Rocket and Jet Aircraft of the Third Reich

Book excerpt: Throughout much of the Second World War the Nazis' military technology was far more advanced than anything the Allies could produce. Part of the German arsenal were rocket and jet aircraft, the first of which, the Heinkel He 178, first took to the air on 27 August 1939. It was followed by other icons of aviation such as the Messerschmitt Me 262 that had an engine with a thrust of 1,350lbs, and the famous V-1 (Doodlebug), over 9,500 of which were fired at Britain resulting in 22,892 casualties. In Rocket and Jet Aircraft of the Third Reich, aviation historian Terry C. Treadwell tells the story of the planes and weaponry that represented the cutting edge of aviation technology. He details their design, development and application and the struggles of those who built them. The German scientists and engineers were always under pressure from the German High Command during the conflict, and as it drew to a close they were caught between the Allies who wished to control them, and the SS who would stop at nothing to prevent them falling into Allied hands. Complimented by over 200 illustrations, Rocket and Jet Aircraft of the Third Reich provides unrivalled insight into the aircraft that made Germany an almost indomitable enemy.