U-Boats and Rockets Germany's Forerunner to the Polaris-type Missile by Professor Henry C. Keatts
G
'
bor-or any shore target-from positions miles out at sea." In his presentation to Admiral Donitz, he provided a li st of potential American targets. However, the Kriegsmarine eventually cancelled the experimental program. It was determined that the deck-mounted launch rack would impair the U-boat's speed and ability to crash dive, and could not withstand heavy seas. Also, Navy ordnance experts were reluctant to work with Army rockets. Dr. Steinhoff later said, "I think the idea was never realized because different factions developed in the Navy. Some thought that rockets would have to be loaded inside rather than carried on the deck. They insisted that an entirely new sub would have to be built for underwaterfiring--despite the factthatthe prototype used by us had proved good enough and could have been used as a launching Close-up view of one ofthe rockets in its rack (All photos courtesy of the Submarine Force platform to hit enemy coastal cities." When Kapitanleutnant Steinhoff apLibrary & Museum, Groton CT.) proached Hitler to try and save the one of confidence. We felt no apprehen- project, the FUhrer reprimanded him for sion; we did not fear explosion or launch neglecting his duties of patrolling the Atlantic and sinking Allied shippin g. damage to the ship. " At the war's end, Dr. von Braun, Dr. When Fritz Steinhoff pushed the launch button, all that was heard was a Steinhoff and other German scientists subdued "whoosh" as each missile left surrendered to US forces, for whom its rack, one at a time. The effect on the they continued their rocket research . U-boat was comparable to launching They played chief roles in the development of the Polari s missile. On 20 July torpedoes. The rockets ' range averaged just over 1960, 18 years after U-511 fired the first three miles. Later tests with the U-boat missile from a submerged submarine, submerged to 46 feet were just as suc- the US Navy successfully fired its Pocessful. It was later determined that, by laris missile from the submerged subincreasing the propellant, the rocket marine George Washington (SSBN-598). Kapitanleutnant Steinhoff survived range could be increased to more than the fighting but not World War II. When seven miles. Kapitanle utnant Steinhoff stated , ordered by Donitz to do so, he surren"With this dev ice I can blast any har- dered hi s new command, U-873, to US forces and the U-boat was taken to Below, rockets and launching rack are being fitted to U-511. Portsmouth Navy Yard in New At left, a rocket is fired from the submerged U-boat. Hampshire'. In the naval stockade, pending transfer to a prisoner of war camp, he was reported to have committed suicide. Supposedly despondent over Germany 's defeat and unconditional surrender, Steinhoff reportedly broke his spectacles and used a jagged piece of the lens to slash one of his wrists. J,
ermany had the capability to launch Polari s-type missiles from submerged U-boats as early as the summer of 1942. The idea was conceived by Kapitanleutnant Fritz Steinhoff ofU-511 during the shakedown cruise of his new U-boat in the Baltic. When he returned the vessel to Kiel for routine inspection and repairs, Steinhoff visited the top-secret rocket research center at Peenemunde on the Baltic Sea. He discussed his innovative idea with his brother, Dr. Ernst Steinhoff, who was on Dr. Wernhervon Braun 's staff. Dr. Steinhoff stated, "If a rocket can work in space, it can also work in water. Interesting-I never thought of this. Let's try and figure it out." Von Braun and his team designed a steel launching structure, with racks for four rockets. Each rocket (Granatwerfer) was 16 inches in diameter and was powered by a solid propellant. An electrical wire passed from the conning tower, through an existing watertight lead, under the deck to the launching racks and into the rockets, where the entry was sealed with candle wax. At the army experimental station at Peenemunde four launching racks with a total of 16 rockets were installed behind U-511 's conning tower. On 4 June 1942, Kapitanleutnant Steinhoff, with his brother, von Braun and 20 additional scientists on board, took the U-boatdown to 39 feet. Von Braun later reported, "The general reaction from all of us aboard the experimental sub in our first attempt to launch a missile from a submarine was
H enry Keatts, Professor of Biology & Oceanography at Suffolk Community College, Long Island , New York, is the author of six books on maritime history.
SEA HISTORY 80, WINTER 1996-97
33