Chronology - Quarter 2 1945

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1945 April 1 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -.

Wallops Island authorized. Nation: USA. Supplemental appropriation passed by Congress authorized expanded research on guided missiles at NACA Langley Laboratory, including establishment of a rocket launch facility at Wallops Island, Va. References: 17.

1945 April 1 - Launch Vehicle: Private.

Private F rockets tested. Nation: USA. 17 JPL Private F rockets were fired at Hueco Range, Fort Bliss, Tex. References: 17.

1945 April 1 - Launch Vehicle: V-1, V-2.

The end of the V-weapons. Nation: Germany. The V-weapon launch corps remained in service until the end of March. Then Kammler went to the Harz Mountains, to command a planned final effort to use the weapons to prevent a link-up of the American and Soviet forces - a plan that came to nothing. In all, 9,300 V-1's had been fired at Great Britain in its seven months of service, of which 6,000 reached the coast. 4,300 V-2's had been launched in combat, 1,500 at London, and 2,100 at Antwerp. 20% of these used the radio guidance system. The V-1's range had been extended in test models to 370 km, although only a few of these modifications had reached the front. On the other hand, the range of the V-2 had been extended to 350 km, and this was the version provided to the front-line troops in the last months. But at the end of March 1945 the Germans evacuated the V-weapon firing areas in Holland. References: 693.

1945 April 3 - Launch Vehicle: V-2.

Dornberger's group evacuated to Bavaria. Nation: Germany. Kammler has the 450 scientists moved from Berlin to Oberammergau. References: 693.

1945 April 3 - Launch Vehicle: V-2.

V-2 training and test batteries dissolved. Nation: Germany. Kammler ordered further training of troops and test launches discontinued. References: 693.

1945 April 6 - Launch Vehicle: V-2.

American tanks reach Bleicherode at Bad Sachsen. Nation: Germany. Just ahead of the troops the rocket team's documentation was moved in a truck convoy to the south. Kammler, Dornberger, and Von Braun hold their last meeting. In Bavaria, spring is just emerging from the snow. References: 693.

1945 April 8 - Launch Site: V-2 Battery 836. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: V-2.

The end of V-2 Battery 836 and the V-2 missile campaign. Nation: Germany. Agency: V-2 Bty 836. After being forced to retreat from its operational area in late March 1945, Battery 836 was to have moved first to a location 16 km west of Osnabruck for firing operations, but the situation on the ground prevented this. They then moved to Celle (about 30 km north of Hanover). From there the remaining rockets were to be fired against Russian forces at Kostrzyn, 100 km northeast of Berlin. The unit could not set up in time to accomplish this before Kammler ordered the rocket units to be dissolved and convert to infantry. On April 8 the battery destroyed its rockets and launching equipment and ceased to exist. In all, 1593 V-2's had been fired against Antwerp, 1225 against London, and 461 against other cities and targets, by one accounting. A total of 3000 to 3280 missiles had been fired in combat launches, and another 440 to 1000 in test and training launches. A total of 6,100 missiles had been manufactured, at least 1,800 of which were early production versions that were either scrapped or cannibalised for later production. References: 726.

1945 April 28 -

1945 May 2 - Launch Vehicle: V-2.

Peenemuende rocket team contacts American forces Nation: Germany. English-speaker Magnus Von Braun is sent to contact US forces in order to surrender the German rocket team to the Americans.

1945 May 5 - Launch Site: Peenemuende. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: V-2.

Peenemünde occupied. Nation: USSR. Russian ground forces occupied Peenemünde, Germany. References: 17.

1945 May 5 - Launch Site: Peenemuende. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -.

Soviet Army occupies Peenemuende. Nation: Germany. Little is found. Western intelligence is convinced that the Soviets conduct missile tests from Peenemuende in the late 1940's (the Scandinavian 'ghost rockets'). But Russian historical sources available after the downfall of the Soviet Union do not support this belief. References: 47.

1945 May 7 - Launch Vehicle: V-2.

1945 May 9 - Launch Vehicle: V-3.

V-3 complex at Mimoyecques blown up by British Forces Nation: Germany. The action was taken to prevent the French from using the facility against Britain at some future date. References: 693.

1945 May 26 -

Soviet Union makes plans for industrial reconstruction after war with Germany. Nation: USSR. State Committee for Defence (GKO) Decree 8803 'On Measures to Reconstruct Industry in Connection with Maintaining Production of Armaments -- post-war rearmament plan' was issued. References: 474.

1945 May 27 - Launch Vehicle: V-2.

American recover 14 tonnes of V-2 documentation Nation: Germany. The German rocket team provides directions to the Americans to the mine in the Harz Mountains where they have hidden the technical documentation taken from Peenemuende.

1945 June 20 -

Von Braun team to be brought to the US. Nation: USA. U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull approved the transfer of von Braun's German rocket specialists to the United States. This transfer was known as Operation Paperclip.

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