One of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology, Wernher von Braun, born to a noble family in Wirstiz, Prussia (nowadays Wyrzysk, Poland) during the spring of 1912, had a keen interest from an early age. His father, Magnus, was Minister of Agriculture during the Weimar Republic. His mother’s ancestry included English, Scottish, French and Danish rulers. A fine pianist who also played the cello, von Braun had an early desire to become a composer and took lessons from Paul Hindemith. Aged 13, he attended boarding school at Ettersberg Castle near Weimar but mathematics and physics were not his strong point until he moved to another school on the East Frisian Island of Spiekeroog, where his early fascination with rocket engineering and space travel developed. In spring 1932, he graduated from the Berlin Technical University with a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Later, he studied again in Berlin and also Zürich. Despite working on military rocket technology during this period, space travel remained his primary interest.

Nazi Involvement and SS Membership

von Braun claimed to have been forced into joing the Nazi party in 1939, due to the pressure from being the technical director of rocket development at Peenemünde - a position that drew more and more attention from higher circles. His reluctance to give up his life work resulted in the decision to become party member number 5,738,692. Officially, von Braun had applied to join the Nazi Party in November 1937.

Later, US War Dept. investigators were given the following reason for von Braun joining the SS:

"In spring 1940, one SS-Standartenführer, Müller, from Greifswald, a bigger town in the vicinity of Peenemünde, looked me up in my office…and told me that Reichsführer-SS Himmler had sent him with the order to urge me to join the SS. I told him I was so busy with my rocket work that I had no time to spare for any political activity. He then told me that joining the SS would cost me no time at all. I would be awarded the rank of Untersturmführer and it was a very definite desire of Himmler that I attend his invitation to join. I asked Müller to give me some time for reflection, he agreed. Realizing that the matter was of highly political significance for the relation between the SS and the Army, I called immediately on my military superior, Dr. Dornberger. He informed me that the SS had for a long time been trying to get their "finger in the pie" of the rocket work. I asked him what to do. He replied on the spot that if I wanted to continue our mutual work, I had no alternative but to join."

Wernher von Braun joined the SS and was issued number 185,068. Later, he would claim to have only worn the SS uniform on one occasion - when photographed next to Himmler. A former SS officer at Peenemünde told the BBC in 2002, that von Braun wore the uniform regularly to attend offical meetings. During the war period, von Braun was promoted three times - eventually reaching the rank of SS-Sturmbannführer, although he himself claimed these promotions were simply received annually through the post.

During the Nazi period, the Aggregat series of rockets - aka the "A" rockets, were developed. Wernher von Braun used American physicist Robert H.Goddard’s research during this phase.

Dr. Dornberger, von Braun’s superior, took command of the military facility at Peenemünde, with von Braun acting as technical director. They worked alongside Luftwaffe developing liquid fuel rocket engines for aircraft, in addition to their continued development of the A-4 (V-2) ballistic missile. Toward the end of 1942, Adolf Hitler signed the order approving production of the weapon, hoping this Vergeltungswaffe (vengeance weapon) could inflict severe damage on tagets such as London. September 7th 1944 saw the launch of the first combat ready V-2 toward London. Wernher von Braun is reported to have said that the rocket worked perfectly…but landed on the wrong planet. An aspect of the V-weapons history that cannot and indeed, must not be ignored, is the cost of human life during the construction of the rockets. See the thread below, addressing the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp near Nordhausen, for more details:

http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/konzen…u-dora-274186/

Arrest and Release

Wernher von Braun was arrested and spent time in a Gestapo cell in spring 1944. A defeatest attitude and Himmler’s false charges that he was a communist sympathizer had led to the arrest. Together, Dr. Dornberger and Albert Speer managed to secure von Braun’s release and reinstatement to a position within the V-weapons program.

Capture

Not long after a car accident - his driver fell asleep at the wheel, resulting in a fractured left arm for von Braun, he surrendered to American forces in Austria, having managed to ignore demands to head to central Germany. Immediately, the Americans knew the importance of their catch.

Later, I shall address the next part of the von Braun story.

Carl