V-2 Rocket
Aggregate 4b (A-4b)
Aggregate 9 (A-9)

Surface-to-Surface Missile

Service Data

In Service: 27 December 1944 to 1945

Production Data

First Flight: 27 December 1944
Manufacturer: Mittelwerk GmbH, Peenemünde
Number built: 6,000 all variants

Technical Data

Type: Surface-to-Surface Missile

Guidance system: Gyroscope
Length: 14 m
Wingspan: 4.75 m
Diameter: 1.65 m
Weight: 12,900 kg
Engine: 1 × liquid fuel rocket engine producing up to to 25,000 kg of thrust
Maximum speed: 5,580 km/h
Range: 320 km
Warhead: 980 kg Amatol
Fuze: impact
Launch Platform: Mobile
Operators: Heer
Variants:
A-1
A-2
A-3
A-4
A-4 SLBM
A-4b / A-9
A-5
A-6
A-7
A-8
A-9 / A-10

Other: Missiles
Articles:

History

The Aggregate 4b (A-4b) Aggregate 9 (A-9) was a continuation of the Aggregate 4 (A-4) ballistic missile designed and developed by Dr.-Ing. Wernher von Braun in 1944 under the leadership of Dr. Walter Robert Dornberger, at Army Research Center Peenemünde.

The Aggregate 4b (A-4b) was in fact, a standard Aggregate 4 (A-4) missile with swept back wings attached to the side of the missile the main aim of this was to increase the range by degreasing the missiles dissent these design features were intended for a projected Aggregate 9 (A-9)

The Aggregate 4b (A-4b) ballistic missile was 14 m long by 1.65 m in diameter with a wingspan of 4.75 m and had a take off weight 12,500 kg. The rocket engine used in the Aggregate 4b (A-4b) was also used in the Aggregate 4 (A-4) which was a liquid fuel rocket engine producing up to to 25,000 kg of thrust using a pressure fed system that used 25% liquid oxygen and 75% ethanol, which was designed by Walter Thiel. However, Walter Thiel was killed by a heavy bombing raid on Peenemünde called operation Hydra. Dipl.-Ing. Martin Schilling replaced Walter Thiel.

Testing of the Aggregate 4b (A-4b) was carried out at
Army Research Center Peenemünde on 27 December 1944 but this launch ended in failure as the missiles guidance system failed to initialise and the missile crashed. Another attempt was made on the 24 January 1945 but unfortunately, this attempt was also a failure due to the fact that the wings could not withstand the strain of re-entry and sheared off.

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Sources

The Warplanes of the Third Reich.
ISBN-10: 0385057822

German Aircraft of the Second World War.
ISBN-10: 0370000242

Hitler's Luftwaffe.
ISBN-10: 051718771X

For a complete list of sources