Michael Neufeld - The Rocket and the Reich

62. Thiel minutes of 21.8.42 meeting in NASM, FE358.

63. WD to HAP, 29.9.42, in NASM, FE342. On V7, WvB to Stegmaier, 29.7.42, in BA/MA, RH8/v.1954.

64. WD, V-2 , 3–17; WD, “A4: Stand der Entwicklung,” 8.10.42, in BA/MA, RH8/V.1228; Riedel III minutes of 4.11.42 meeting, in BA/MA, RH8/v.1954.

65. WvB, “Behind the Scenes,” 25, SRCH, WvB Papers. For Dornberger rhetoric, see his draft lecture, 9.6.42, in NASM, FE358, and “Denkschrift,” c. late 1943, NASM, FE496. For his political opinions, see entries of 31.10.38, 12.5.43 and 4.6.43, in WD notebook #1, DM.

1. Speer office chronicle, 4–6.10.42, in BA, R3/1736; WD to Gen. Hartmann/Arm. Min., 6.10.42, in NASM, FE342; WD, “A4: Stand der Entwicklung,” 8.10.42, in BA/MA, RH8/v.1228; HAP/EW/TDZ, “Versuchsschiessen A4,” 7.43, pictured in WD, Peenemünde .

2. WD to Stegmaier, 9.10.42, in NASM, FE728/f; WvB to WD, 16.9.42, and WD to Leeb, 22.10.42, in DM, (FE1106). Dornberger must have forgotten Milch’s announcement of “Cherry Stone” at the first A-4 launch attempt in June.

3. Stegmaier order and WvB “Rundschreiben,” 10.10.42, in NASM, “Peenemünde #2”; A-7 drop test report, 10.11.42, in DM, GD630.0.10; WD, V-2 , 139; Dahm OHI, 9–10, 13; Steinhoff minutes of 16.12.42 meeting in NASM, FE753/a; Renz/RLM/L Flak to Milch, 13.1.43, in BA/MA, RH8/V.1235.

4. WvB, “Behind the Scenes,” 26, SRCH, WvB Papers.

5. Speer minutes, 23.6.42 and 13–14.10.42, in Boelcke, Deutschlands Rüstung , 138, 194; Speer to Leeb, Milch, Fromm, and Zeitzler, 24.10.42, and Leeb (WD) to Fromm, 29.10.42, in NASM, FE342; WvB, “Einsatzplanung A4,” 18.12.42, in NASM, FE333.

6. Speer minutes, 22.11.42, in Hillgruber, Kriegstagebuch , 2/2:1312; Hölsken, V-Waffen , 37, 83–89.

7. Speer minutes, 3/4/5.1.43, in Boelcke, Deutschlands Rüstung , 214; WD (WvB) to Abwehr/OKW, 21.11.42, on a 13.10.42 intelligence report, in NASM, FE741. For fanciful German reports on U.S. rocket development in 1943–44, see Abwehr to Wa Stab et al , 10.3.43, in DM, GD629.1.2, “Bericht zur USA-Rakete ‘Comet’,” DM, GD620.0.9, and corr. in NA, T-78/663/347–53.

8. Speer minutes, 22.11.42, in Hillgruber, Kriegstagebuch , 2/2:1312; WD to Thiele/OKW/Ag WNV, 23.11.42, in NASM, FE692/f; Löhr to Wa Prüf, 24.11.42, in BA/MA, RH8/v.1230.

9. WD Vortragsnotiz, 14.12.39, in NASM, FE349; HAP/EW, “Vorschläge für den Einsatz,” 21.3.42, in DM, GD639.1.4; WD to Zanssen, 10.11.42, and WvB, “Einsatzplanung A4,” 18.12.42, in NASM, FE333; Reisig OHI, 55–58; WvB, “Die befestigte Abschussstelle für A4,” 27.11.42, in DM, (FE1714); WvB, “Behind the Scenes,” 28, SRCH, WvB Papers; WD, V-2 , 103–4.

10. Stahlknecht minutes of 5.12.42 meeting, in BA/MA, RH8/v.1959.

11. WD, V-2 , 75, 97–98; Freund and Perz, Das Kz , 35–38.

12. WD minutes of 22.12.42 meeting, in NASM, FE355; WD, V-2 , 73–79; Hautefeuille, Constructions speciales , 20–27; Hölsken, V-Waffen , 38; Speer, Inside , 471, 694. Hitler could not have signed it on December 12 or December 22, as Speer inconsistently asserts. He was, however, at Führer headquarters December 15–17. See Speer office chronicle, 15–17.12.42, BA, R3/1736.

13. Schubert chronicle, 6.1.43 and 11.2.43, and Rudolph Aktennotiz, 9.2.43, in BA/MA, RH8/v.1210; Degenkolb to WvB, 29.1.43, and WvB to Degenkolb, 11.2.43, in NASM, FE732; WD lecture, 3.3.43, in NASM, FE358.

14. WD, V-2 , 75–85; Schubert chronicle, 23–26.2.43 and 10–12.3.43, in BA/MA, RH8/v.1210.

15. Schubert chronicle, 20.12.41, in BA/MA, RH8/v.1208; minutes of 19.11.42 meeting in BA/MA, RH8/v.1209; Schubert chronicle, 16–19.3., 29.3., 15–17.4., 30.4., and 8.5.43 in BA/MA, RH8/v.1210; WD order, 8.6.43, in NASM, FE732; Freund, Arbeitslager Zement , 37–38. Speer’s opinion of the aggressive moves made by Degenkolb and his associates is unknown, but he must have at least tolerated them.

16. Stahlknecht to WvB, 24.2.43, in NASM, FE358; WD, “A4: Stand der Entwicklung,” 8.10.42, BA/MA, RH8/v.1228; WD minutes of 22.12.42 meeting in NASM, FE355; Schubert chronicle, 31.3.43, in BA/MA, RH8/v.1210; Freund and Perz, Das Kz , 49, 62–63; Degenkolb circular, 2.4.43, in NASM, FE732.

17. WD, V-2 , 89–90; WvB circular, 30.4.43, in NASM, FE732; Thom, “Notizen,” 9.5.42, in NASM, FE728/f; WD order, 6.6.42, in BA/MA, RH8/V.1959; WD to Pleiger, 16.1.43, in NASM, FE356.

18. Leeb (WD) to Chef H Stab/Chef OKW, 8.4.43, in NASM, FE341; Storch/Siemens to Steinhoff, 20.3.43, in DM, (FE1224/1); WvB circular, 30.4.43, in NASM, FE732; Rudolph OHI, 88, 92.

19. Thiel to WvB, 16.3.43, in NASM, FE692/f.

20. Von Zborowski SS-officer file, BDC; SS corr. on v. Zborowski, in BA, NS19/3711; Schubert chronicle, 11.12.42, in BA/MA, RH8/v.1209; Himmler’s daily schedule, 11.12.42, in NA, T-581/40A (no frame nos.); HAP/EW/TDZ, “Versuchsschiessen A4,” 7.43, pictured in WD, Peenemünde . WD, V-2 , 180, misdates this visit as April 1943.

21. Berger to Himmler, 16.12.42, NA, T-175/117/2642360.

22. Stegmaier to Berger, 26.1.43, Berger to Himmler, 1.2.43, and Himmler to Berger, 8.2.43, in NA, T-175/124/2599320–22; Himmler notes on Hitler meetings, 23.1.43 and 10.2.43, in BA, NS19/1474; WD lecture, 3.3.43, in NASM, FE358.

23. WD, V-2 , 74, 88, 205–6; Himmler to Milch, 3.2.43, in BA, NS19/1197.

24. Speer minutes, 3/4/5.1.43, in Boelcke, Deutschlands Rüstung , 214; WD to Wa Prüf 1, 18.1.43, in NASM, FE692/f.

25. Hölsken, V-Waffen , 37; WD, V-2 , 180–211.

26. WvB, “Affidavit of Membership in NSDAP…,” 18.6.47, El Paso, Texas, in FOIA release, INSCOM; WvB SS-officer file card, BDC.

27. WvB, “Affidavit,” 18.6.47, in FOIA release, INSCOM; Reisig OHI, 1989, 86–87; SS-Stammrollenblatt for WvB, 28.2.34, from BA, Zwischenarchiv Dallwitz-Hoppegarten (Stasi archive).

28. WvB, “Affidavit,” 18.6.47, in FOIA release, INSCOM; survey of membership in Nazi organizations from BDC records, INSCOM FOIA releases, Project Paperclip and IRR files in NA, RG 319 and 330. The sample is not truly random; Party members may be overrepresented because of the influence of publicized cases on the selection process. See Hunt, Secret Agenda; Hunt, “U.S. Coverup”; and Bower, Paperclip Conspiracy . The one ambiguous case is Gerhard Reisig, who says he was asked to join the Party, but no record of his membership exists in the BDC. Reisig OHI, 1985, 25–26. Four individuals, including Rudolph and two SS members, were also in the SA at one time or another. As a general principle, names will be mentioned only if they have already been published by others.

29. Heimburg OHI, 50–51; interview with unnamed Huntsville engineer, 23.5.61, in WvB FOIA release by FBI; WvB to SS-RuSHA, 25.3. and 5.4.43, and marriage application, 5.4.43, in BDC; Himmler to Milch, 3.2.43, in BA, NS19/1197; v. Zborowski–Himmler correspondence, 1943, in BA, NS19/3711.

30. Mazuw telegram to Himmler, 27.3.43, Himmler to Berger, 29.3.43, and Berger to Himmler, 5.4.43, in NA, T-175/124/2599315–19. For earlier accounts, see Speer, Infiltration , 204; Irving, Geheimwaffen , 35–41.

31. Reisig OHI, 1989, 80–81; Rees OHI, 13; Heimburg OHI, 67–69; Rudolph OHI, 86–86; interviews with Mr. and Mrs. Manfred Schubert, Dr. and Mrs. Hans Geipel, and Mr. and Mrs. Gerhard Zanssen, by Neufeld, 1989 and 1990; Mrs. Leo Zanssen, biographical fragment, courtesy of same; Fromm to Himmler, 10.6.43, and Mazuw to Himmler, 27.3.43, in NA, T-175/124/2599307 and 2599319.