Army support
In March 1932 Nebel is successful in shooting a MIRAK 3 up to a height of 4.000 metres. A test in front of officers of the Heereswaffenamt (army ordnance office) at the proving ground Kummersdorf turns out, however, with 900 metres rather poorly so that the office refuses further payments. The only positive side-effect of the disastrous demonstration was the request of Nebels chauffeur and theorist Werner of Braun as a liaison man to the Heereswaffenamt. He is subordinated to the authority of the command of Captain Walter Dornberger and establishes a testing ground for liquid rockets at Kummersdorf-West. Within four years this group expands up to 77 employees. Among those is the certified engineer Walter „Papa" Riedel, Heinrich Grünow and Arthur Rudolph. Rudolph, party member since 1931, had developed a fully automatic liquid rocket engine with a remarkable thrust performance of 300 kg.
I
Already at the end of 1932 an important next step has been carried out. Rudolph builds an engine called "oven", based on a memorandum of von Braun about thermodynamics of the rocket engine. This "oven" is tested successfully in Kummersdorf for the first time in January 1933. Now, the way to really powerful engines is paved. The aggregate A 1 which, however, shows weaknesses in the balance, is made in 1933. The further development of the A 2 is started successfully at the end of 1934 on the island of Borkum. The next step is the A 3. This rocket already has a take-off weight of fivefold the A 1 and develops a thrust of 1,500 kg. Kummersdorf gets too narrow for further tests with that. A new wide area is needed.
In March1936, Werner Freiherr von Fritsch, Commander-In-Chief of the Army, visits Kummersdorf and is impressed deeply. Together with the Generals von Brauchitsch, Komm and Olbricht it is decided to support the rocket project with full force. The Luftwaffe is also enthusiastic about the project and the chief of the Luftzeugmeisterei (air ministery), Albert Kesselring, decides to support the project in conjunction with the army. It is agreed that army and Luftwaffe operate the project as a joint venture, managed by the army.
The decision is also taken to build a completely new development centre. At first Dornberger and von Braun thought of acquiring the Prorer Wiek on the island of Rügen., but that area was already bought by the KdF organisation (strength by joy) to build the gigantic holiday complex Prora. Von Brauns mother remembered stories of her father who as a hunter was enthusiastic about the untouched landscape of the Peenemünde Hook.on the island of Usedom. Early 1936 the decision is made to build the research office in Peenemünde. Kesselring organizes the purchase of land off the municipality of Wolgast and construction work starts as of April 1936.
Peenemünde offfers several advantages: The area is practically unsettled far away from any bigger village, only three bridges easily to be checked connect Usedom with the mainland and the shooting range along the Pommerian coast is practically unlimited.
The construction is carried out with a great determination.
1936, August first cut with a spade, resettlement of the village of Peenemünde.
1936, September Surveyors office is established, arrival of 10 000 construction workers.
1936, November Runway and administrative building structurally complete,
1937, January The beginning of the construction work to pilot plants.
1937, April Building ready for occupancy
1937 May Military staff moves in, workshops ready for occupancy.
1937, July Scientists move into their flats
1937, December Essential parts of the works West and East are ready.
1938, April Take off of the first aircraft off the air force test ground.
At the end of 1939 the development work is shifted completely to Peenemünde and Albert Speer, Generalbauinspekteur (general building Inspector) of the Reichshauptstadt Berlin (capital of the Reich), takes on the responsibility for Peenemünde on May 1, 1940. No more "Germania" has first priority but the armament industry. Site supervisor in Peenemünde is, by the way, Wilhelm Lübke, the later Federal President of post-war Germany.
While Peenemünde is growing, technology teams carry on working in Kummersdorf on the improvement of the rocket engines and aerodynamics. Particularly Dr. Ing Walter Thiel succeeds in a milestone in the rocket engine construction. He invents a simple and nevertheless efficient technical solution with a circular order of 18 injection nozzles on the combustion chamber for the shortening of the drive block. In August 1940, a new rocket engine is tested successfully on test bed 1 which develops the demanded 25 t of thrust.
While the test with the A 3 goes on, the work on the subsequent model A 4 begins. This four tons heavy device, 14 metres long and with a diameter of 166 centimetres "swallows" more than 5 t of oxygen which is liquid and cooled to minus 183 degrees, the A substance, as well as another four 4 tons of 75% alcohol, the B substance. The take-off weight, inclusive of a 750 kg warhead, is almost 14 tons with that. The first burner experiment on February 25, 1942 destroys the aggregate. A further test in June also fails. A dream start is successful only on October 3. The rocket almost reaches Mach 5, a height of 84.5 km reaches and flies 190 km far.
