During the 1930s, German scientists including Wehrner von Braun, Walter Riedel and Walter Dornberger developed the Aggregate series of rockets. These included the A-1, which is generally recognized as the grandfather of modern rockets. It would be the A-4 however that would achieve lasting fame and notoriety, as a weapon of war for Adolph Hitler’s regime. Equipped with supersonic aerodynamics, a large liquid-fueled engine and gyroscopic guidance, the A-4 represented a tremendous technological leap forward. Although its first flight in March of 1942 failed, the third launch achieved a perfect trajectory, and the missile landed over 120 miles away. Equipped with a large Amatol warhead, the A-4 was dubbed the Vergeltungswaffe 2 by Hitler, literally the “retaliation weapon 2”, or V-2. It was fired from mobile launchers against various civilian targets in the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and even Remagen, Germany.

Over 3000 V-2s were fired during the conflict, producing thousands of civilian deaths and a great deal of consternation, yet it had little real impact on the war’s outcome. Originally created for the artillery units which would erect and fire the A-4 / V-2, this “primer” was considered so sensitive that only 150 copies were produced. After the war, the book found its way (along with von Braun) to the Redstone Arsenal, where it was translated into English.

This special reprint features the original translation, along with the original German illustrations. It details the procedures used to transport, service and launch the missile, and uses surprisingly risqué cartoons and simple text to make its points. It’s a must-have for the museum docent, historian, rocketeer, or anyone who ever wondered “how’d that work?”