The V2 rocket was the world's first ballistic missile. It was originally designated the A-4, as it was the fourth in a line of rocket developments, however, Joseph Goebbels’ propaganda ministry renamed it Vergeltungswaffe 2 (Retaliation Weapon 2). It was naturally shortened to V-2.
Engineer Werner von Braun was the driving force in the development of the German ballistic missile program. He became the director of the German Rocket Development Center in Peenemunde. As an engineering student he was a member of the Verein fur Raumschiffahrt (Society for Space Travel) and was always interested in furthering the cause of rockets as a means of space travel. At the request of the Reichswehr Ordnance Department, he began work on rockets in 1932 upon graduation from the Berlin Institute of Technology. The fledgling Reichswehr's interest in rocketry was to legally get around the restrictions on the number and size of artillery pieces laid out in the Treaty of Versailles following WWI. Rockets were not included as artillery pieces.
Unlike the V-1 developed by the Luftwaffe, which flew low and slow enough to be intercepted by fast aircraft, the V-2 was a true guided ballistic missile, rising into the stratosphere before plunging down to the target. The only warning of an approaching V-2 was the double boom as it broke the sound barrier shortly before impact. There was no defense against the V-2, so the English went after the launching sites. They did this very effectively in the Pas de Calais so that only mobile V-2s could be launched. None of these systems were ever successfully attacked.
Over 6,000 V-2s were built (partially using slave labor) and about 3,500 were actually launched against the Allies in WW II. Militarily, the V-2 was not much of a success. Several hundred blew up in mid-air or never reached their target. The rocket was only able to be aimed at a large area, so specific factories or buildings were unable to be targeted.
The U.S. War Department was very interested in this new weapon. After the U.S. Army occupied the Peenemunde base, all the remaining V-2s there were shipped back to the United States (the Soviet Union also acquired some), along with many of the German scientists and engineers. About 500 German rocket specialists including Werner von Braun were used in the U.S.’s "Operation Paperclip" for this purpose. The Redstone Rocket which carried America’s first man into space was largely based on the V-2.
Facts and General Characteristics of the V-2 Rocket:
Length: 46'
Wingspan: 11' 8"
Diameter: 5' 3"
Loaded Weight: 27,580 lbs.
Power Plant: Liquid-fueled Rocket
Range: 200 miles
Max Speed: 3,545 mph
Warhead: 2,200 lbs. Amatol/ul
Facts and General Characteristics of the Model:
Manufacturer: Pegasus Hobbies
Type: E-Z Snapz
Scale: 1/48
Length: 11.9"
Wingspan: 3"
Diameter: 1.4"
Hours to build and paint: 5.5
V-1 and V-2 size comparison:
