Braun, Wernher von

Braun, Wernher von (b. 23 Mar. 1912, d. 16 June 1977). German rocket scientist Appointed director of the rocket research station at the test site of Peenemünde, he developed the first automatically steered long-distance rocket called the A4, later renamed the V2. In 1943, the improvement of his rockets received the full support of Hitler, who hoped that this Wunderwaffe (miracle weapon) would swing the balance in a war which saw the Germans in retreat on all fronts. Indeed, between 8 September 1944 and 27 March 1945, more than 1,000 of these rockets, each carrying a ton of explosives, were launched against England. However, their real impact upon the British war effort was negligible. After the war, Braun became a US citizen. As director of the US Ballistic Missile Agency, he took a leading part in the development of the rocket carriers which were used in the US Saturn and Apollo missions.