The Origins of Surface-to-Air Guided Missile Technology

Publisher Description
World War II saw the appearance of numerous revolutionary armaments on both sides of the conflict that would radically change the nature of warfare, from jet aircraft to the ballistic missile and the atomic bomb. The greatest conflagration in history also saw the conception of the first surface-to-air guided missile systems: technology pioneered by German scientists and engineers through an extensive development programme which ran from 1942 to 1945. Although the programme did not achieve its main objective – to introduce a functional weapon system into the Luftwaffe air defence network – German research and development in most aspects of the technology was ahead of comparable research in the United Kingdom and the United States.

The history of the transfer of German SAM technology to the Allies after 1945 has previously been overshadowed by the well-published transfers of the V-1 and V-2 guided missiles. This book presents the first complete history of Germany's wartime development of surface-to-air missile (SAM) technology, how the Allies acquired this secret research towards the end of World War II in Europe and in the early postwar period, and how they then exploited this knowledge.
 
Author Biography
Dr James Mills is a historian who specialises in 20th–century history. He has published a number of articles on the transfer of scientific and technical knowledge from Germany to the Allies after World War II.
 
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: IntroductionChapter 2: German Flak-Rakete research and development during World War IIChapter 3: British and American SAM research and development up to 1945Chapter 4: Anglo-American investigations of intelligence targets linked to the German SAM programmeChapter 5: The transfer of German SAM technology to the United States after 1945Chapter 6: The transfer of German SAM technology to the British Commonwealth after 1945Chapter 7: French liaisons with the Anglo-Americans and the transfer of German SAM technology to France after 1945Chapter 8: Conclusion
 
Review
"...tells a tale that needed to be added to the military history of World War II and its direct aftermath."-- "A Wargamers Needful Things"
"For military technology historians of this era, Mills's book fills a gap in understanding Nazi Germany's contribution to advancing Cold-War SAM technology. It is very much worth a read."-- "Journal of Military History"
"Author James Mills presents an amazing, detailed history review of the German surface-to-air guided missile technology development...The level of detail [he] provides is astounding."-- "Military Review"
"For anyone with a serious interest in surface-to-air missile development, this is a must read and a worthy addition as a reference volume."-- "Air & Space Power History"
 
Feature
Explores the origins of SAM technology crucial armaments in modern air defence networks as a comparative history of the early development of the technology in the four countries concerned.