The V-2 was the first ballistic missile used in warfare and a significant advancement in rocket technology. Also known as the A4, it was developed by Nazi Germany during World War II and used against the Allies, primarily as a terror weapon. Because it was so inaccurate (it could barely hit a city-size target), it could not be used against specific military targets and was instead used against civilians who had no defense against it as it came screaming down from the upper atmosphere. Adolf Hitler named it his "Vengeance Weapon 2"or "V-2" because it wreaked vengeance upon a helpless population. (The "Vengeance Weapon 1," or "V-1", was a cruise missile.)
Despite its relative inaccuracy, the V-2 incorporated several major technological advances in rocketry. Its engine was 17 times more powerful than the largest rocket motor constructed up to that time; it flew at five times the speed of sound; and it could still fly relatively accurately to targets nearly 190 miles (306 kilometers) away.
Work began on the A4 in 1940 but proceeded slowly at first. The rocket team employed some of the best aerodynamicists in Germany, who conducted systematic tests on subscale models. In August 1941, Hitler ordered the completion of development of the A4 and the production of several hundred test and pre-production vehicles. Testing occurred during 1941, when tests of the large engine required for the rocket kept ending in explosions.
The A4 incorporated four major advances: its powerful engine, its aerodynamic shape, its innovative guidance system, and its radio transmission system. Together, these produced a terrifying weapon that ultimately had little military value to the Germans.
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