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Author: T. D. Dungan

T. D. Dungan is a leading authority on the V-2 rocket and founding member of the International V-2 Rocket Research Group. He assisted with the restoration of the USAAF Museum’s V-2 and was a contributor to “Nordhausen: V-2 Rocket Factory,” an episode in the History Channel’s “Modern Marvels” series (Google Books)

  • Write whatever comes to mind.

  • Characteristics of the source:

    • Dornberger’s diary or some other quotes are often referenced.
      • It was Dornberger’s book.
    • The narrative style is quite engaging.
      • Scenes like meetings with Hitler, it’s like, how do they know?
    • V2 proponents believed in its effectiveness.
    • https://muse.jhu.edu/article/196440/pdf
      • Limitations are mentioned here.

Chapter 1

  • However, skirting the Versailles Treaty was not the primary reason for rocket research, especially later on, after Hitler began violating its terms incessantly.
  • I feel sorry for VfR.
    • They failed at crucial moments and were ultimately crushed by the government.
    • Only the most talented individuals were recruited.
  • Peenemunde is cool.
    • The gradual development is impressive.
  • I had the impression that Hitler was enthusiastic about allocating resources to the V2 just because rockets were cool.
    • But it seems that it was different (at least until 1940).
    • He didn’t seem very interested, actually.

Chapter 2

  • Around 1941, Hitler became slightly interested in efficiently attacking London (while avoiding Todt’s interference).
  • German is difficult.
    • “V1 (Versuchsmuster 1)” = “Prototype 1”
    • “V1 (Vergeltungswaffe 1)” = “Retribution Weapon 1”
  • A4’s V (Versuchsmuster) 1 to V3 failed, and V4 succeeded just when the organization was about to be disbanded.
    • I’ve heard similar stories from SpaceX and IST.
    • A template?
  • When entering the production phase, Dornberger wondered where he would get the labor force.
    • That’s where the prisoners come in.
    • It’s getting darker and darker.
    • They borrowed prisoners from the SS.

Chapter 3

  • I realized that having air superiority is crucial for preventing information leaks.
  • I couldn’t quite grasp Hitler’s decision-making criteria. He seemed to love grandiose things, but it seems that’s not the case.
  • It seems that the British and Americans were going all out to attack the rockets.
    • The fear of the “unknown threat” and strategic confusion.
  • It’s interesting to think that the Normandy landings could have been thwarted by rockets.
  • Those below Dornberger were basically “young rocket enthusiasts.”
    • They loved pursuing technology, but it wasn’t their main duty to determine if it was really useful for the military.
    • Metz was in a free environment where he could feel discouraged by the situation.

Chapter 4

  • It seems that Hitler’s intention was to have bomb shelters.
    • In the case of the Normandy landings, the only usable launch site was Wizernes by chance (p105).
    • However, Dornberger supported the mobile launchers.
  • The US and UK had no choice but to attack the rocket production/launch sites.
    • Launch bunkers along the French coast, factories, Peenemunde (research facility), etc.
  • Internal conflicts were tough.
    • Kammler vs Dornberger, for example.
      • Dornberger was desperate and almost quit.
    • Wehrmacht vs Waffen-SS.

Chapter 8

  • It is generally considered a waste, but it may have had a significant impact on the war.

    • In previous chapters, there are stories about how they were fully committed to Crossbow, for example.
    • Hitler’s intention was simply to “bomb London,” there was no strategy.
      • The bombing of Berlin created a strong desire for revenge.
    • It is said that it would have been dangerous if ABC weapons had been loaded as warheads.
    • Eisenhower also said that it would have been dangerous if they had been completed a few years earlier.
    • The inaccuracy has always been mentioned, and that is indeed true.
      • One reason is that the maps were inherently inaccurate.
      • Also, the British intelligence agency worked hard to prevent information from flowing to the German side.- We had no choice but to rely on fake news or inaccurate information.
  • The rocket development team couldn’t obtain much information from the UK, which hindered their ability to implement PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) and was not ideal.

  • However, inaccuracy does not mean ineffectiveness.

  • Considering the cost-effectiveness of human lives and impact, the air raids were quite effective.

  • There were also various counterarguments to the ineffectiveness of the V2 rocket.

  • Although it may not receive much attention, the shockwave effect was also significant.

  • It is often said that if it had been completed a few years earlier, it would have been more effective, but it can also be said that being too ahead of its time was the problem.

  • If it had come after the development of nuclear warheads and guidance systems, it would have been even more effective.

  • This may be attributed to the genius of the people at Peenemunde.

  • Similar things happened in the Iraq War, but the enemy had air superiority, so any attempt to replicate the V2 rocket was crushed from the start.

  • Air superiority is crucial.

  • Notable People:

    • Becker:
      • Von Braun learned from him.
      • He was in the army’s ballistic and munitions branch.
    • Dornberger:
      • Head of Peenemunde.
      • He had a military background.
    • Von Brauchitsch:
      • Became the head of the army after someone else was dismissed.
      • He knew Dornberger and seemed supportive of Peenemunde.
    • Fritz Todt:
      • A long-standing member of the Nazi party.
      • Became Minister of Armaments in 1940.
      • He was against Peenemunde and tried to hinder the flow of resources to rocket development.
      • Although he was negative towards rockets, he had significant achievements as Minister of Armaments.
      • It could be argued that not allocating funds to rockets was the right decision.
      • He was not skilled in political maneuvering.
    • Speer:
      • Todt’s successor as Minister of Armaments.
      • He understood the romance of rockets (whether that was a good thing is another question).
    • Degenkolb:
      • Brought in by Speer, he was an expert in efficient weapon production.
      • This was the military’s intention to transition from development to production.
      • He had a somewhat cold and calculating image.
      • Dornberger was concerned that research and development might be undervalued.