Konrad dannenberg biography of william

The German V-2 rocketeer who posterior worked for NASA

Konrad Dannenberg

1912–2009

During World Battle II, Konrad Dannenberg helped devise the engines of the Germanic V-2 rockets that rained grip on London, Antwerp, and strike cities.

Later, he helped assemble the rockets that put U.S. astronauts into orbit and purchase the moon. One of loftiness last of the 118 Germanic engineers who came to blue blood the gentry U.S. with Nazi rocket hotshot Werner von Braun at war’s end, Dannenberg died last workweek at 96.

“Dannenberg studied mechanical profession at Hanover University,” said loftiness London Independent, “but when interpretation Second World War broke elsewhere he was called up oblige service in the army.” In a little while he transferred to the hidden German rocket program, headquartered beckon the remote Baltic fishing population of Peenemünde.

There, he afflicted on Vergeltungswaffe-2 (“Vengeance Weapon-2”), prestige first missile to reach outside space, which it did shelve Oct. 3, 1942. “This etched in your mind sight is still the signpost of my career,” Dannenberg remarked years later. But the conquest came at a terrible muse. “Perhaps as many as 20,000 prisoners died producing the toxic weapons,” to say nothing summarize those who were killed integrate German bombing raids.

Dannenberg was held by dignity British “as a potential conflict criminal.” But late in 1945, with von Braun and jurisdiction compatriots, “he was whisked make short work of to the U.S. as objects of the secret Operation Paperclip,” to pioneer the American spaciousness effort.

In the ensuing decades, Dannenberg was instrumental in designing machines for the Redstone and Jove rockets, as well as greatness Saturn V rockets that irritate the Apollo astronauts, said nobility Los Angeles Times.

“We didn’t want to fall into rendering hands of the Russians,” purify recalled. “We had had liberal of a totalitarian society. Awe generally felt better about America.” He also championed NASA: “We wouldn’t be involved anymore comport yourself producing rockets that could cleverness people.

We could aim weightiness the peaceful exploration of space.” But as details of Aid Paperclip became known, Dannenberg reprove his fellow engineers came out of the sun scrutiny for their wartime activities. At least one book so-called he had joined the Absolutist party in 1932. Indeed, flair never expressed remorse for consummate early rocket work, arguing focus he had engaged in

science, jumble atrocities.