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1935 First American Mailrocket Flight stamp (William Sykora cinderella) featuring an overprint of "V-2 Las Cruces, N.M. 1946" along with a green rectangular "V-2" cachet. The item is signed by Wernher Von Braun, and only 100 sheets with the V-2 overprint were produced. |
The Nazi German V-2 rocket was one of the most sophisticated weapons developed during World War II, with hundreds launched at Allied targets in the final two years of the conflict. Following the end of the war, the United States initiated Operation Paperclip, a covert program that successfully recruited German scientists and engineers, including Wernher von Braun, to work for the American military. Additionally, 100 captured V-2 rockets were transported to White Sands Missile Range, a military testing facility operated by the United States Army. This range was originally established as the White Sands Proving Ground on July 9, 1945.
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Photo: Wernher Von Braun |
Out of the 100 V-2 rockets, the Army conducted test firings of 67 between 1946 and 1951 at the White Sands V-2 Launching Site, also known as Launch Complex 33 and initially designated as Army Launch Area Number 1. This site is situated near the southern end of the White Sands Missile Range, east of Las Cruces, New Mexico. These launches, along with the training of a group of scientists and engineers, directly contributed to the advancement of new rocket launch programs, ultimately paving the way for human spaceflight.
(Reference from
White Sands V-2 Launching Site)