“ V-2 ROCKET ASSEMBLING AND LAUNCHING ” 1947 WAR DEPARTMENT FILM BULLETIN WHITE SANDS N.M. 25354

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This War Department bulletin from 1947 shows captured German V-2 Rockets being tested at White Sands, New Mexico. German scientist Wernher von Braun designed and helped develop this "vengeance" weapon at Peenemunde during WWII. This was the first long-range ballistic guided missile.
The film opens with images of the V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground in New Mexico (:46). The V-2 is assembled from German parts (2:31). The alcohol tank is lowered (2:52) and supply lines are connected which will deliver the alcohol to the motor (3:05). The oxygen tank is lowered into position (3:13). The center section has its skins attached (3:18). Metal bulk heads are installed (3:37). The combustion chamber is comprised of welded pressed steel (3:59). Fuel tanks (4:05) and propulsion units are then viewed (4:29). Within the tail housing, the rudder mechanism is installed (4:46). Radio antennas are set into place (5:48). After completion, the missile is weighed (6:30) and sent to the firing range (7:27). The launching platform is moved into position by the ground crews (8:21). The V-2 is erected onto its platform (9:39) as cables are attached to the rocket (9:52). A specially design gantry crane was developed specifically for this missile (10:44). Grain alcohol is loaded into the upper tank (11:18). Liquid oxygen is added to the lower tank (11:44). The pyrotechnic device is installed (12:18). Technicians who are to launch the rocket meet with the Chief Proof Officer (12:29). Final wind and weather checks are conducted (12:42). A long line of electrical control cables run to the block house (13:04). The Commandant of the Proving Ground conducts final checks on the launching preparations (13:40). A flare is fired signifying the three minute warning (13:50). The countdown from twenty seconds (14:32) leads to the highly anticipated launch (14:52). Radar tracking devices swing into action (15:09). The V-2 is captured in the sky (15:24). Telescopic cameras follow the course of the missile (15:27). At twenty miles up the rocket is clocked at 3,000 mph (15:35). The missile is sighted at its highest point; 100 miles over Earth (15:52). A forecast is made of the missile’s point of impact (16:08). Liaison pilots are to search for the fallen V-2 (16:17). An observer spots fragments of the missile (16:44) and alerts the ground recovery crew (17:03). After hunting for all the instruments (17:54), the parts are delivered to the Proving Ground Lab (18:07). A conference is then held of supervisory personnel (18:18). The film concludes with a final launching of the V-2 (19:16).
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[@AppliedCryogenics]

Its amazing this wasn't heavily classified in 1947. I guess we were riding high after victory in WWII and didn't see the need.

[@mshotz1]

Because it was known the Soviets had scrapped together enough pieces of V-2 from Peenemunde to put together a few themselves.

[@tz8785]

@@mshotz1 More than just a few, they produced an improved copy with the R-1. Although at least in the US, long range missiles weren't too much of a priority yet anyway, 1947 was firmly the time of the the long range bomber.

[@captiannemo1587]

Germany lost so there wasn’t massive needs to classify it.

[@expansionone]

the US stole the technology from the Germans. Nothing to hide. The Germans with Wernher von Braun created NASA, engineered the Saturn rocket as well as the moon landing

[@maximvf]

USSR not only captured enough aerospace engineers, but pushed them into teaching local ones. This is on top of domestic missile development at the end of WWII.

[@redbaronvonrichthofen4476]

Great model rocket tutorial 10/10 worked great

[@pmoris4405]

A well preserved V2 can be seen very closely at the Imperial War Museum. It’s worth seeing, there is an open up section that reveals tanks and mecanisms… out of this world.

[@charlescarter6146]

There's one at Ft Bliss. But it's outside and all weathered.

[@puerco911]

what impresses me the most of all the precision craftmaship w/o a single computer or CAD design, or laser miling

[@redhen2123]

"We aimed for the stars, but sometimes hit London." - Werner von Braun

[@dont-want-no-wrench]

"Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down? That's not my department!" says Wernher von Braun

[@sciencedavedunning3415]

@@dont-want-no-wrench Tom Lerher fan, eh ? Me too ! Von Braun actually sabotaged as many V2 launches as he felt he could get away with. Some blew up upon launch or shortly after, others were made to go off course. Had he been unable to explain away these failures, the Nazis would have killed him. At whites sands there were no such failures whatsoever. His Jupiter heavy lift rocket was cheaper and simpler than the Navy's Saturn 5 but anti Nazi sentiments forced congress to go with the Saturn 5 so as not to lose support from voters. Retaining thier cushy positions is all that influences their decisions.

[@petergarbe2459]

ihr könnt nicht mal den Namen des Erfinders schreiben, aber lassen wir das ( Wernher von Braun )

[@Cazador60140]

Creative engineering

[@redzipper8570]

@@petergarbe2459 I'll help ya with that: Robert Hutchings Goddard was an American engineer, professor, physicist, and inventor who is credited with creating and building the world's first liquid-fueled rocket, which was successfully launched on March 16, 1926.

[@tomfowler2091]

Thank you for the preservation of this film. I visited the White Sands Missile Range Museum in 2018 to view the V2 on display there.

[@philippenkelmann7584]

I can not believe that is working perfect. Thanks a lot for sharing.

[@maxtotow]

These PeriscopeFilm episodes are great. 09:40 during technical checks it looks like a Simpson meter that we used at work in 1980 11:18 there is a fuel leak! hold the launch for a month! 14:32 notice on the chalkboard X-1 do you remember that radio program X-1? 15:26 high altitude bomber jackets for the cold? 15:41 the first aerobatic rocket does loop-de-loops

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Thanks for the comment and for being a sub. Love our channel? Help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.

[@KurwaximusBlyatski]

One of the best channels with the best content!

[@rodcoulter997]

German technology was decades ahead of the rest of the World…..maybe a century. Amazing minds…

[@stuman01]

What amazing times to have lived through.

[@gerrittenberkdeboer7763]

Best explanation...what a technology

[@goldenegg1063]

Thats was really interesting.. thanks 👍

[@j.b.4340]

Amazing tech.

[@G-Mastah-Fash]

I love the fact that they gave it a spiffy logo. I wonder Wernher chose it himself.

[@roger3858]

I love when you post v-2 footage and other German military equipment

[@flouisbailey]

They were more advanced than the governments want to give them credit for.

[@turibinosanches4692]

It took ten years of arduous research and development overcoming various obstacles, from technical to political problems until German engineers managed to perfect the V-2...

[@mustang1234ift]

Very cool

[@keithbrown2458]

One of the best films yet on the V2 rocket much information but I haven’t seen before

[@RA-uj3nm]

Guy putting together the outer shell with a screwdriver he bought from home...😆

[@prinzraserei5524]

17:53 has such peaceful music

[@scottparis6355]

12:17 "The pyrotechnic device which will ignite the propulsion unit is set." Basically, they just put a big cigarette lighter in the combustion chamber. No fancy-schmantzy electronic controls here.

[@danielcruz8347]

Swastika Catherine wheel ignitor

[@adamc.sieracki4145]

The Soyuz R7 uses something similar. Like the cigar in the Buggs Bunny moon cartoon.

[@xonox_868]

Such happy music

[@davidirwin4067]

It's typically awful background music from military propaganda videos back in those days. Why they did that, I have no idea.

[@sebastianpreu3938]

Ein schöner Film über die Montage, so noch nie gesehen. Bei uns war das bis 1945 GKdos, da wird es nicht viel Material geben.

[@VoidHalo]

This reminds me of a great documentary I watched about proximity fuzes a while back. I didn't realize how vital they were to winning the war until I started learning about them. I guess you just assumed the shells somehow knew when to explode, but a lot of it was guess work, either using a timer or an altimeter to detonate flak rounds before proximity fuzes were developed. Then suddenly they were able to make the flak rounds explode any distance from a target they wanted. But what's amazing is these things contained components that were basically like a lightbulb. But could withstand being fired out of a howitzer. No transistors to make the electronics able to withstand shock. Just glass vacuum tubes. It really is an amazing feat of engineering. It's just sad that war seems to be the only thing that brings out that kind of ingenuity in people. Btw said documentary about proximity fuzes can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bF6nZmxoi7dniLc There is also a really good one by Curious Droid. I've always been partial to his videos.

[@assassin40oz]

There's still some bits and pieces of those around the museum warehouse on post

[@jonahwestrich6713]

Love that they did all of this with slide rules and a million failures!

[@adamc.sieracki4145]

Postscript: the technicians handling the fiberglass itched for a week.

[@hkkhgffh3613]

Gosh magnetic plugs!

[@martyemerson8159]

Von Braun must have already been in Huntsville frying bigger fish

[@swingrfd]

At the time of this film he was still at Fort Bliss training military, industrial, and university personnel in the intricacies of rockets and guided missiles. He didn't get to Huntsville until 1950.

[@mr.yuk4858]

Imagine if the Germans destroyed all the V2 rockets towards the end of the war (like they did their other military equipment). That could have set back the space race by decades.

[@mr.yuk4858]

@A Volpe Yeah but that would take some time.

[@mr.yuk4858]

@A Volpe I think the inspiration wouldn't have been there.

[@mirroredvoid8394]

@@mr.yuk4858 I'm sure there would be a lot inspiration among german scientist after the CIA straps them onto a creativity chair.

[@mr.yuk4858]

@@mirroredvoid8394 True. They would've done that too.

[@stainlesssteelfox1]

A couple of years at most, and that's if they destoyed all the plans and equipment. The science was well known, it was the practical engineering that the Germans had, as well as a supply of left over parts. They were used because it was faster and cheaper, not because it was vital.

[@mshotz1]

Was it me or was some Butter Bar smoking while they were loading the LOX?

[@cheems5643]

BACK IN MY DAT WE SHOWERED IN JET FUEL

[@oskarbud525]

It's OK he didn't inhale.

[@donaldparlett7708]

Ahhhh, operation paperclip in operation.

[@Handle0i]

Butte , a eroded , PS , " O HENRY , ( ALL )

[@BeingFireRetardant]

Funny how rudimentary ICBMs were in their infancy. Everything from the gantry crane and transport trailer had to be invented. Interesting progression of secondary elements.

[@donlove3741]

Kinda like EVERYTHING was rudimentary in the beginning.

[@steve1978ger]

V2/A4 never had the range to be an ICBM

[@BeingFireRetardant]

@@steve1978ger All ICBMs are a direct lineage from the V2 specifically. Took a few decades, but they figured out the solutions.

[@armija]

V2 is NOT ICBM

[@armija]

@@BeingFireRetardant Yes but still V2 was not ICBM

[@flouisbailey]

Impressive look at technology.

[@jaminova_1969]

"Fly by wire"! Interesting!

[@oaktadopbok665]

Early clean rooms

[@roger3858]

Do you guys have anything on the horten 229?

[@user-ve7hn2dh8h]

"No longer a a weapon of war .. High altitude research.." yeah sure uncle Sam, we know your intrinsically benevolent

[@danielcruz8347]

Sadly Professor Robert H Goddard 10 5 1882 to 8 10 45.did not get to observe witness these proceedings...

[@keithmoore5306]

he got to see parts of a V2 before he died there's a photo of him looking at the exhaust cone with his mouth agape!!

[@kl0wnkiller912]

All that equipment was developed by the Germans. I can imagine the scramble after the war to obtain as much of that equipment as they could find before any other of the Allies found them. I saw one of these in the Deutches Museum in Munich when I was stationed at Augsburg in the 1980s... They were truly remarkable accomplishments for their day.

[@Mike44460]

If the Germans had these and the V1 two years earlier than they did it would of been a completely different war.

[@andysolution62]

in the 1980s in this museum was an other "big toy": the fantastic DO 335...

[@kl0wnkiller912]

@@andysolution62 Yes I saw that one too. It was an amazing thing to stand next to. I think it is the same one now in the Smithsonian.

[@rsprockets7846]

@@Mike44460 ETs gave Hitler the heads up in the 30s

[@keithad6485]

Australian War 'Memorial has a WW2 V2 in large exhibits storage at Mitchell Canberra, along with its three axle trailer/launch rails. Apparently the trailer cum launcher is the only one remaining in the world - according to AWM staff.

[@glorialotz3333]

I wonder if there is a video of the one that got away and landed in Mexico.

[@ThatADHDKid]

There's more lead in asbestos in this film than in most houses today

[@swingrfd]

One of those babies went off course and landed south of the border outside of Ciudad Juarez. Fortunately no one or anything was hurt except some U.S. military pride.

[@jaminova_1969]

Juarez? We should take another shot, that place is a cartel stronghold!

[@keithmoore5306]

@@jaminova_1969 yeah nuclear tipped this time!!

[@swingrfd]

You MAGAs are so predictable 🙄.

[@markdoldon8852]

That rocket was later found to be an R7, a US built derivative rather than a German built V2.

[@swingrfd]

@@markdoldon8852 Thanks for that info.

[@jiero7918]

I want a video of how flat sheet metal shaped to become an aircraft

[@centeguahan3760]

Sorry to break It to ya bud, but this channel features old archived films, most never seen by the public. Basically, not "made to order" If special requests is what you wish to see, especially in the making/building of things, I'd highly suggest going over to the *_"History Channel"_* & search under their Playlist titled _"HowItsMade"_ one of favorites from them actually. Or simply just click here!👉🏾 _"__#HowItsMade__"_ Forgot I had that link in my pocket incase someone needed it😄Hope all this helps! Happy searching! 😊

[@jiero7918]

@@centeguahan3760 thank you very much for the information

[@jjmanic8783]

Here you go... kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXnQZGCiqpiYaLM Custom sheet metal production from a flat sheet... This guy does car bodies, and BEAUTIFUL work... but the concepts are the same for making aeronautical body parts.

[@bhcgirl7096]

Ohne diesen Wissensdiebstahl wären die USA heute noch nicht im All😂🤣

[@billynomates920]

the year of release: mcmxl-V2

[@scott7377]

German's were and still are a great culture.

[@laserbeam002]

During WW2 they were a bunch of A**holes. Especially Hitler and his bunch.

[@rounimohad6125]

W.von.Braun......!

[@curtislowe4577]

Not really. The Germans have been a thorn in the side of civilization on three occasions. They largely resisted Pax Romana to retain their primitive, tribal ways. Everyone knows about der Kaiser und der Fuhrer.

[@nistaffsubs6787]

Everything was destroyed in that time ...

[@garyfrancis6193]

Like sauerkraut?

[@Seabee_Camper]

Weird. I didn't see Wernher von Braun once in this video.

[@paulofelipebbraga9634]

He was at the local shop looking to buy a PAPER CLIP.

[@AstronomicalAviation]

19:05 Here from the launch of Artemis I

[@dernachfrager9346]

German Technology at it's best!!

[@MIchaelArlowe]

>

[@westlock]

I see they were careful not to draw attention to the swastika-shaped pyrotechnic starter.

[@SKF358]

Look at all those Germans showing how.

[@T-Dawg123a]

other country: develops new weapon. US military: it would be a shame, if someone was to tactically acquire that...

[@erickrobertson7089]

Such as the Soviets?

[@keithmoore5306]

moscow was 20 times worse scumbag!!!

[@user-ve7hn2dh8h]

Uhm we, we, we gotta do some altitude research with it, that's also why we brought those hundreds of nazi scientists over here.. We retrained them to do altitude research👀

[@user-ve7hn2dh8h]

@@erickrobertson7089 the soviets were more advanced and did most of their rocket research themselves

[@erickrobertson7089]

@@user-ve7hn2dh8h I think that is wrong. The Soviets, through mass kidnapping (Operation Osoaviakhim) in Oct. of 46' transported up to 2,500 German experts to Russia. A total of more than 6,000 when you consider entire families were taken. This was a secret one night operation whereas Operation Paperclip was public knowledge. Despite what most people may think, I hold the opinion that the USSR being ahead of the West is generally overstated. Some exceptions sure. The only thing the Soviets excelled at was misery... Did you know that R504 (Kolyma Highway) was built between 1932 and 1953 and alongside its shoulders and under its bed lie the bones of between 250,000 and as many as 1,000,000 prison laborers? Its known as the Road of Bones. In 1957 there was a nuclear accident so severe that it was easier to close off nearly 70 square miles from all human activity and call it a nature preserve, denying any accident ever occurred. Ecological disasters, forced labor, human misery, secret police and monolithic rule.... that is what the USSR excelled at. By the way, those German scientists brought to the United States were often given awards for their achievements and as in the case of Von Braun, given citizenship. They became Americans. The Germans working the the USSR were under orders not to disclose anything, ever. They were, however, given better jobs and more commodious housing in East Germany at the end of their time in the Soviet Union, sometime in the late 1950's. Read the Gulag Archepeligo.

[@Gringo_In_Chile]

This is a repost, right? I am sure that I have seen this before. Just not sure if it was on this channel, but I think it was....

[@raf.b]

I wonder where they got the rockets to assemble ;P as Police was totally behind iron curtain

[@russwoodward8251]

United States workers completing rockets that once were assembled by slave labor. Weird. Thanks for posting!

[@daffyduk77]

My understanding, contrary to the narrator, was that the Germans fuelled their V2 with 80:20 alcohol/water mixture + liquid O2 as oxidiser, otherwise it burnt too hot & fried the combustion chamber somewhat. Maybe the Yanks improved the combustion chamber's thermal stability ??

[@coloradostrong]

Those were the early trials of drone delivery, sponsored by Woolworth's and Ben Franklin's.

[@thomasvendetti3742]

Sounds like NBC’s Ben Grauer speaking.

[@paulwarner5395]

Thanx for the great video. I do wish that PeriscopeFilms wouldn't put the timecode on the video.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Thanks for being a sub. Now -- here's the issue: Tens of thousands of films similar to this one have been lost forever -- destroyed -- and many others are at risk. Our company preserves these precious bits of history one film at a time. How do we afford to do that? By selling them as stock footage to documentary filmmakers and broadcasters. If we did not have a counter, we could not afford to post films like these online, and no films would be preserved. It's that simple. So we ask you to bear with the watermark and timecodes. In the past we tried many different systems including placing our timer at the bottom corner of our videos. What happened? Unscrupulous KZbin users downloaded our vids, blew them up so the timer was not visible, and re-posted them as their own content! We had to use content control to have the videos removed and shut down these channels. It's hard enough work preserving these films and posting them, without having to spend precious time dealing with policing thievery -- and not what we devoted ourselves to do. Love our channel and want to support what we do? You can help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.

[@keithmoore5306]

they have to for legal reasons!

[@keithmoore5306]

@@PeriscopeFilm could you do it a tad smaller and possibly a bit lower though? sometimes it messes up charts being shown and original subtitles!

[@paulwarner5395]

@@PeriscopeFilm Thankyou for your replay. I understand now.

[@toddburgess5056]

It took a lot of effort to launch a rocket back then.

[@michaeloneil2379]

And today? I give you Artemis 1. Fuel leaks, cooling systems, rain lightening! Unlimited budget, hold my beer.

[@mydogbrian4814]

@Evan Hodge it took a lot but less than half that to reach the moon.

[@Okie-00-Spool]

Where's Wernher?

[@mshotz1]

They kept him off camera. I have a feeling the civilians you saw were part of the German crew.

[@swingrfd]

Still at Fort Bliss training American personnel.

[@xr6lad]

If the Germans hadn’t been so blinkered at the strengths and advancements of some of their tech the war may well have dragged on longer totally different. They would have had no qualms about indiscriminate use of a nuclear weapon in their attempt to win on London, Moscow etc.

[@erickrobertson7089]

If they had the benefit of the technology of late 44' in 41' or 42' or if, as some members of the Reich wished, to start the war in 45' instead of 39' the numbers of men under arms and military strength would have made their advance irresistible. They lost battles repeatedly and the war eventually entirely due to Hitler. Without Hitler of course war may have never occurred but with him as the ultimate maximum leader on all things military and war production wise, well, we should be grateful for his glorious incompetence.

[@scottpeterson5241]

You should watch “Man In The High Castle.”

[@christophstrokosch1992]

Probably you are right. But at the end of the day i'm asking myself how many nuclear explosions were done by the Germans and how many by the USA since Hiroshima?

[@hoppinggnomethe4154]

@@scottpeterson5241 that series is BS

[@JDAbelRN]

@@christophstrokosch1992 what are you inferring by your comment?

[@Karv3r]

So that's what V2 is for...

[@0neIntangible]

Wondering how many people after seeing this are looking to buy some hydrogen peroxide and sodium permangenate to try out in their bathtub or backyard... 🥺

[@keithmoore5306]

what an absolutely disgusting use for perfectly good moonshine!!!

[@peterschorn1]

"But his bosses didn't like him so they shot him inta spaaa-aaace!..."

[@jacksons1010]

The comments on this video… 🤦‍♂️

[@danielcruz8347]

LOL

[@myles5101]

Perhaps it was a V2 that crashed at Roswell in 1947.

[@leonelgaldinomonteiro4783]

Naza after all.

[@brucewelty7684]

The site commandant wasn't even a bird colonel????

[@erickrobertson7089]

I think it was still the Army Air Force in 1947.

[@dfirth224]

This is where the American space program began. The public was not much interested until Sputnik was put in orbit by the Russians in October, 1957. Then they went into shock. What if the Russians put an atomic bomb on one of their rockets? I was in 2nd grade when Sputnik was launched.

[@ronaldvankuyk908]

Funny ai you know That w.von brain and dornberger decided to Be at the aiming point safe place prosit yunis

[@papabits5721]

So no parachutes

[@erintyres3609]

The rocket is streamlined, has no heat shield, weighs several tons, and is falling from 100 miles up. Sorry, there is no way to make a parachute that would handle the entire rocket.

[@user-fc3sp7lb9h]

Один русский генерал: "Залили в ракету 4 тонны спирта и получили воронку на дальности 200 км... Дайте этот спирт мне, и я на этом расстоянии возьму город..." One Russian general: "They poured 4 tons of alcohol into a rocket and got a funnel at a distance of 200 km ... Give me this alcohol, and I will take the city at this distance ..."

[@SciFlyGal]

I feel like I just watched portions of 6 or 7 MST3K episodes

[@yuglesstube]

Heinz! Werner!!! Stay out of the damn frame!

[@oskarbud525]

"I aim for the stars but quite frequently I hit London."- Werner Von Braun, 1944.

[@jaminova_1969]

I did "not see" the movie by the same name! lolz

[@xr6lad]

Werner was a true autocrat. He didn’t care who was in charge. He would toe any line. And serve any government. As long as they funded his research. He would have worked equally for Japan China Russia as he did for America.

[@DL-ls5sy]

and Anvers too (Antwerpen) 567 dead in a Kino in 1944. well done !

[@sciencedavedunning3415]

@@xr6lad Von Braun was forced to work for the Nazis , as was Werner Hiesenburg forced to work on the Nazi's atom bomb project. Both of these unsung heroes risked their lives to sabotage thier own efforts without being discovered.

[@RichardKinch]

18:57 NO SMOKING Ya think?

[@josemarciofabrildeoliveira765]

não sei ingles.

[@joesiklosi5000]

So is this where the expression came about: " it ain't rocket science"?

[@joesiklosi5000]

@Evan Hodge Just check out that peanut butter factory in Georgia. Who is controlling the roach population? Ask their local congressman.

[@dont-want-no-wrench]

"cosmic research" sure, sure.

[@paulofelipebbraga9634]

Sounds expensive and complicated to me.

[@AteuDispor74]

Se é um projeto alemão pq que. que o vídeo está todo em inglês? If it's a German project, why? that the video is all in english? Why?🤔🤔

[@rounimohad6125]

Wernher von Braun.is the Greatest triator....ever.

[@yetanotherjohn]

"Four tons of grain alcohol" He said, but what proof? xD

[@dont-want-no-wrench]

four tons minus a couple of fifths

[@CNe7532294]

You can see exactly why rocketry didn’t matter until Sputnik. Besides a very competitive long range bomber force looking for a monopoly in arms deliverance you had politicians and generals eyeing at how much money this all must have cost. All the resources that had to be poured in to launch what was thought to be only one bomb when a B29 could deliver many bombs. It was only until Sputnik did the general public realize the true value of rocketry. A satellite spying at us unmolested. Even in the 50s planes where still the go to for military operations. The U2 incident finally settled the debate and the race was on. Both rocketry and planes could be properly funded.

[@dont-want-no-wrench]

what really freaked them out was the fact that if you could orbit a sputnik you could a nuke

[@CNe7532294]

@@dont-want-no-wrench No doubt. There was also other factors as well. By far the "goofiest" nuclear aircraft (still lovable imho though) is the B-36. By that time, the roles reversed to the point where missiles weren't Gucci enough anymore. The B-36 won the most expensive to maintain and operate weapons delivery system in the eyes of politicians of both Congress and uniform. In comparison, changing out so many spark plugs amongst other aircraft maintenance made this video look like child's play. More was to come when SLBMs were invented and then finally MIRVs (essentially multiple nuclear warheads in one missile that could independently disperse to different targets). Today I believe missiles and even spacecraft are only getting more and more cheaper. As you don't need to constantly use fuel to keep them in a "type of orbit". Its so cheap that even private companies are jumping in on the fun and I don't mean just SpaceX either.

[@BillKinsman]

Hitler was so crazy!

[@charlescarter6146]

All that know how and someone couldn't come up with a parachute recovery system, gee whiz Batman.

[@g2macs]

Imagine Washington was hit by several of these missiles killing hundreds. Two years later Britain, your besty, starts a rocket program headed by the mastermind behind these weapons. Do you think you'd be a little irked?

[@DavGreg]

Explain how a government produced film is owned by a private company. This is public domain.

[@ivandasty277]

You forgot so I do this for you : special thanks to the former Nazi scientist Wernher Von Braun and his crew !

[@underoverrated2959]

Where would be if not for nazi scientists? it’s crazy that the government gave them jobs

[@keithmoore5306]

oh most weren't really nazi's there came a point where to have a govt job you had to join the party no matter what!! like today if you want to be a cop or firefighter you have to join the union if you want to or not!!!!

[@underoverrated2959]

@@keithmoore5306 if you’re a member of the SS you are a Nazi

[@mr.yuk4858]

Where else were they going to go? The war was over. The Soviet Union captured their German scientists. The race was on.The U.S. was desperate to develop ICBM's. Let's face it. It was never about space exploration. All the technology today was created by war or the threat of war. It's human nature to destroy themselves.

[@underoverrated2959]

@@mr.yuk4858 the ground

[@keithmoore5306]

@@mr.yuk4858 no the US wasn't desperate! just because they got sputnik up a few months before Atlas was tested doesn't mean they were that far ahead just they got one up successfully first! the air force was putting 7 times the money into bomber programs as it was in all of the missile programs! the US decided that the proven delivery system got priority over the one in it's infancy! but in reality we were neck and neck in systems that worked but the Atlas outclassed the R4 big time! the R 4 took a crew of over a 150 and 24 hours to fuel and prep for launch the Atlas took a crew of 2 and 15 minutes the R4 pushed a 3.7 ton 3.2 megaton warhead for 5400 nautical miles with an accuracy of about 7 miles whereas the Atlas pushed a 2,3 ton 5,7 megaton warhead up to 11.500 nautical with an accuracy of 500 feet!! wwe went for a complete operational system moscow went to it worked once build it and fix the problems later!! if anything moscow was the desperate ones!!

[@curtislowe4577]

Two years after the war and the US is still assembling V2 rockets from captured German parts. Not too impresive. And the US techs and their German advisors hadn't yet added a parachute. Also not impressive.

[@mepacrina9291]

Is amazing how the americans do not manage (after two years from the end of ww2) to guide the rocket in a straight line. The germans did it few years before :) .

[@erintyres3609]

In Chuck Yeager's autobiography, he wrote that the first heat seeking missiles flew "straight towards the sun."

[@535phobos]

It probably was flying straight. The zig-zaging of the trrail comes from differnt winds in different altitudes.

[@elev8tr15]

Send this to the new nasa guys trying to launch artemis. The wrong stuff.

[@bhartveersingh1865]

I'm comparing to India till 1947

[@onieyoh9478]

Paperclips.

[@erickrobertson7089]

Operation Paperclip.