A-4 Key Dates
Rev 0 : 01 12 04
Year Date Country Event
    GM US USSR UK                          
1919 June 28   Treaty of Versailles signed. Germany is prevented from re-arming by limitations on aircraft and artillery production. Rockets were not mentioned by the Treaty.
1930 July 23   First static test of a German liquid propellant rocket motor ( 'Kegelduse') carried out by Herman Oberth at Plotzensee, nr Berlin. Motor produced 16 lbf thrust for 90s.
September   German Army establishes its first rocket research station at Kummersdorf-West, near Berlin.
1931 March 14   First German liquid propellant roc ket test flight carried out by Hermann Winkler.
1932 October 1   Werhner von Braun joins German Army rocket development team.
1934 December 19   First of two A-2 research rockets (named Max and Moritz) successfully test launched from Borkum Island in the north sea.
1936 March   A-4 project authorised.
1937 May 1   Army establishes a new Research Centre Peenemunde (HVP) on the Baltic Coast. The A-4 project is asigned Entwicklungswerk-Werk Ost (EW).
December 4,7,8,11.   A-3 test vehicles launched from Greifswalder Oie of the coast of Peenemunde. All failed in their main objective.
1938 April   A-4 development activities are consolidated under Army Weapons Office Wa Pruf 11.
October   Four A-5 rockets launched successfully from Greifswalder Oie.
1939 November 23   Hitler halves the steel quota assigned to Peenemunde idicating a loss of interest in the A-4 project.
1940 March 21   First static test firing of A-4 propulsion system developed 56,000 lbf thrust at Test Stand 1.
1941 August   Hitler authorises A-4 development to achive operational deployment.
1942 March 18   First static test firing of a complete A-4 engineering test specimen.
October 3   First successful test flight of A-4.
December 18   First information arrives in London of a new German weapon - the A-4.
December 22   Hitler signs the production order for the A-4 missile.
December   Construction of Watten underground launch complex started.
1943
May 11   Dornberger put in charge of Wa Pruf 11. 
June 12, 23,28   Aerial photography taken that reveals for the first time evidence of A-4 development at Peenemunde.
June 29   Himmler visits Peenemunde.
July 7   A-4 project given top-priority.
August 17/18   RAF's Operation Hydra raid seriously dislocates A-4 development programme at Peenemunde.
August 27   Watten launch site destroyed by US Eighth Air Force.
September   Decision taken to locate all A-4 production in the Kohnstein area of the Harz mountains near Nordhausen. Tunnels enlarged and prepared for use by WIFO and Todt Organisation.
September 30   Hitler authorises the Wizernes underground A-4 launch complex.
October 19   Army Ordnance Dept issues order for mass production of A-4 rockets at Kohnstein factory.
November   A-4 production plant in the Kohnstein mountain designated Mittelwerk. Limited early parts production begins.
November    Dome construction begins at Wizernes.
November 5   First A-4 test firing from Heidelager rangehead.
November 15   UK's 'Bodyline' investigation into the A-4 rocket programme re-named 'Crossbow'.
December 15   Peenemunde development activities re-aligned under Wa Pruf 10
1944 mid-January   First A-4 rockets delivered to German Army by Mittelwerk. In the last two weeks of the month 50 rockets were produced.
February 10   UK government code-names A-4 as Big Ben.
March     Bombing of Wizernes begins as construction continues.
June   Peenemunde code-named Heimatartilleriepark 11 (HAP-11) 
June 2   1,000 th A-4 completed by Mittelwerk (MW)
July 17   Wizernes dome destroyed by RAF bombing raid
September 5   First two offensive firings of the A-4 rocket (now renamed V-2) were made by Experimental Battery 444. Both rockets, aimed at Paris, failed shortly after launch.
September 10   First A-4 test firing from Heiderkraut rangehead.
October   Final mass production design for A-4 agreed following extensive field testing.
December 27   First of a seres of five winged A-4 test vehicle (A-4b) fails after launching from Peenemunde..
1945 mid-January   Evacuation of Heiderkraut firing range.
February 14   First evacuation train leaves Peenemunde for Hatz Mountains.
February 20   Final test firing of V-2 from Peenemunde.
March   First U.S. Army’s 3rd Armored division. Combat Command B, commanded by General Burton Budinot captures Nordhausen. 
April 3   Evacuation of Peenemunde ordered by Army HQ.
April 6   Germans evacuate all able-bodied prisoners from Dora Camp.
April 10   3rd AmericanTank Division enters Nordhausen
April 11   Dora Camp liberated by US forces
April 19   Soviet Decree 8206 of the State Committee for Defence ordered formation of TsKB-1 - Central Design Bureau 1 - for the purpose of recovering liquid rocket technology from Germany
May 5   Fall of Peenemunde to Soviet forces.
May 20   14-tons of Peenemunde records found in mineshaft near vilage of Dornten in the Harz Mountains.
May 22   First train of captured V-2 components leaves Nordhausen for Antwerp.
May 30   Final consignment of 400-ton of captured V-2 compents (in total of 341 wagons) leaves Nordhausen for Antwerp. 
June 22   UK War Office establishes 'Operation Backfire' to investigate the V-2 weapon system and conduct some trial launchings.
June 30   US forces leave Nordhausen area
end-June   16 Liberty ships arrive in New Orleans from Antwerp with their V-2 cargoes.
July 1   Soviets reach Nordhausen
July 19   US established Project Overcast  to exploit German technology finds.
July 27   Germany Army adandons Blizna Range.
August   Soviet engineers re-commission the Zentralwerke's V-2 engine static test stands at Bleicherode
mid-August   UK Army decides to construct eight V-2's to ensure that there a four available for flight testing.
August 6   Soviet troops enter Blizna area.
August 10   US learns that USSR has established 'Institution Rabe' to co-ordinate exploitation of resiources found at Peenemunde, Mittelwerk and Bleicherode.
August 21   UK forces recover 12 V-2's from location near to Lesse which provide the eight required test vehicles for 'Operation Backfire'.
October4 1   US Project Paperclip begins collection of top German rocket engineers and scientists.
December 2   Final group of German rocket engineers arrive in the US at Fort Bliss, El Paso, TX from Europe.
1946 February 21   German rocket team arrives at White Sands Proving Ground.
March   First two complete V-2's were ready for test firings at Zentralwerke site.
March 15   First static test firing of US V-2 conducted at White Sands.
April 16   First US launch of a captured V-2 made at White Sands Proving Ground.
May 13   Soviets setup new Institutes for developing German rocket technology: NII-88 at Podlipki for rocket design; OKB-46 at Khimki for engine development and NII-885 for guidance systems.
July - September   Soviet engineers conduct 40 test firings using modified propellant injectors and mixture ratios. Thrust of the basic V-2 engine was increased from 25 to 30 tonnes. 
September   First ten Series-N series (new-production) V-2's were completed. Five were equipped for atmospheric measurements,and five for radio guidance tests.
October 22   Soviet forces close Dora camp.
1947 March 7   First shipboard launch of a V-2 made by US Navy from aircraft carrier USS Midway.
March 15   Stalin institutes Soviet long range missile programme.
October 18   First captured German V-2 launched by Russian forces from Kapustin Yar..
September 17   Completion of V-2 test facilities at Kapustin Yar.
1948 April 14   Soviet government approves start of R-1 rocket programme - a copy of the German A-4.
May 13   First two-stage US V-2 (Bumper #1) launch made from White Sands.
September 17   First R-1 launched. A total of 12 rockets were launched in the autumn of 1948 with five failures.
October 10   First of seven successful R-1 test flights in 1948.
1950 July 24   First launching from Cape Canveral made by 2-stage V-2 (Bumper # 8)
November 25   The R-1 enters initial deployment with the Soviet Army.
1951 June 1   Decision to put R-1 missile into mass production.
1952 November 28   Mass production of R-1 missile begins at Plant No. 586 in Dnepropetrovsk.