History 19/02/20 Wernher von Braun: how the Soviet Union wanted to steal the “American Queen”
When Wernher von Braun created the rockets for Nazi Germany. Today he is known around the world as American designer. However, few people know that former SS sturmbannführer could become a Soviet rocket.
the Struggle for the Nazi frames
As the authors-compilers of the book “Space. Time Moscow” T. A. Golovkina and doctor of historical Sciences A. A. Chernobaev, the first Soviet designer Boris Yevseyevich Chertok was sent to Germany in April 1945. Chertok, together with nine colleagues had to study German engineering to get them on the Soviet side of their authors. It is for this purpose Boris Yevseyevich and Colonel Isaev organized in the city of Bleicherode Institute “Rabe” (German Raketenbau und Entwicklung – “production and development of missiles”). However, it soon turned out that leading experts, who previously worked in Nazi Germany, the Institute settled not so much.
According to Stanislaw, Zigunenko, author of “100 great mysteries of space”, this fact is explained by the fact that prominent German scientists (including the SS sturmbannführer Wernher von Braun, who was the Creator of the first ballistic missiles) have realized that Hitler’s Germany will collapse, and therefore moved towards the Americans and subsequently surrendered to them. About five hundred Nazi scientists reported to the US authorities and all the necessary information about their colleagues back home. States, in turn, abandoned all efforts to smuggle mentioned specialists in their zone of occupation.
the Operation “OST”
But to take the German designers wanted and the Soviet Union. Soon Soviet intelligence became aware of the fact that more than half of the German scientists were located just a few kilometers from the demarcation line that the Americans are too thorough.tional guard. It was then that a plan of kidnapping the Nazi rocket scientists. If you believe Eugene Tolstoy, the author of the book “Lavrenty Beria. Slandered hero of the Soviet Union”, the first managed to steal the engineer-rocketeer Helmut of Grettrup, who did not want to live in the United States. Him together with his wife smuggled into the Soviet zone of occupation.
Successful beginning of the operation, called “OST”, inspired by her head, the graduate of the air force Academy named after Zhukovsky Vasily Kharcheva, and Director of the “Institute Rabe” by Boris Chertok. The latter, according to Valentyn Symonenko, the author of the book “the fate of scientists in the Stalinist spetstyurem,” and offered to steal Werner von Braun. First, he took to implement his plan. Kharchev, in his own words, arrived in the American commandant’s office and with a bottle of whiskey started to persuade the commandant to give him the von Braun voluntarily. However, the American said that the designer is under heavy guard, but because he could do nothing about it.
the Career of von Braun
Vasily Kharchev came back with empty hands. We did not know, could ultimately Jarcevo and his colleagues to steal Werner von Braun or not: intelligence agencies of the NKVD decided to abandon the idea, fearing complications in the field of international relations. According to Yuri Karash, in his book “Secrets of the moon race: the Soviet Union and the United States, space cooperation”, even after many years, many blamed Kharcheva and Chertok that they are unable to steal von Braun. However Boris Chertok nothing to regret. He, however, was glad to “failure”. “He stayed we would have von Braun to no avail on the island, then sent him to the GDR. There as a former Nazi would not have allowed it. And with the help of the Americans, he made not only his dream but also the dream of all mankind,” – said Chertok.
Werner von Braun really had a great career in the United States. Kevin Fong’s book, “Extremes. To the limit. The limits of the human body” says that von Braun was the Creator of the RAchum carrier “Saturn-V”, delivered to the moon Neil Armstrong and buzz Aldrin. For it is in the same 1969 the former SS sturmbannführer was awarded NASA medals “For outstanding service”. To appoint to the post of Director of NASA Hitler’s favorite Americans did not dare: but he took the chair of Deputy. In 1972, von Braun left a well-deserved rest. However, he lived after this very long: in 1977, the designer died from cancer.
Yulia Popova
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© Russian Seven
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