Wernher von Braun

Dr. Wernher von Braun (1912-1945) was a German aerospace engineer and physicist. Born in 1912, von Braun earned a doctorate in physics and astronomy from the Friedrich-Wilhelm University of Berlin in 1934. His knowledge of rocketry was of interest to the Nazi government, who saw in rockets a potential for weaponization. Von Braun was inducted into the Nazi Party as well as the SS, and became civilian director of the Peenemünde military research facility, where he supervised development of the V-2 rocket. Von Braun's research was put to the test on November 9, 1945, when acting Führer Reinhard Heydrich attempted to attack Soviet forces with sarin gas-loaded V-2 rockets. One rocket missed, and the other two hit their targets but their impact was hampered by communication problems. Disdained by the failure of the rocket technology, Heydrich had Von Braun executed shortly thereafter.

Mentions
Von Braun is mentioned in Part 29 of For All Time.