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Riedel, Walther Johannes
German manager and engineer who managed development of V-2 rocket engine after the death of Thiel. In the US he transferred this technology to Rocketdyne, which led to the engines for the Redstone, Thor, Jupiter, Atlas, and Saturn I rockets.

Born: 1903-01-23. Died: 1974-11-16.

Riedel headed rocket engine development at Peenemuende after the death of Thiel in 1944 and was Director of the Development Facility at Karlshagen. By January 1947 he was working with von Braun's team at Fort Bliss, Texas, brought there under Project Paperclip. However Riedel did not get on with von Braun, and was leader of several rocket team members taken on by North American later that year. There he played the key role in the transfer of German rocket engine technology to the United States. In 1947-1951 the planned single-chamber version of the V-2 engine was developed and updated by the combined German-American team for the Navaho cruise missile. This engine was also applied to the Redstone ballistic missile, and its descendants powered the Thor, Jupiter, Atlas, and Saturn I rockets.

In late 1951 several scientists, aeronautical engineers and interested persons established a UFO study group in California. Edward J. Sullivan, a North American Aviation employee, was the spark plug of the organization. Riedel was another prominent member. A denunciation of Riedel as a Nazi by another North American employee, Victor Black, led to an interview by the CIA in February 1953. Riedel later returned to Germany and died at Hamburg.



Country: Germany. Bibliography: 1980, 394.

1903 January 23 - .
First half 1944 - . Launch Site: Heidelager. Launch Complex: Heidelager. Launch Vehicle: V-2.
1974 November 16 - .

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