Description:

Wernher von Braun
Karlshagen, Germany, July 16, 1943
Rare Wernher von Braun Signed V-2 Rocket Report
DS
Final report detailing the test flight of a German V-2 (A4) rocket, signed on second page by Wernher von Braun as "v. Braun". 7pp in German, 8.25" x 11.75", Karlshagen, July 16, 1943. Stamped as top secret ("Geheime Kommandosache"), the report provides flight results, tracking charts, and two original glossy photographs depicting the V28 launch. Exhibits isolated soiling to left side edge near staples, with general toning and degrees of edge tearing to pages within. A remarkable historical record of an early V-2 flight! Accompanied by a full English translation.

Headed "Final Report V28", indicating the twenty eighth launch of rocket Aggregat 4 (A4, the technical name of the V-2), the report provides various details on the rocket. Reading in part: "Device: A4 V28 with industrial guidance II, Propulsion: 15 atm/25to/18 pot furnace no. 79/60, Turbopump no. 023, L 51 pressure stem device, Heat exchanger no. 53… Measurements and weights for V28: Length 14 meters, Caliber 1.65 meters… Total weight at takeoff 12702 kg".

It goes on to offer an operational description of the flight: "The shot was fired at 15:24 on 22 June 1943 at Test Stand VII. After ignition, the first and the second stages were without incident. The device lifted off at about 0.7 g. Flight path: The deviation began in the 4th second. The end of combustion was premature during the 63rd second. At this time, the device was 29 km in altitude and 21.4 km from the launch site. The associated flight path speed was 1485 meters/second with acceleration of gradient of 46.1 degrees from perpendicular… Shortly after combustion, there was an explosion during the 70th second, which split up the device into pieces… these pieces of the device crashed into the sea. "

The report concludes: "The flight path was without incident until the 70th second. The planned Robinson bridge termination of combustion was prevented from the 45th second on because the coupler turned off. Combustion would have thus been expected from a rapid firing during the 67th second. The termination of combustion that was premature anyway and the subsequent explosion was traced back to a disruption in the power unit…".

The village of Karlshagen lies between the municipalities of Zinnowitz and Peenemünde, the latter of which would be the location of the secret research center where the V-2 was developed, produced, and tested. Wernher von Braun, as the research facility's head, played a key role in the testing and subsequent development of the A4/V2. After the war, von Braun and a hundred of his personnel emigrated to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip, where their knowledge was leveraged in the development of the Redstone missile and Saturn launch vehicles.

This document, among von Braun's other papers and protocols were formerly owned by Dr. Kurt Debus (1908-1983), first Director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center and original member of the latter's rocket development team. The offered report therefore, offers a desirable early recording of a V-2 flight, which in turn resembles that of later reports by von Braun and his team in evaluating the Saturn rockets.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 8.25" x 11.75"
  • Medium: DS

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