Beschreibung:

A CLASSIFIED HISTORY OF THE PEENEMUNDE FACILITY. Typed Carbon with Annotations in unknown hand, 43 pp, 4to, Peenemunde, Germany, December 6, 1941, with 38 pp of tipped-in photo illustrations bound in at rear, being a history of the Research Program at Peenemunde marked “Chef-Sache! Nur durch Offizier!” Leaves toned with water damage to lower right quadrant, some photographs missing, in later quarter linen over paper boards. This document, titled ”Geschichte des Wa A Beitrag der Heeresversuchsanstalt Peenemunde” (History of the German Army Weapons Agency Research Facility at Peenemunde), is a fascinating and rare contemporary history of the German rocket program to 1941, prepared by an in-house researcher at the Peenemunde facility and available only to German officers for review. The text begins with an overview of the history of rocket science, from Oberth’s groundbreaking work in the 1920s to other experiments in the early 1930s among German “rocket clubs.” The second part covers the establishment of the Peenemunde facility and the research and development that has taken place under its roof. The photographs at the rear are referenced throughout the text, and include amusing images of early experimentation (a rocket fueled go-kart racing down a village street), plans for early missiles, early (1936) tests of jet engines for planes, a map of the Peenemunde facility, and designs for the “Wasserfall” missile. Provenance: Brought from Peenemunde to America by a high-ranking member of Von Braun’s rocket team, descended through his estate. See illustration.