V-2: A Combat History of the First Ballistic Missile (Weapons in History) Review

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(More customer reviews)Author T.D. Dungan's "V-2: A Combat History of the First Ballistic Missile," is much more than its title implies. It is actually a comprehensive and detailed history of the genesis, development, testing, production, operational deployment and legacy of the liquid-fueled rocket with which Nazi Germany bombarded London, Antwerp and other targets during the last seven months of World War II. The brainchild of Dr. Wernher von Braun, who came to America after the War and headed NASA's Saturn V moon rocket program in the 1960s, the V-2 ("Vergeltungswaffe Zwei," or "Vengeance Weapon Two") was the world's first operational ballistic missile weapon system. Even though it was relatively unreliable and not very accurate, the V-2 occupies a special place on the road to space. Historians may argue about whether or not the German rocket team really had their eyes on the stars when they built the V-2. But it is undeniable that the big Nazi rocket, hundreds of which the United States and Soviet Union confiscated and launched after the War, jump-started the space programs of both nations.
"V-2" is uniquely valuable because it integrates rarely-seen technical information with the overall story of the rocket. If you like "engineering detail," you won't be disappointed. For example, there are excellent annotated line drawings of both the V-2 (internal and external) and its "Meillerwagen" transporter/erector. There is a detailed layout of a typical V-2 launching site in a forest clearing that includes all the vehicles and ancillary items of equipment required to service, prepare and launch the missile. There is an interesting double-page drawing of northwestern Europe that shows all V-2 launching sites and the missiles' trajectories to their targets. There is also a drawing of the notorious "Mittelwerk" underground assembly plant in the Harz Mountains, with the 46 tunnels identified as to which part of the manufacturing process each one housed in the production of V-1s, V-2s and Junkers "Jumo" turbojet engines.
Well-illustrated with black-and-white photographs, some of which I have not seen in print before, "V-2" is a superb stand-alone volume. An extensive bibliography steers the interested reader to sources of more information. My only criticism, and it is so minor that it scarcely deserves mention, is that there are several typographical and grammatical errors (such as the author's consistent misspelling of "ordnance" as "ordinance") that one last word-by-word proofreading would probably have corrected. But none of these are errors of fact, and they in no way detract from the readability, usefulness and historical value of this outstanding work. I give "V-2" my highest recommendation.

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New Vanguard 82: V-2 Ballistic Missile 1942-52 Review

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(More customer reviews)Once again, Stephen J. Zaloga delivers a handy summary of an important technical military subject in his Osprey Vanguard volume entitled, V-2 Ballistic Missile 1942-1952. While Zaloga has only 44 pages in this format, he packs it full of information culled from the considerable literature on this subject, resulting in a superb synthesis. Unlike other, longer works, Zaloga does not dwell overly long on the development aspects of the V-2 program, but devotes most of his summary to the operational use of this revolutionary weapon.
V-2 Ballistic Missile 1942-1952 begins with an 11-page section on early German rocket development, but the bulk of the volume focuses on the organization and procedures of V-2 launch units. Seven pages are spent on final German rocket designs, an analysis of the V-2 campaign, and a brief description of the post-war US and Soviet tests of captured V-2s. The color plates, by Robert Calow, include: early German test rockets; the Wizernes missile bunker; camouflage schemes; a cross-section of the V-2; a mobile launch site; and a Feuerleitpanzer fire control vehicle. Zaloga also provides several very handy appendices: A-4 missile manufacture (broken down by site and monthly production figures); V-2 targets; and Russian post-war production of V-2 derivatives. In addition, Zaloga provides an annotated bibliography, which includes Internet sites of interest.
Zaloga sees the V-2 as a technical marvel that was simply not ready for prime time, or as he puts it, a case of "too much too soon." The V-2 program cost about $2 billion - equivalent to the American Manhattan Project - but it delivered a weapon of very limited practical military value. Indeed, the V-2 was a very fragile weapon, with many ruined by rough handling on the ground and even more disintegrating in flight. Of 6,422 V-2s built, only 3,172 were launched and only about 37% fell near their intended targets. Indeed, Zaloga notes that the Luftwaffe's V-1 program, while technically less sophisticated, was much more militarily significant since it was cheaper to build and more reliable. Zaloga's description of the technical problems associated with the V-2's tricky liquid oxygen fuel and its limited guidance system are interesting, as well as his discussion of the gradual take-over of the V-2 program by the SS. There are also details about how Allied intelligence learned about the V-2 program, including recovery of parts from V-2 test crashes in Poland and Sweden.
Zaloga's review of V-2 operations also provides insight into the difficulties of targeting mobile ballistic missile launchers, insights that are still useful today. As happened during the "Scud Hunt" in 1991 during Desert Storm, Zaloga notes that the Allies in 1944 we forced for political reasons to devote about 25% of their tactical bombers to hunt V-2 sites that were hitting England. Amazingly, despite complete Allied air superiority, the Germans were still able to launch V-2s from Holland against London as late as 27 March 1945. However, due to the difficulty in detecting the launch sites and the impossibility of interception once launched, Zaloga notes that less Allied resources were devoted to deal with the V-2 than the V-1. The other lesson to be digested from the V-2 experience is that ballistic missiles with high explosive warheads might be difficult to stop, but the damage that they can inflict is not comparable with what could be achieved with conventional, large-scale air attacks.

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The German A-4 ballistic missile, better known by its propaganda name of V-2, was the world's first successful ballistic missile, breaking through the atmosphere to reach its target quicker. It was a forerunner of Cold War ballistic missiles and its combat use in 1944-45 set the pattern for the use of Scud ballistic missiles in recent decades. The V-2 offensive lasted from September 1944 until March 1945 with over 3,000 rockets being launched. This book examines the combat record of the V-2 in World War II, with a special focus on how a German missile battalion actually prepared and fired its missiles.

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German V-Weapon Sites 1943-45 (Fortress) Review

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(More customer reviews)An Osprey Fortress series volume on German V-Weapon sites may not seem that gripping to many readers, who prefer to read about the actual V-1 and V-2 rockets, but this volume offers a great deal. As usual, you cannot pick up a volume written by Steven J Zaloga without reading something new and insightful that you haven't seen before in other books, so this volume starts with that advantage. Further, this volume is not just about "sites," but about the cat-and-mouse game between the Germans to establish their V-weapon launching sites and the Allied efforts to detect and destroy them. Hitler was intent upon using the V-weapons (Revenge weapons) to retaliate against Allied civilians, which became more vital to him as Germany's fortunes on the battlefield waned. Nor is this merely a nostalgic look at obsolete weapons; as Zaloga makes clear, the whole issue of countering fixed and mobile missiles was revisited again during the "Great Scud Hunt" during Desert Storm in 1991. In an era when a number of countries are deploying mobile tactical missiles, this subject remains a vital national security concern and Steven Zaloga's volume is a perfect starting point to understanding the dynamics of this type of weapons system from both sides of the hill.
The volume begins with an overview of the German V-Weapons programs (the V-1 and V-2 were covered in earlier New Vanguard titles by Zaloga), which includes the HDP pump gun and the Rheinbote rocket, as well as the V-1 and V-2. Initially, the German preference was to build large, well-protected fixed launching sites in France near the Channel Coast. However, these sites were relatively easy for the Allies to detect and Zaloga details the devastating RAF attacks against these sites with Tallboy bombs. Zaloga also makes the interesting point that the shortage of liquid oxygen for the missiles severely limited Germany's V-weapons launch rates even without any Allied interference. After the initial fixed sites were disrupted by Allied bombing, the Germans tried a new pattern of fixed sites that were less conspicuous and better protected, but most of these were bombed as well. As the author notes, the Germans had to make the choice between using large, fixed sites that could sustain a fairly respectable launch rate or opt for mobile launch sites that offered better survivability but poor launch rates. Essentially, the effectiveness of the Allied bombing effort drove the Germans to embrace the mobile basing concept. Mobile V-weapon sites proved to be far more difficult to detect but the initial missile barrages against London were much smaller than intended, due to the limitations of this method. Eventually, the Germans also introduced air-launched V-1s from bombers, but the author notes that this delivery method afforded a 50-mile CEP and a very high failure rate. Ultimately, the author says the V-weapons campaign was a massive flop - costing Germany three times as much as the Manhattan Project - in no small measure due to the ineffective launching methods forced upon the Germans by Allied counter-responses.
The photos in this volume are terrific, particularly color photos of the restored V-1s on launch ramps in the UK and Belgium. The color plates are also superb, showing all the various types of heavy launch sites, V-1s on ramps, a V-2 mobile launch site (really terrific) and the HDP gun site. The author also provides a very useful bibliography. One aspect of the volume that I particularly enjoyed was the space devoted to the HDP gun and how it was used to bombard Luxemburg City - this was one V-weapon that you don't hear about much but the author provides several great photos of it. He also notes that the Iraqi attempt to build a `supergun' was based upon the HDP concept and just as much a failure. This is a book not only to read and enjoy now, but to keep on the shelf of military professionals as a reference for the next time that some lunatic threatens to shower missiles upon a civilian population.


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Designed to change the course of the war, the V-weapons required ambitious plans to defend their expensive and complicated launch sites. Steven J Zaloga describes the configuration and planned deployment of heavy missile sites, as well as the unique Allied tactics developed to counter this threat, including a remote-control version of the B-17 bomber. Covering the V-1 ski sites, the mobile units employed for V-2 launches and other secret weapons bases like the "V-3" high-pressure gun at Mimoyeques, he reviews the impact of these weapon systems and defenses not only on World War II but also on the development of modern weaponry. This book is an excellent guide to the sites described, many of which still survive and are visited on battlefield tours.

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