Uncovering Hitler's Killer Rocket (Full Episode) | Buried Secrets of WWII | National Geographic

Key Concepts

• V2 Rocket: The world's first ballistic missile, developed by Nazi Germany.
• Peenemünde: The primary Nazi research and development site for the V2 rocket.
• LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging): A remote sensing technology used to create 3D models of terrain and structures by stripping away vegetation and ground cover.
• Test Stand Seven: The launchpad at Peenemünde where prototype V2 rockets were tested.
• Hall F1: A large factory at Peenemünde designed for the mass production of V2 rockets.
• Operation Hydra: The Royal Air Force bombing raid on Peenemünde in August 1943, targeting scientists and technicians.
• Mittelbau-Dora: A Nazi concentration camp and underground factory complex in central Germany used for V2 rocket production.
• Subterranean Factory: A factory built underground, in this case, within the Kohnstein Mountain.
• Forced Labor/Slave Labor: The use of concentration camp inmates for industrial production under brutal conditions.
• Magnetometry: A geophysical survey method used to detect variations in the Earth's magnetic field, useful for locating buried metal objects.
• Combustion Chamber: The core component of the V2 rocket engine where fuel was burned.

Peenemünde: The Birthplace of the V2

The video explores the development and production of Hitler's V2 rocket, starting at the secret Nazi facility in Peenemünde, Germany. This site, cloaked in secrecy, was where the V2 was conceived and tested.

• Scale of Peenemünde: LiDAR technology revealed the immense scale of the Peenemünde complex, spanning 10 square miles. It included a vast array of buildings, hundreds of miles of roads, railway lines, and piping.
• Test Stand Seven: LiDAR data and on-the-ground investigation led Marty Morgan to Test Stand Seven, the launchpad for V2 prototypes. The presence of a specific fire hydrant, visible in historical footage, confirmed its identity. This site, protected by a large earth berm (the "donut"), was the "beating heart" of the V2 program, akin to a "Nazi Cape Canaveral."
• Hall F1 - The Production Factory: LiDAR identified a large building footprint, later confirmed by an architect's drawing from 1942 as Hall F1. This factory, measuring 815 feet by 390 feet, was designed for the mass production of V2 rockets. It featured production lines, upright assembly for rockets, and a ramp with cranes connecting to the railway. The monumental concrete blocks supporting the factory floor were built to withstand aerial bombardment.
• Operation Hydra's Impact: On August 17, 1943, the RAF launched Operation Hydra, a massive bombing raid on Peenemünde. While 596 bombers dropped nearly 2,000 tons of munitions, the primary target, Hall F1, remained largely intact. The bombs were predominantly aimed at the nearby village of Karlshagen, where the scientists and their families lived. This strategic targeting aimed to decapitate the V2 program by eliminating irreplaceable personnel. 178 people were killed, and the facility was compromised, forcing its abandonment.

Mittelbau-Dora: The Underground Factory and Human Cost

Following the bombing of Peenemünde, the Nazis relocated V2 production to a subterranean factory complex at Mittelbau-Dora in central Germany. This site highlights the immense human cost of the V2 program.

• Subterranean Production: The factory was built within the Kohnstein Mountain, utilizing an old gypsum mine. Railway lines disappeared into the mountain, camouflaging the operation from aerial reconnaissance.
• Scale of the Tunnels: While much of the tunnel system was demolished by the Soviets after the war, Pete Kelsey used laser scanners to map the accessible sections. The accessible tunnels, combined with Soviet maps, revealed an intricate web of over two miles of main shafts connected by 46 additional tunnels.
• Forced Labor: The construction and operation of the Mittelbau-Dora factory relied heavily on tens of thousands of concentration camp inmates. These individuals were brought from across Europe and subjected to horrific conditions, working in the tunnels for extended periods without seeing daylight.
• High Mortality Rate: Survivors' accounts detail the brutal conditions, starvation diets, poor sanitation, and rampant diseases like pneumonia, tuberculosis, typhoid, and dysentery. SS records indicate nearly 3,000 prisoner deaths in the first six months alone.
• Concentration Camp Adjacent to Factory: LiDAR scans revealed the footprints of buildings in the valley, identified as a concentration camp complex (Barrack 111) located alongside the rocket factory. Semi-skilled prisoners worked on the V2 production on the valley floor, while unskilled and sick prisoners were housed further up the hill, near the camp's permanent crematorium.
• Death Zone: The upper sections of the camp became a "death zone" where the SS allowed unfit and sick prisoners to die. At least 20,000 people died at Mittelbau-Dora. The crematorium stands as the only original building remaining at the site, symbolizing the "final solution" and the disposal of human lives.
• Production Output: By 1944, the Mittelbau-Dora factory was producing twenty V2 rockets per day, utilizing the forced labor of approximately 60,000 slaves over fifteen months.

V2 Rocket Flaws and Impact

The investigation also delves into the effectiveness and flaws of the V2 rocket itself.

• Smithfield Market Attack: The V2's devastating potential was demonstrated by the March 1945 attack on London's Smithfield Market, which killed 110 people without warning.
• Archaeological Excavation: An archaeological excavation of a stray V2 rocket in Kent, England, provided insights into the weapon's performance. Magnetometry detected metal fragments, and the dig revealed parts of a V2, including its combustion chamber.
• Bunker-Busting Capability: The excavation suggested that the V2's high velocity allowed it to penetrate the ground before detonation. This was particularly effective against targets like Smithfield Market, which was built over underground tunnels, causing the market to collapse into the void. The V2 acted like a bunker-buster in such cases.
• Inaccuracy and Cost: However, the V2 was also highly inaccurate. The excavation site in Kent, far from London, highlighted this flaw. Out of 1,119 V2s launched against London, less than half hit the city. The high cost of each missile (around $150,000 in today's money) and the significant human cost of its production (three died in Mittelbau-Dora for every one killed by a V2) made it an inefficient weapon.
• Strategic Miscalculation: The video concludes that Hitler's obsession with the V2 rocket was a significant miscalculation. The resources poured into its development and production could have been better utilized for other weapons like tanks or fighters. The V2, despite its technological advancement, ultimately proved to be a "big fizzle and disappointment" in terms of its impact on the war's outcome.

Conclusion

The documentary, through the use of advanced technology like LiDAR and magnetometry, combined with historical research, reconstructs the story of Hitler's V2 rocket. It reveals the immense scale of the secret Nazi facilities at Peenemünde and Mittelbau-Dora, the technological ambition behind the V2, and the horrific human cost of its production through slave labor. Ultimately, the investigation highlights the V2's significant flaws in accuracy and cost-effectiveness, suggesting that Hitler's investment in this "ultimate weapon" was a strategic error that contributed to Germany's defeat.