The Aggregat 4 (A4) was the German Wehrmacht’s first long-range missile, regarded as “suitable for war use” since 1940. Wernher von Braun, his team of design engineers and 1,300 scientists had been working towards a rocket capable of bearing a 750-kilogramme explosive charge over a minimum distance of 200 to 300 kilometres, hitting the enemy target with the greatest possible accuracy. The primary purpose of the Aggregat 4 was to terrorise the British, reducing London to rubble through constant bombardment.

On 3 October 1942 the 14-tonne rocket lifted off effortlessly from the Peenemünde launch pad, and the Wehrmacht were certain they had a new weapon for which there were no defences at the time– a long-range rocket which wouldd change the shape of aerial warfare.

This book provides a unique account of the development and combat history of Hitler’s devastating missiles, detailing a wealth of previously unseen material, making this book a must for World War II historians and enthusiasts of strategic analysis alike.