scienceillustrated.com.au | 49V-2 stands for
“Vergeltungswaffe”, “weapon of
retribution”, to satisfy Hitler's thirst for revenge against
the Allies' increasing bombing raids on German cities.
Just one month after the successful test launch, the
Führer, who was otherwise rather sceptical of von Braun’s
invention, approves a plan for V-2 mass production. He
makes the expensive project his top priority, hoping that
the rocket can make the Nazis win the lengthy world war.
And as a special appreciation of von Braun’s contribution,
Hitler insists on meeting the chief developer in person.
“Professor, I would like to congratulate you on your
success,” says Hitler, shaking hands with the tall, blond
man with the penetrating, blue gaze.HEAVY BOMBING SLOWS DOWN NAZI PLANS
But even praise from Hitler cannot make von Braun
perform miracles with his arms programme.
The rocket is still in the experimental stage, suffering
from a wealth of "teething troubles" and an epidemic oferrors. Particularly the engine finds it difficult to control
the force of the liquid fuel, and during supersonic flight,
aerodynamics cause problems. In October, following the
successful test launch, the rocket fails five times in a row,
either exploding on the launch pad or wrecking in the air.
“It takes us six months to build a rocket, but only half a
second to destroy it,” von Braun says with characteristic
bluntness, during the frustrating procedure.
Finally, in April 1943, he and his staff manage to launch
a rocket with the required range of 270 km. But it veers 38
km to the right of its intended course. And the technology
is not the only thing that the German scientists are
struggling with...
The Allies have discovered the alarming arms
production in Peenemünde, and the night before 18
August 1943, heavily loaded Royal Air Force planes
complete a heavy bombing raid aimed at the base.
The intention is to kill the brain behind the newly-
developed weapons system, but the British do not manage
to take out von Braun. Two engineers and 735 slaveENGINE: NOT
ENOUGH THRUST
No existing engine has the power to
lift the 13 tonne rocket, so the Nazis
must develop one themselves.T
he enemy’s cities are hundreds
of km away, and existing rocket
engines have neither the lifting
power nor the reach to carry 1,000
kg of explosives that far.
Luckily for the Nazis, physicist
Robert H. Goddard in 1926 invented
a rocket, powered by liquid fuel
instead of solid fuel, providing high
stable performance. On the
downside, it requires a more
complex engine – a problem for a
large, heavy rocket such as the V-2.Many problems arise. Either the high
temperture mix of fuel and liquid
oxygen burns through the walls of
the combustion chamber, or the
engine thrust is too low to produce
sufficient lifting force.
The Nazis experiment for a long
time before developing a powerful,
barrel-shaped combustion
chamber with alcohol-cooled,
double-skinned walls.
Moreover, they boost the
engine with two turbo pumps,
which inject fuel and oxygen
into the combustion chamber
at an unprecedented rate of
125 litres per second.
All in all, the V-2
produces a thrust of 25 t –
17 times more than any
other rocket of the time.FUEL BOOSTS
PROPULSION
Liquid oxygen and
ethyl-alcohol/water in
two separate tanks makes
for a volatile but more
powerful fuel system.PUMPS BOOST
THE ENGINE
Two steam-powered
turbo pumps increase
the fuel flow pressure,
so more fuel is forced
into the combustion
chamber, boosting the
engine's force tenfold.NEW SHAPE
TAMES
COMBUSTION
The combustion
chamber is shaped for a
more efficient mixture
of oxygen and fuel, and
enables the walls to
withstand the 2,600 °C
heat of the propellant.NOZZLE REDU CES
FRICTION
The propelling
nozzle's tilt is altered
from 10 to 30 degrees,
reducing the friction
between the steel and
the exhaust gases,
boosting propulsion.PROBLEM
#1
V-2 BY THE NUMBERS
LENGTH: 14 m
WEIGHT: 12,700 kg
RANGE: 320 km
TOP SPEED: 5,760 km/h
WARHEAD:975 kg of amatolFUEL: 4,910 kg of liquid oxygen
and 3,810 kg of ethyl-alcohol3 PROBLEMS FOR THE NAZISCLAUS LUNAU