Video: The V-2 Rocket

The last V-2 rocket to strike London landed on March 28th, 1945.

Hitler's 'vengeance rocket' was a costly experiment, and though it didn't turn the war's tide, it pummelled southern England from late 1944 until early 1945, with 1,500 missile strikes claiming the lives of over 9,000 people.

The video above shows a newsreel, produced in 1946 and made up of film the Nazis shot whilst making the rockets. Of particular interest is the moment at the 0:50s mark where, following  a failed launch, the rocket tips over and explodes on the ground. As the American commentator drily notes: "Many [missiles] backfired on the Nazis, killing hundreds. Nice thought for der Führer!"

This second video shows colour footage of the construction and testing of the rockets in Peenemünde. It includes brief scenes with Werner von Braun, who would later become a key figure in America's Apollo missions.