Siemens, Heinrich
Person · Germany
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
German expert in aerodynamics during World War II.
Related
Chronology
1 event
1943 February 3
Launch Site: Peenemuende. Launch Complex: Peenemuende. Launch Vehicle: V-2.- Peenemuende privatisation - .
Nation: Germany.
Related Persons: Degenkolb,
Dornberger,
Siemens.
In a meeting with Professor Hettlage, of the Financial and Organisational Ministry of the German Defence Industry, it was proposed that Peenemuende be made a private country, with the Nazi Party and selected corporations (AEG, Siemens, Lorenz, Rheinmetall) being its shareholders. Dornberger saw Degenkolb behind this plan, and was determined to keep Peenemuende an Army proving ground. He felt that an asset, on which several hundred million Marks had been invested by the government, was being handed over to private hands for 1 to 2 million Marks. The investors intended to recover their entire investment back on a fee paid for each missile built. In the end Dornberger managed to keep Peenemuende an Army proving ground, but then he had to fight off an attempt by AEG to take over the electronics side of the development team. The rocket team's electronic engineers were years ahead of the rest of the industry, and a tempting target.