central villains. Several months Michael,. Neufeld later, a West-German court opened a trial of three SS men from the Mittelbau Dora concentration camp, which supplied the labor to the underground Y-2 plant. Although this proceeding was not about von Braun, the East-German co·counsel ultimately succeeded in having him called as a witness, presumably with the pri mary intent of embarrassing him. That marked the third East German attempt to Late in 1962, a West Berlin correspondent of Wernher von Braun (1912-1977), undermine the rocket engineer. the world-famous Director of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Yet these attacks ultimately failed to make much of an impression on von Alabama, sent him a series of hostile articles that had just appeared in East Braun's reputation in the West. -
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Memorial Tributes: Volume 9 EBERHARD F. M. REES 236 Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Memorial Tributes: Volume 9 EBERHARD F. M. REES 237 EBERHARD F. M. REES 1908-1998 BY ROBERT C. SEAMANS, JR. EBERHARD EM. REES, a member of Wernher von Braun's team that designed the rockets used for the lunar landing in 1969, died April 2, 1998, one month short of his ninetieth birthday at a hospital in Florida. Eberhard was born in Trossingen, Germany, on April 28, 1908. He received the bachelor of science degree from the Technical University, Stuttgart, in 1931 and the master of science degree from the Technical University, Dresden, in 1934. After graduation he became an engineer at a steel foundry in Leipzig, Germany, where he gained experience as a manager of technology. During the same period that Eberhard was matriculating and commencing his first job, a team headed by Captain Walter Dornberger and Dr. Wernher von Braun were experimenting with liquid-fueled rockets first at Kummersdorf near Berlin and then on Usedom Island in the Baltic. What had been the small fishing village of Peenemunde at the northern end of the island became a full- scale center for developing a variety of missile systems. Throughout most of World War II, Dornberger split his time between Berlin and Peenemunde, and von Braun was the full-time technical director of the missile center. By 1940, Germany had conquered Poland and was at war with England and France. By then at Peenemunde, a number of missiles were under development including a ballistic missile designated A-4 by the Germans and V-2 by the Allies. -
The Von Braun Team, from the Beginnings of Modern Space Flight to the Future, This Is How We Go!
2000 (37th) Space Means Business in the 21st The Space Congress® Proceedings Century May 2nd, 1:00 PM Paper Session I-A - The Von Braun Team, From the Beginnings of Modern Space Flight to the Future, This is How We Go! Ron Caswell Lockheed Martin JSC Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings Scholarly Commons Citation Caswell, Ron, "Paper Session I-A - The Von Braun Team, From the Beginnings of Modern Space Flight to the Future, This is How We Go!" (2000). The Space Congress® Proceedings. 8. https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings/proceedings-2000-37th/May-2-2000/8 This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Space Congress® Proceedings by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thirty - Seventh Space Congress Paper: From the beginnings of modern space flight to the future, This is how we go! By: Ron Caswell Lockheed Martin JSC May 2nd, 2000 Cape Canaveral, Florida Radison From the beginnings of modern space flight to the future, This is how we go! Ron Caswell May 2000 With the desire to help bring the world’s space programs into the future it is helpful to study successful people who have contributed significantly in space endeavors, and see how they made their contributions. The two great men who contributed the most to modern space flight are Wernher von Braun (pronounced: von Brown) and Russian born Sergei Korolev.