Page 83 - History of War - Issue 18-15
P. 83
“THE ROCKET WAS A PULSEJET-POWERED
MID-WING UNMANNED AIRCRAFT THAT HAD A
PAYLOAD OF A ONE-TON EXPLOSIVE CHARGE”
The fl ying bomb was big
business for Volkswagen,
accounting for approximately one
third of its revenue in 1943
where it was built. At KdF With a new base and a fresh workforce,
City, production of V-1 rockets production of the V-1 quickly resumed, though
was thwarted as the plant faced Allied bombardment of the French beaches
incessant bombing from the Allies. meant that many of the launch stations for the
This prompted Porsche to look for a V-1 were ruined. Porsche was then charged
suitable new home for the V-1 to be built, with building a V-1 with a wider range that was
and the result was an underground haven at capable of travelling at 500 miles per hour.
Nordhausen. In March 1944, Ferdinand spoke Porsche and his engineers overcame this
with SS chief Heinrich Himmler about the need problem by building a turbocharged jet engine
for a labour force to help dig tunnels and prepare called the Type 300. However, a Type 300 never
the V-1s, which was granted to the tune of 3,500 offi cially took to the skies as VE Day promptly
prisoners of war. ensured the war was terminated.
On 26 May 1938, Parseval,andAustroDaimler(whoPorsche of conversation being the Auto Union’s new P
Adolf Hitler lay the now worked for) were also responsible for the Wagen. Hitler liked the designs for the P Wagen
cornerstone at the designing and building of the tubular frame of race car and sanctioned its build. The car went
KdF-Wagen factory
the 160-foot ship’s control car. Various other on to race successfully from 1934-37.
Porschefour-andsix-cylinderengines,witha Part of Hitler’s vision for his new Germany
Desaxe cylinder placement, found their way into was to build an affordable motor vehicle for the
various aircraft during World War I and beyond. population, and he tasked the entire German
By the end of the war in 1918, Ferdinand had automotive industry with creating it. Porsche
wellandtrulyestablishedhimselfasaleading submitted his design in 1934 and, in 1935,
engineer. This garnered interest from several was awarded the contract by an impressed
leadersaroundEurope,despiteFerdinand Hitler. In fact, the Führer was so pleased that
founding his own company – Porsche – in 1931 he wanted to name the Wolfsburg factory where
with son Ferry. thecarwastobebuiltthe‘PorschePlant’,but
One of those interested parties was Stalin, Ferdinand rejected the offer and the name was
who wanted to significantly boost the industrial changed to the Volkswagen Plant (‘Volkswagen’
capabilities of the Soviet Union. As such, Soviet meaning ‘people’s car’).
representatives visited Porsche at his Stuttgart Porsche’s design was simple by nature,
headquarters and invited him out to visit which is exactly what Hitler wanted, as it was
Stalingrad, to meet the man himself. There,
ofdevelopmentoftheSovietautoindustry.It “PART OF HITLER’S VISION FOR
Stalin offered Porsche a job as general director
At the German Press ball in 1939,
Ferdinand Porsche presents the was a role that Ferdinand Porsche took his time
tombola prize: a Volkswagen toconsider,beforeeventuallydecliningonthe HIS NEW GERMANY WAS TO
grounds that he couldn’t speak Russian. BUILD AN AFFORDABLE MOTOR
However, it was another eventual dictator
that Ferdinand Porsche would acquaint himself VEHICLE FOR THE POPULATION,
with, and the first meeting between the two
wouldcomein1933. AND HE TASKED THE ENTIRE
German Chancellor Adolf Hitler promoted
an interest in motor sports at the opening GERMAN AUTOMOTIVE
oftheBerlinShowin1933,andPorsche
stance. They met shortly after, the main topic INDUSTRY WITH CREATING IT”
promptlywrotetohimcomplimentingsucha
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