Supersonic Nazi Vengeance: V2 Rocket (Part 1)

02/02/24 • 36 min

7 Listeners

At the height of World War Two, British intelligence began receiving reports that the enemy was developing a rocket weapon. The idea seemed fantastical — resources in Nazi Germany were scarce and a rocket-building program defied economic logic.

But one intelligence chief took the reports of a rocket weapon seriously and he managed to convince Winston Churchill to heed the threat too. The British Prime Minister gave the order to bomb Germany’s rocket factory to rubble, and 600 bomber planes embarked on a full-scale attempt to obliterate it.

From the air, the damage appeared devastating. The British thought they had succeeded in crushing the rocket-building program. But they were wrong.

For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com.

Do you have a question for Tim? Send it to [email protected] and we'll do our best to answer it in an upcoming Q&A episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the air, the damage appeared devastating. The British thought they had succeeded in crushing the rocket-building program. But they were wrong.

For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com.

Do you have a question for Tim? Send it to [email protected] and we'll do our best to answer it in an upcoming Q&A episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Tenerife: The Most Deadly Air Disaster

Teaser: In 1977, two planes collided on the runway at Tenerife Airport. Why did the crash happen? And, given that it took place on the ground, why didn't more people escape?

In this new two-parter, Tim Harford explores the most deadly aviation accident in history. Both episodes are available now, ad-free, exclusively for subscribers to Pushkin+.

If you're not already a subscriber, you can sign up for Pushkin+ on our Apple podcasts show page, or at pushkin.fm/plus.

Do you have a question for Tim? Send it to [email protected] and we'll do our best to answer it in an upcoming Q&A episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next Episode

Into the Black Lair: V2 Rocket (Part 2)

1 Recommendations

In the 1920s, Germany’s Society for Spaceship Travel boasted some of the sharpest scientific minds – like the incandescently brilliant young Wernher von Braun. But it had very little money, and progress was slow.

Then, in 1932, the army made a proposal: it would fund more serious research if the enthusiasts at the Society would develop a rocket weapon.

Despite a string of failures to launch, von Braun was able to convince key powerbrokers in Nazi Germany that they couldn’t afford to ignore rocket technology. How did he do it? And what happened when the murderous Heinrich Himmler made a play for the rocket program?

For a full list of sources for this episode, visit timharford.com.

Do you have a question for Tim? Send it to [email protected] and we'll do our best to answer it in a Q&A episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford - Supersonic Nazi Vengeance: V2 Rocket (Part 1)

Transcript

Speaker 100:00:15.410

Pushkin. If you are a loyal Pushkin Plus subscriber, thank you so much. We're really grateful for your support for the show, which helps us give you the storytelling, the acting, the research and the sound design we strive for on cautionary tales. And we hope you're gripped by the two part story of the Tenerief Air disaster we recently released on the Pushkin Plus feed. Now, if you are not a Pushkin Plus subscriber, not to worry. We know it's not