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In late 1944, a unit was formed, and at a meeting in the Fuhrer's headquarters it was referred to as tank company "Kummersdorf". This unit consisted of three tank platoons (mostly still mobile), one recon platoon of armored vehicles, an infantry (Grenadier) platoon and one tank platoon, consisting of
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refers to the tanks testing station at
Kummersdorf during the 1942 offensive against the Soviet Union. The station showed that the treads or motor of a heavy tank need repairs every 400–500 miles. This was a limiting factor in the offensive as supply lines became stretched and spare parts carried by
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took part in combat south-east of
Kummersdorf, where they and workers, civilians and other people at the facility were thrown together to make a makeshift grenadier unit. By the battles end, the VK 4501 (P) had destroyed a single T-34 and the Grenadiers had destroyed several others, a nearby
70:. In 1880, the first firing experiments took place on the 12 km southeast-northwest firing range. These experiments investigated the effectiveness of various fortifications, and the effects of weapons and projectiles. Total size of the Kummersdorf Firing Range was 878.1
429:, which was taken on the outskirts of Berlin, these were believed to be from Kummersdorf. On March 9, 1945 the commander of Army Group Vistula signed the order for all tanks still at Kummersdorf to be sent away in parts to the occupying defences around
210:, witnessing the test firing of the 650 and 2200 pound thrust rocket motors, and viewed components of the A-3 and A-5. He also enquired how long it would take to develop the A-4. Hitler was skeptical of the rocket's potential.
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The first casualties in rocket development occurred in March 1934, when Dr. Wahmke and 2 assistants were killed, and another assistant was injured. A propellant fuel tank exploded, while experimenting with mixing 90%
588:
Neufeld, Michael J., "The Rocket and the Reich: Peenemünde and the Coming of the
Ballistic Missile," Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1996, Library of Congress card number 94-30088,
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coast which offered much greater space and secrecy. Dr. Thiel and his staff followed in the summer of 1940. Test Stand VI at Pennemünde was an exact replica to
Kummersdorf's large test stand.
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infantry tanks (with the former being largely seized following the evacuation of Allied troops at
Dunkirk and the latter from both Dunkirk as well as in North Africa). There were also many
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undertook research into the use of rocket propulsion for military purposes, and responsibility for rocket development was assigned to the
Ballistics Branch of the Army Weapons Department.
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was investigated. In the 1920s, secret development started in the areas of artillery, armored forces, motor vehicles, signals technology and aviation. On 21 September 1933,
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Kummersdorf was also the location for the analyses, studies and testing of various German-captured Allied tanks and armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs). Many
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joined that branch in 1930. They built a test stand for liquid-propellant rockets, Experimental
Station West, at Kummersdorf in December 1932. Dornberger,
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and having the fuselage on fire due to an unpredicted area of low aerodynamic pressure drawing alcohol fumes back into the airframe which then ignited.
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Another tank unit was formed at
Kummersdorf and participated in combat on April 21, 1945. The fighting took place to the south in the direction of
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fitted with a Y-shaped exhaust outlet (an early variant-model of the
Churchill) for deep-wading and amphibious operations which was used at the
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on April 4, 1945, at least part of a tank company should have been transferred to the district of
Dresden. Non-mobile equipment, including a
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The fate of the tanks left at the facility is unknown, though some information suggests that several American made tanks were sent to
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In 1935, work commenced on using rocket motors to power aircraft. In 1936, a rocket motor was installed in tail of a
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destroyed another advancing T-34. The entire unit failed in their mission and dispersed into the nearby woods.
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177:, listed as a reserve airfield in the event of war). On 3 June 1937 the Heinkel He 112 was flown by test pilot
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to the Kummersdorf Forest. The new range became operational on 15 October 1875 when it was connected with the
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Kummersdorf-Gut, Verskraft, Eisenbahnpioniere Schumkasee, Kaserne Klausdorf-Rehagen, Sperenberg
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medium tanks, the SU-series of self-propelled artillery/guns (such as the SU-85) and the
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from all combat-fronts, from North Africa to the Eastern Front, were tested there, with
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Kummersdorf entry in "The Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Spaceflight"
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In 1871, the Prussian ministry of war decided to move the artillery test range at
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The official Erich Warsitz Website, inclusive rare videos and audio commentaries
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to determine stable flight configurations, starting from zero through to
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saw combat in the Zossen area. There is also a photo of knocked out
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THE FIRST JET PILOT - The Story of German Test Pilot Erich Warsitz
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became a member of Combat Group Ritter, who fought in the area of
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which ran a development centre for future weapons as well as an
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http://beutepanzer.ru/Beutepanzer/Museum/Articles/Artcile.html
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In May 1937, Dornberger, and most of his staff, moved to
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visited Kummersdorf West in March 1939, accompanied by
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After 1938 Kummersdorf was used for nuclear research.
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tested their first rocket motor on 21 December, using
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The Wehrmacht Weapons Testing Ground at Kummersdorf
610:. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 331.
578:. New York: The Viking Press, Inc. pp. 27–42.
544:. Atglen: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. pp. 9–46.
249:(the mainstay of Soviet armoured forces) and the
122:joined the organization, and work started on the
257:heavy tank, just to list a few. There were also
23:Barracks ruins in Kummersdorf Gut in Brandenburg
433:. What became of these tanks is still unknown.
181:, propelled by rocket power alone, despite the
664:http://members.aol.com/kummersdrf/kummer0.htm
8:
425:Cruiser tanks sitting next to a knocked out
638:, Pen and Sword Books Ltd., England, 2009,
229:tanks being multiple variant-models of the
173:(a large field about 70 kilometres east of
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705:Research and development in Nazi Germany
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16:Former military establishment in Germany
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142:were successfully launched from the
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281:tanks there as well, such as the
217:Armored fighting vehicle history
158:and alcohol, before combustion.
390:, coming from the direction of
68:Royal Prussian Military Railway
352:Jagdtiger heavy tank destroyer
241:, amongst several others, and
30:is the name of an estate near
1:
710:World War II sites in Germany
34:, around 25 km south of
540:Fleischer, Wolfgang (1997).
360:Carro Armato P 40 Heavy Tank
321:Panzer V Panther medium tank
292:was present at Kummersdorf.
96:Minister of National Defense
86:visited for the first time.
574:Dornberger, Walter (1954).
311:-hulled competitor for the
303:tanks there, including the
290:Carro Armato P40 heavy tank
90:Aircraft and rocket history
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315:production contract), the
342:the tanks were consumed.
261:tanks there, including a
700:Geography of Brandenburg
245:tanks consisting of the
377:88 mm (8.8 cm) flak gun
208:Walther von Brauchitsch
608:Inside the Third Reich
606:Speer, Albert (1995).
169:) were carried out at
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333:Panzerkampfwagen Maus
317:Hetzer tank destroyer
285:heavy tank. Also, an
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331:, and the 188-tonne
94:In 1929, the German
501:52.0971°N 13.3571°E
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388:1st Ukrainian Front
325:Tiger II heavy tank
403:Panzer Brigade 150
335:super-heavy tank.
269:, along with many
239:M10 tank destroyer
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644:978-1-84415-818-8
443:Walter Dornberger
192:on the island of
183:wheels-up landing
156:hydrogen peroxide
136:supersonic speeds
124:Aggregate 1 (A-1)
108:Wernher von Braun
100:Walter Dornberger
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411:T-35 Heavy Tank
407:Operation Greif
354:, two American
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80:Wright biplanes
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130:. They used a
120:Arthur Rudolph
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364:Borgward IVs
362:and several
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339:Albert Speer
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307:(the losing
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78:airship and
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504: /
463:Aggregate 1
372:VK 4501 (P)
350:, a single
329:VK 4502 (P)
305:VK 4501 (P)
267:Dieppe Raid
132:wind tunnel
76:LZ 13 Hansa
48:German Army
40:Brandenburg
32:Luckenwalde
28:Kummersdorf
694:Categories
516:References
492:13°21′26″E
489:52°05′50″N
453:Peenemünde
275:Matilda II
233:tank, the
231:M4 Sherman
190:Peenemünde
146:island of
42:region of
468:Maus Tank
297:Wehrmacht
271:Matilda I
167:Luftwaffe
144:North Sea
52:artillery
38:, in the
437:See also
356:Shermans
348:Tiger II
227:American
114:and 75%
72:hectares
431:Stettin
427:Panther
423:British
313:Tiger I
309:Porsche
287:Italian
283:Char B1
259:British
196:on the
54:range.
44:Germany
642:
614:
592:
548:
473:Berlin
458:Usedom
415:Zossen
392:Golßen
384:Baruth
358:, the
323:, the
319:, the
301:German
279:French
243:Soviet
237:, the
235:M3 Lee
204:Hitler
198:Baltic
194:Usedom
175:Berlin
148:Borkum
106:, and
84:Hitler
36:Berlin
368:Telex
223:tanks
64:Tegel
640:ISBN
612:ISBN
590:ISBN
546:ISBN
409:. A
295:The
273:and
255:IS-2
251:T-28
247:T-34
576:V-2
140:A2s
128:A-2
696::
646:,
560:^
524:^
346:a
150:.
118:.
620:.
554:.
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