Author: Barry Pickard
Hi, I'm Barry, the owner of Tailor-Made Itineraries and I have been designing bespoke self-guided tours for adventurous and curious travellers since 2015. I am a history graduate with a passion for travel.
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I created this blog to show, through my own adventures, how you can have an incredible travel experience as an independent traveller, giving you the information to navigate the world with confidence.
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Travelling to locations where history was made can be a profound experience, and a journey to sites associated with the Nazi V-2 rockets is no exception. During World War II, the V-2 rockets were one of the most advanced weapons of their time and played a significant role in shaping the outcome of the war. The remnants of these rockets and the history surrounding them can still be found today in various locations around the world, providing travellers with a unique opportunity to discover a piece of world history. In this travel blog post, I will explore the significance of the Nazi V-2 rockets, where travellers can study these rockets and visit two sites related to these weapons of war, Mittelbau-Dora and Blizna.
Don’t forget that Tailor-Made Itineraries delights in creating bespoke self-guided tours. So, if visiting these locations appeals to you, reach out to me by email. I would be more than happy to design a self-guided tour around your requirements incorporating the history of the V-2 rocket programme, or indeed, a general tour of Germany or Poland.
What was the V-2 Rocket and Who Developed It?
The V-2 rocket (Vergeltungswaffe 2, literally "Vengeance Weapon 2") was the world's first long-range guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was developed during the Second World War in Nazi Germany. The rocket was the brainchild of Wernher von Braun, a German aerospace engineer and one of the leading figures in the development of rocketry. Von Braun and his team began working on the V-2 rocket in 1936, and the first successful test launch took place in 1942.
V-2 Technical Specifications
The V-2 rocket was a technological marvel for its time. It was over 46 feet (14 meters) tall and weighed over 12,500 kilograms (27,600 pounds). The engine produced over 60,000 pounds of thrust, which allowed the rocket to reach speeds of up to 3,500 miles per hour (5,600 kilometers per hour). The V-2 rocket was also equipped with a guidance system that allowed it to fly a predetermined course. The guidance system was based on a gyroscope and an accelerometer, and it was controlled by a computer.
The V-2 rocket was a devastating weapon. It could carry a warhead of up to 1 ton of explosives, and it could travel up to 200 miles (320 kilometers). The rocket was also very difficult to intercept, as it was too fast and too high for most Allied anti-aircraft guns.
The Germans began launching V-2 rockets at Allied cities in September 1944. The first V-2 rocket hit London on September 8, 1944, and over the next several months, the Germans launched over 3,000 V-2 rockets at Allied cities in England, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.
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V-2 Rockets and Where to Find Them
KZ Mittelbau-Dora Memorial
The KZ Mittelbau-Dora Memorial is a memorial site that commemorates the victims of the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp and its subcamps. The camp was located near the town of Nordhausen in Thuringia, Germany, and it was operated by the Nazis from 1943 to 1945.
The V-2 rockets were originally developed on the Baltic coast at Peenemünde but following a devastating bombing raid by the RAF in on the night of August 17–18, 1943, the Nazis decided to move production to a safer and more secretive site. Therefore, it was here at Mittelbau-Dora, a sub-camp of Buchenwald, that over 60,000 prisoners from over 20 countries were imprisoned and forced to work in underground tunnels, where they built V-2 rockets and other weapons for the Nazi war effort.
The conditions in the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp were horrific. The prisoners were forced to work long hours in the underground tunnels, where they were exposed to toxic fumes and dangerous machinery. The prisoners were also malnourished and poorly housed.
The camp was liberated by the Allied forces in April 1945. After the war, the camp was used by the Soviet Union as a prison camp for German war criminals. In 1958, the camp was converted into a memorial site.
Today, you can view these tunnels, seeing the horrific conditions in which the prisoners had to work manufacturing the rockets. There is still some evidence of production littered about the tunnels, but it is the sheer size of this tunnel system that really shocks you as a visitor. The tour only takes you through some of the main underground areas, which is impressive enough, but to know that there are dozens more passageways carved out of this hill is almost impossible to comprehend.
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As well as the tunnel tour, there is a very informative museum and a number of outdoor exhibits. The museum tells the story of the camp and includes exhibits on the camp's history, the prisoners, the work that they were forced to do, and the conditions in the camp. The outdoor exhibits at the memorial include the camp's crematorium and execution site.
Tailor-Made Top Tip: Tours to the tunnels can be reserved by emailing information@dora.de and cost 7 euros and are held Tuesday to Sunday at 11:00 and 14:00.
Read on to find out about the Blizna Historical Park in Poland.
Park Historyczny w Bliźnie
The Park Historyczny w Bliźnie (Historical Park in Blizna) is a museum dedicated to the history of World War II and the German rocket testing grounds that were located in the area. The park is beside the isolated village of Blizna, in the Małopolskie Voivodeship of Poland.
In 1940, the Nazis established a rocket testing ground in the area. The testing ground was used to develop and test the V-1 and V-2 rockets, and was located in a remote area, where the Nazis took great care to keep it secret. Crucially, Blizna was out of range from Allied bombers for much of the war.
The Nazis tested over 130 rockets at the Blizna testing ground. The rockets were launched from a number of different launch pads, and they were tracked by radar and other equipment. The Nazis also built a number of bunkers to protect the personnel who were working at the testing ground.
There are many interesting and heroic stories around the exploits of the Polish resistance army (Armia Krajowa) in reporting on and capturing V-2 technology, which proved to be crucial for the efforts of the British intelligence agencies. These stories are retold at Blizna.
There is one story in particular that really stood out for me. Around 20 May 1944, a V-2 rocket was fired from Blizna, but there was a malfunction, and the rocket fell harmlessly and relatively undamaged onto the swampy bank of the Bug River near the village of Sarnaki. The Polish resistance managed to find it and hide it before the Germans arrived, and the rocket was subsequently dismantled and smuggled across Poland. During the night of 25–26 July 1944, the Polish resistance secretly transported parts of the rocket out of Poland for analysis by British Intelligence. The missile fragments were picked up by a RAF C-47 Dakota aeroplane from an abandoned airfield near Żabno, at the junction of the Dunajec and Wisła rivers, Poland. Real ‘Boys Own’ stuff!
The Blizna rocket testing ground was abandoned by the Nazis in 1945. After the war, the site was used by the Soviet Union as a military base. In 1990, the site was converted into a historical park. Today, the Park Historyczny w Bliźnie includes a museum, a number of outdoor exhibits, and a reconstruction of a German V-2 rocket.
Tailor-Made Top Tip: If you are interested in exploring the local World War Two heritage, you can also visit the Statina Railway Shelter, a massive bunker where Hitler hid his train. This site is about a one hour drive from Blizna.
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Deutsches Museum
The Deutsches Museum in Munich has a number of V-2 rocket displays, including a complete V-2 rocket, a sectioned V-2 engine, and a variety of other V-2 components and assemblies.
The Deutsches Museum's V-2 rocket display is one of the most comprehensive in the world. The display includes a complete V-2 rocket that is displayed in a vertical position, and it is surrounded by a number of other V-2 components and assemblies, including the rocket's engine, guidance system, and warhead.
The Deutsches Museum's V-2 engine display is a sectioned engine that shows the internal workings of the engine. The engine is displayed in a horizontal position, and it is surrounded by a number of diagrams and other educational materials that explain how the engine worked.
The Deutsches Museum's other V-2 displays include a variety of V-2 components and assemblies, such as the rocket's gyroscope, accelerometer, and control surfaces.
There are also plenty of other impressive displays, especially aircraft, that will impress World War II buffs.
Tailor-Made Top Tip: The Deutches Museum is one of the biggest museums in the world, so set aside at least half a day, if not more, to view its collections. Note that the V-2 rocket and the components are in the airplane gallery.
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Other V-2 Rocket Locations
I recently visited the National Museum of the United States Airforce in Dayton Ohio and found the size and number of exhibits overwhelming, so much so that I forgot to take a photo of their V-2 rocket (with meillerwagen)! Forgive me, and please accept a photo of their Missile Gallery instead, as well as a selection of World War 2 aircraft.
Also on my bucket list of places to visit are the Historical Technical Museum in Peenemünde, where the museum is housed in a power station commemorating the laborers who built test rockets. I also look forward to the day that I can visit the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (Part of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum) near Washington, to see their V-2 rocket
There are a number of other museums where you can see V-2 rockets, replicas and components. Rather than listing them here, V2ROCKET.COM does an excellent job rounding up these locations.
Related Blog Posts
If you would like more information on the dark history of the Nazis and how to visit these sites, please view the Tailor-Made Itineraries posts below:
A Plunder of Souls – Auschwitz-Birkenau
On a Monumental Scale – Holocaust memorials in Warsaw
Płaszów's Story as Brought to Life Through "Schindler's List" – Płaszów Camp, Krakow
Conclusion
The V-2 rocket campaign caused widespread damage and panic, especially in the Allied cities that were hit. The rockets were very accurate, and they could often hit their targets with pinpoint precision. But despite the devastation that it caused the V-2 rocket campaign was ultimately unsuccessful. The Germans were unable to produce enough V-2 rockets to make a significant impact on the war.
However, the V-2 rocket had a profound impact on the development of rocketry and space exploration. Indeed, the V-2 rocket became the first artificial object to travel into space by crossing the Kármán line (edge of space) with the vertical launch of MW 18014 on 20 June 1944. The rocket's design and technology were also used to develop the American Redstone rocket, which was used to launch the first American satellite into space in 1958. The V-2 rocket also played a role in the development of the Soviet R-7 rocket, which was used to launch the first human into space in 1961.
Visiting sites associated with the Nazi V2 rockets can offer travellers a unique perspective on the events of World War II and the impact that these weapons had on the outcome of the war. Whether you're a history buff or simply interested in exploring new and exciting locations, a journey to these sites is sure to be a memorable and educational experience. So, pack your bags, grab your cameras, and embark on a journey through the history of the Nazi V2 rockets.
Comment below and let us know if you have visited any World War 2 sites and what was your memories of them.
Don’t forget that Tailor-Made Itineraries delights in creating bespoke self-guided tours. So, if visiting these locations appeals to you, reach out to me by email. I would be more than happy to design a self-guided tour around your requirements incorporating the history of the V2 rocket programme, or indeed, a general tour of Germany or Poland.
Join me next time on my adventures when I visit five Nazi concentration camp memorials that you should visit in Germany. Tailor-Made Itineraries posts every two weeks, and you can subscribe to the latest blog and newsletter here. Until then, happy reading and safe travels.
Barry
Contact Me: tailoritineraries@gmail.com
Tailor-Made Itineraries creates one-of-a-kind bespoke self-guided travel itineraries for adventurous and curious travellers.
These self-guided tours deliver a personalised and exciting holiday experience that takes the effort out of trip planning.
