Failure To Launch Mittelwerk: Part 6 (w. Joe Kassabian)
Dec 31, 2025
Delve into the chilling history of Mittelwerk, the slave factory behind Hitler's V-2 rockets. Joe Kassabian shares insights on the horrific conditions and the grim death toll. As Allied forces capture the site, the scramble to secure Nazi technology unfolds. Hear about Operation Paperclip and the ethical dilemmas surrounding former Nazis like Wernher von Braun. The discussions also touch on postwar trials, the shifting standards of justice, and the disturbing legacy of these wartime atrocities in the context of space exploration.
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Mittelbau Was A Slave-Labour Rocket Complex
- Mittelbau (Dora) combined a rocket factory and a vast concentration camp network that used mass slave labour for V-2 production and other projects.
- Joe Kassabian and Quinn emphasize that the site's history is essential context for understanding space technology's origins.
V‑2s: Mass Production, Mass Death
- More than 6,000 V-2s were produced and around 95% came from Mittelbau's tunnels, while tens of thousands died building them or from launches.
- The V-2's civilian targeting made it a terror weapon rather than a precision military armament.
Occupation Lines Fueled A Scavenger Rush
- Allied occupation lines meant Americans temporarily controlled many rocket sites destined for Soviet zones, prompting a frantic salvage of parts and documents.
- This scramble birthed Operation Overcast/Paperclip which shipped tons of material to the U.S.