Norman Longmate - Hitler's Rockets

On the War Office paper and Duncan Sandys’s appointment, see Irving, pp. 37-44, and Jones, p. 335. Cherwell’s memo of 20 April 1943 is in PREM 3/110, Brookes, pp. 193—4, mentions the ‘outsize firework’; Constance Babington Smith, p. 203, the study of the resulting photographs; Jones, p. 328, his meeting with the PRU pilots; PERM 3/110 contains Sandys’s first report, reference COS (43) 259 (0). On ‘Captain C.’, see Irving, pp. 46, 53 and 61, on the neglected British experts, pp. 55—6; on Cherwell’s note of 11 June 1943 and Cripps’s of 16 June, PREM 3/110. Jones, pp. 340—3, and the caption to Plate 19b in his book, Constance Babington Smith, p. 205, Brookes, p. 194, and Irving, p. 67, describe the discovery of the rocket. The paper of 27 June is COS (43) 342 (0) and Sandys’s report of 28 June COS (43) 349 (0), both in PREM 3/110. On Findlater Stewart I consulted Who’s Who. Jones, pp. 343—6, describes the meeting of 29 June 1943, and private information from him supplemented the official minutes which are in CAB 69/5 Defence Committee (Operations). Irving, pp. 79—82, quotes the reports from agents and Cherwell’s memo of 29 July. Morrison’s memos are folios 396 and 374 in PREM 3/110 and Sandys’s fourth report is COS (43) 369 (0).

The ‘rocket meeting’ conclusion is on p. 41 (f) of CAB 69/5; on plans for Operation Hydra (as defined by Chambers’ Dictionary, 1973 edition), see Irving, p. 80; on the petrol allocation clue, Jones, p. 348; on the raid itself, including the air-gunner’s comment, my book The Bombers , pp. 276—7, Irving, pp. 99—119, Dornberger, pp. 151—64 (including ‘Poor Peenemünde’ on p. 163), Webster, vol. II, p. 159, PREM 3/110, folio 331 – the Air Ministry telegram – folio 346, COS (43) 481 (0), Sandys’s tenth report, and Churchill, vol. V, p. 208. On Friedrichshafen, see Webster, vol. II, p. 188 and p. 293 (footnote), and Jones, pp. 230 and 304. His ‘two months’ estimate is on p. 346. Irving, pp. 28—9 reports the saving of the blueprints, and p. 309 the raid on Wiener Neustadt.

On Speer’s report, see Irving, pp. 122 and 124—3. On Blizna, see Jones, p. 430, Irving, p. 141, Garlinski, p. 114, and Dornberger, pp. 203—204. Irving, p. 122, describes Himmler’s involvement and pp. 135—6 the Bombardment Commission; Speer, p. 314, and Dornberger, pp. 199—200, the latter’s appointment. On Nordhausen, see Irving, pp. 123, 143—5 and 166—7 and the caption to the picture facing p. 160; Garlinski, pp. 107—10, on the prisoners’ initial conditions and duties; Speer, pp. 498—500, and Garlinski, pp. 111—12, on subsequent improvements. Speer, pp. 503—5, and Dornberger, pp. 187 and 199—200, describe Kammler, and Irving, pp. 122—3, his involvement in the A-4 programme. Dornberger’s ‘sheer momentum’ quote is on p. 211, his ‘troubles’, including the disastrous test of 5 November, on pp. 203—205, his hopes for rockets ‘that disintegrated’ on p. 212. Irving, p. 204, sets out the transport arrangements and firing plans and p. 28 describes the Watten site, on which see also Collier, Battle , p. 20. On Medmenham’s report, see Irving, p. 53; on MacAlpine’s advice, pp. 123—4; on Cherwell’s note, PREM 3/110; on the US raid, Roger Freeman, p. 72, and Dornberger, p. 169. On Dorsch’s plans for Wizernes, see Irving, p. 137, and Dornberger, pp. 169—70, which also testifies to Hitler’s ‘ghastly pallor’. The Führer’s private doubts are mentioned by Irving, p. 237. On Sottevast and Equeurdreville, see After the Battle, p. 28, Collier, Battle , p. 20, and Jones, p. 462. On the small sites, see Jones, pp. 432—3. The ‘hour of revenge’ quote is from Irving, p. 177; Collier, Battle , pp. 64—5, mentions HARKO; Dornberger, pp. 195—6, recalls his nightmare trip of March 1944 and p. 191 his later travels. Irving, pp. 146, 204 and 221, refers to ‘major difficulties’ and the first output from Nordhausen, pp. 237—8 to Cement and pp. 258—9 to Goebbels’s enthusiasm. Dornberger describes his feud with Kammler on pp. 200-201, and Irving, p. 259, mention’s Fromm’s arrest.

Sandys’s report of 27 August is in PREM 3/110, reference COS(43) 493 (0). The meeting of 31 August is minuted in COS (43) 202 (0), and Brookes, p. 195, quotes MacAlpine’s comment. The meeting of 14 September is in PREM 3/110, under reference DO (43), eighth meeting. Cherwell’s ‘loaded’ questions are described by Irving, pp. 130-32, and Sandys’s response is on pp. 152—3, while ‘C’s’ report is in PREM 3/110 as COS (43) 592 (0). Irving, pp. 131, 149—155 and 163, describes the work and membership of the Scientific Committee and the Fuel Panel and p. 159 carries the famous ‘mare’s nest’ remark. On the meeting as a whole, see CAB 69/5, DO (43), tenth meeting, and for Smuts’s remark, PREM 3/110, folio 257. The German airmen’s reports are mentioned by Irving, p. 162. Cherwell’s ‘proof that the rocket was impossible is in PREM 3/110, DO (43), eleventh meeting; Cripps’s findings in the same file, DO (43) 27; Cherwell’s memo of 2 November is folio 196 of PREM 3/110 and of 4 November folio 184. The Cripps inquiry is described by Irving, pp. 172—3; the Peenemünde pictures by Constance Babington Smith, p. 214; the Lord Mayor’s austerity lunch by Weymouth, vol. II, p. 359. The second Cripps report is COS (0) 715 (0) in PREM 3/110. On Cherwell’s opinion of Cripps’s diet, see Irving, p. 169, and on his own, Harrod, p. 33. The minutes of the Defence Committee of 18 November are DO (43), thirteenth meeting. The change of codenames is in paras 2, 14, and 21 of the History of the PIU. Dr Jones’s memo is quoted by Irving, pp. 174—5. The minutes of the Civil Defence Committee are in CAB 73/7, reference CDC (43) 35, for 28 December 1943, and in CAB 73/8 (CDC (44) 1), for 18 January 1944. The Chiefs of Staffs discussion is recorded in CAB 79 (COS (44), 23rd meeting). On Crossbow bombing, see Collier, Defence , p. 522. The ‘Big Ben’ letter is in HO 186/2271, the meeting of 27 April 1944 in CDC (44) 5.

On the threat to the underground, see folio 624 in PREM 3/111; on the post-V-1 evacuation, The Doodlebugs , pp. 211—13; on Morrison’s apprehensions, WP (44) 348 in CAB 66/51; on the Cabinet’s reaction, WM (44) 82 in CAB 65/46; on Ian Jacob’s note, folio 835 in PREM 3/111; on the lack of rocket tracks, Jones, pp. 430-31; on Ultra evidence, pp. 430 and 435; on the Poles’ exploits, Garlinski, Weapons, pp. 115—16 and 154. The Kalmar rocket is described by Irving, pp. 263—7, by Macmillan, vol. IV, p. 195, by Jones, pp. 431—4, by Dornberger, p. 246, and in the contemporary News Digest (a summary of foreign press reports circulated to British government departments), nos 1476 and 1477, references D43, D78, D81 and D82. Jones, pp. 433—4, describes his concern for Cherwell and pp. 437—8 the ‘caught napping’ meeting, of which the (less illuminating) official minutes are CRC (44), seventh meeting, in PREM 3/ 111.

Cherwell’s self-justifying memo is folio 834 in PREM 3/111, Ian Jacob’s note is folio 830, and Morrison’s letter is folio 803. His paper of 26 July is in WP (44) 412 and the Cabinet’s response in CAB 65/ 47 as ‘Annexe to WM (44) 97’. On Double Summer Time, see PREM 3/111, folio 224, and RA (44) 24 of 5 September; on Findlater Stewart’s proposals, WP (44) 413; on Eden’s objections to them, WP (44) 435 in CAB 66/53. Graves, pp. 90—91, gives details of the evacuation routes, HO 186/1848, document no. 24, of the ministry map. Jones, pp. 443—5, and Garlinski, Weapons, pp. 160-65, describe the transport of the spoils from Poland; WP (44) 427 in CAB 66/55 warned of the ‘Imminence of Attack’; Jones, pp. 446—9, describes the ‘great white dummy’ and his search for the rocket’s fuel and true dimensions; PREM 3/111, folio 757, immortalizes Cherwell’s view of Dornberger; and Dornberger gives the true facts about the rocket in an illustration facing p. 32 of his book. ‘Pop Gun’ is mentioned in documents 2 and 10 in HO 186/1848; and Jones, pp. 452—8, explains how he deduced the likely rate of fire and his subsequent report. Irving, p. 205, mentions the discovery of Nordhausen. On ‘tallboys’, see The Bombers , p. 163; on their effects on Wizernes, Dornberger, p. 171, and Irving, p. 247; on the ill-starred ‘drones’, Irving, p. 275; on the damage to A-4 factories, Collier, Defence , pp. 347 and 386—8; on US losses, Roger Freeman, p. 174. The Rocket Consequences Committee rejoiced prematurely in RA (44) 24, folios 221—5 in PREM 3/111; the Vice-Chiefs are quoted by Collier, Defence , p. 406; the Ministry of Information’s plans for the worst are given by Thompson, p. 205; Morrison’s statement is quoted by Holl, p. 158, and his advice to the Cabinet is in WM 118, which forms folio 204 of PREM 3/111. On the press conference, see folios 218, 206, 201 and 200 in that file. The transcript is in Air 20/6016. Jones, p. 458, mentions the cocktail party.