During World War II, the Nazis emerged as pioneers of a diverse range of weaponry called Wunderwaffe, spanning from tangible deployment on the battlefield to mere conceptualization. This formidable assortment boasted many weapons that were nothing short of exceptionally terrifying, harnessing technology that was largely unprecedented at the time.
Unleashed upon soldiers entrenched on the front lines and innocent civilians dwelling in cities and towns, these audacious designs evoked visceral fear and apprehension. However, their significance extended far beyond their immediate impact, as they laid the foundation for the subsequent development and enhancement of contemporary weapon systems by the triumphant nations of World War II.
Amidst the plethora of awe-inspiring and remarkable creations, a select few veered into the realm of the genuinely peculiar. Presented here are some of the most extraordinary instances drawn from the extensive arsenal of the Wunderwaffe.
What is the Wunderwaffe?
During Germany’s initial triumphs from 1939 to 1941, Adolf Hitler conveyed his decision to impose novel restrictions on the aerospace industry’s aircraft research and development. However, by 1942, both the Führer and the Air Force High Command (Oberkommando der Luftwaffe) had come to acknowledge their misjudgment.
Recognizing the growing vulnerability of their fighter aircraft, Hitler witnessed the decline of his steadfast and proven machines, such as the Messerschmitt Me-109, in the face of the new Allied long-range fighters exemplified by the North American P-51 Mustang.
The Nazis meant to make the wunderwaffe; weapons that would help them win
These fighters escorted U.S. and British bombers, relentlessly devastating Germany with minimal opposition. The incessant onslaught of Allied bombing eventually coerced Hitler to invest in producing cutting-edge aircraft that would transcend technological boundaries.
Among these advancements were bombers endowed with the capacity to carry the war effort to America and territories extending beyond the Ural Mountains into Russia. To the German war machine, the Wunderwaffe, aptly named “wonder weapons,” held the key to the survival or demise of the Third Reich.
Hence started, Germany’s vision for the creation of an affordable, revolutionary aircraft incorporating advanced technology, allowing for rapid and efficient mass production.
Wunderwaffe 01: The Me-262 Jet Fighter
Among the aircraft concepts advocated by the designers, the jet fighter stood out prominently. The emergence of operational jet aircraft was made possible by the groundbreaking engine designs developed before the war by Britain’s Sir Frank Whittle and Germany’s Hans-Joachim Pabst von Ohain.
Both inventors pioneered the creation of centrifugal and axial flow turbojets, marking a significant leap forward in aircraft design.
Despite the extensive devastation inflicted upon German industry, aircraft manufacturers were driven to construct the world’s first operational jet fighter. By the conclusion of 1942, two companies, Heinkel and Messerschmitt, had initiated turbojet projects: the He-280 and the Me-262, respectively.
Following a series of competitive evaluations between the two prototypes, the Me-262 was ultimately selected for production. The decision was primarily influenced by the preferences of test pilots who favored the Me-262’s superior range and enhanced speed, achieved through its twin Junkers Jumo engines.
The ME 262 Fighter jet
In May 1943, General Adolf Galland, the commander of the Luftwaffe’s fighter force, took to the skies in the Me-262 and proclaimed that his flight in the jet felt akin to “being pushed by angels.” Boasting a speed exceeding 540 miles per hour and unmatched combat capabilities compared to any Allied aircraft, these innovative machines were heralded as the Reich’s most promising chance to reverse the tide of a faltering war.
However, as the winter of 1943 approached and waves of Allied bombers intensified over the Reich, Hitler grew increasingly concerned about the Me-262’s high fuel consumption, which postponed production.
Nevertheless, in January 1944, after reading an article in the British press highlighting the successful jet aircraft experiments conducted by the Allies, Hitler issued an order for the accelerated production of the Me-262, with an ambitious target of manufacturing 1,000 units per month.
Wunderwaffe 02: Vergeltung-Waffe (The Rocket Program)
While the Me-262 jets were conceived as tactical weapons to safeguard German skies against Allied aerial assaults and counter enemy ground attacks, Hitler’s “Retaliation Weapons,” known as Vergeltung-Waffe, were designed with a more sinister purpose.
These technological marvels served as instruments of terror, exacting vengeance for the relentless British and American bombings of German cities. London, in particular, was destined to be reduced to rubble under the onslaught of over 3,000 missiles each week.
Shortly after the first Allied soldiers landed on the Normandy coast on June 6, 1944, orders were issued by the German High Command to unleash these devastating war machines.
The origins of Hitler’s “Retaliation Weapons” can be traced back to the early 1930s when experiments in rocket technology commenced under the guidance of Army Captain Walter Dornberger and his colleague, the fervent rocket enthusiast Wernher von Braun. By 1934, the Aggregat series, comprising liquid-fueled, gyro-stabilized rocket prototypes, had been developed.
To ensure the utmost secrecy surrounding the weapon’s development, research laboratories, testing sites, power plants, and factories were established on the remote island of Peenemunde, located just off the northern coast of Germany in the Baltic Sea.
By 1939, various models of the Aggregat rocket series, ranging from A-1 to A-4, had been successfully produced. However, Hitler initially regarded the program as unnecessary, until the Luftwaffe was defeated in the Battle of Britain. This turning point prompted the elevation of the A-4 project to the highest priority, leading to the initiation of missile testing in March 1942.
A Vergeltung-Waffe, the flying bomb
Over three intense months, the battle against the flying bombs unfolded across Kent, Sussex, and London, as the Germans unleashed an average of 97 bombs daily upon the capital.
The remarkable speed of these weapons rendered British anti-aircraft artillery ineffective in countering the menace. By the end of August, a staggering 2,224 V-1 bombs had rained down England, claiming the lives of 5,476 British citizens and causing extensive destruction to countless homes and factories.
It was only through the combined efforts of repeated Allied air attacks and the relentless advance of ground forces in France and Belgium that the Germans were compelled to dismantle their V-1 bomb installations in those regions, effectively ending the V-1 blitz by September 1.
However, the demise of the V-1 threat heralded the emergence of an even more formidable missile menace orchestrated by the Germans: the V-2. Launched from mobile platforms stationed in Holland, these 12-ton, 46-foot-long rockets employed Meillerwagen trailers as transport and firing platforms.
The V-2 could be launched from any small clearing, with the preparation and firing process taking a mere hour. Accelerating to an altitude of 55 miles and a speed of 3,580 miles per hour, the V-2 possessed a range of 200 miles, making it capable of wreaking havoc on London a mere four minutes after liftoff.
Under the control of the SS, the first launches of V-2 rockets occurred on September 8, 1944, targeting Paris and London from the vicinity of The Hague in the Netherlands. In the subsequent weeks, a barrage of rockets, including both V-1 and V-2, struck London.
November alone witnessed 82 of these devastating projectiles raining down upon the city, resulting in the loss of hundreds of innocent lives. Antwerp also endured the impact of 924 rockets by the year’s end, while London faced a total of 447 targeted attacks.
On March 27, 1945, the final rockets of the war were launched from The Hague. Tragically, the last V-2 to strike London claimed the lives of 134 individuals and left 94 others injured. In total, Hitler’s V-2 rockets caused the death of 2,754 people and inflicted wounds upon 6,523 others, leaving a lasting trail of devastation in their wake.
Wunderwaffe 03: The Maus Tank
If there were any doubts about the relentless pursuit of grandiose war machines by the deranged minds leading the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler’s unyielding desire for the biggest and most formidable engines of destruction is unequivocally demonstrated by the existence of the Maus.
This colossal armored fighting vehicle, aptly named the “Mouse” tank, tipped the scales at a staggering 180 tons. Hitler’s encounter with a life-sized wooden model of this monstrous vehicle at the Führer Headquarters in East Prussia in May 1943 left him euphoric, as it embodied the epitome of a true “Wunderwaffe.”
However, the construction of the Maus was delayed until late 1944, and it was plagued by mechanical issues, as highlighted by Albert Speer, the Reich Minister for Armaments and War Production.
Speer and Colonel General Heinz Guderian, the Inspector General of Panzer Forces, vehemently opposed the Maus tank program. Yet, Carl Otto Saur, Speer’s ambitious deputy who harbored secret ambitions for his superior’s position, covertly encouraged Hitler to insist on its production.
The Maus was considered to be impractical on a battlefield
Building the Maus was entrusted to Porsche, a renowned prewar car designer and manufacturer, who had become a significant arms producer since 1939. Initially designated as the Type 205 Maus, the concept enthralled Hitler, who boldly declared to Porsche, “If I had a hundred of these, I could turn back the Russians!”
Nonetheless, when the war finally drew to a close, Nazi Germany had produced only four Maus prototypes, none of which had the opportunity to partake in active combat.
In an attempt to satisfy and reassure Hitler, Porsche willingly embarked on the design of an exceedingly heavy tank weighing over a hundred tons, knowing that its production would be limited to a few units. This formidable creation was given the codename “Mouse” for security reasons.
Porsche himself had become enamored with Hitler’s fascination for colossal war machines and would occasionally provide the Führer with updates on the enemy’s developments in this field, further fueling his obsession.
However, the Maus was destined never to engage in combat, and only four prototypes were constructed. When compared to the unassuming Soviet T-34 tank, the Type 205 Maus served as a testament that in the realm of weapons evolution, the balance between quantity and quality holds significant importance.
Wunderwaffe 04: The H Class Battleships
In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany developed a series of battleship designs known as the H class, intended to meet the requirements of Plan Z.
The initial variant, called “H-39,” called for constructing six essentially enlarged versions of the Bismarck-class battleships, equipped with 40.6 cm (16 in) guns and diesel propulsion.
The design process for the ship designated as H-39 began in 1937, with the objective of enhancing the design of the preceding Bismarck class. One of the key objectives was to incorporate a larger-caliber main battery to match potential adversaries’ battleships.
In April 1936, after Japan declined to ratify the Second London Naval Treaty, an escalator clause was activated, allowing signatory nations to arm battleships with guns of up to 40.6 cm (16 in) caliber, a step that the United States Navy intended to take with its planned North Carolina-class battleships.
Under the provisions of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, signed in 1935, Germany was considered a participant in other international naval arms limitation treaties.
1939 designs of an H Class Battleship
Out of the shipyards in Germany, only four had slipways large enough to accommodate the construction of the six new battleships. On 14 April 1939, the OKM (German Navy High Command) issued orders for the construction of the first two ships, “H” and “J”. Subsequently, on 25 May, contracts were awarded for the other four ships, “K”, “L”, “M”, and “N”.
The keels for the first two ships were laid down at the Blohm & Voss dockyard in Hamburg and the Deschimag shipyard in Bremen on 15 July and 1 September 1939, respectively. This was while the Bismarck was being finished under the same company.
However, the outbreak of war in September 1939 disrupted the construction of the battleships. Work on the first two ships was suspended, and the construction of the other four was never initiated as it was believed they would only be completed after the war’s conclusion.
By then, the keel for “H” had already received 800 tons of steel, with 3,500 tons machined out of the 5,800 tons supplied to Blohm & Voss. As for “J,” only 40 tons of steel had been incorporated into the keel out of the 3,531 tons delivered.
All assembly work had yet to begin, while steel had been ordered and partially machined for the other four ships. The expectation was that construction would resume once Germany won the war.
Wunderwaffe 05: Sonnengewehr
The concept of a sun gun, also known as an helio-beam, involves a theoretical orbital weapon that utilizes a concave mirror mounted on a satellite to concentrate sunlight onto a specific area on the Earth’s surface, potentially causing destruction or generating lethal heat levels.
The history of the sun gun dates back to 1929 when the German physicist Hermann Oberth devised plans for a space station equipped with a 100-meter-wide concave mirror capable of reflecting sunlight onto a concentrated point on Earth.
This idea was further developed during World War II by a group of German scientists at the German Army Artillery proving grounds at Hillersleben. They envisioned a “sun gun” as part of a space station positioned 8,200 kilometers (5,100 miles) above the Earth’s surface.
A proposed idea on how the sun gun worked
These scientists calculated that a massive reflector made of metallic sodium, with an area of 9 square kilometers (900 hectares; 3.5 square miles), could generate enough focused heat to boil an ocean or burn a city.
When questioned by American officers, the Germans estimated that the completion of the sun gun could take anywhere from 50 to 100 years.
In more recent times, with the rise of satellite mega-constellations, the concept of using these constellations as a form of sun gun has also been proposed.
Instead of relying on a single enormous mirror, the idea suggests using hundreds of low-cost reflectors that could be synchronized to concentrate solar irradiance and direct it toward a specific target.
It’s important to note that the sun gun remains a theoretical concept, and no operational sun gun has ever been developed or deployed. At least none that we know of.
Wunderwaffe 06: The Nazi UFOs
During World War II, numerous reports of unusual aerial phenomena were known as “foo fighters.” These sightings involved anomalous objects or lights observed by both Axis and Allied personnel. The term “foo fighters” was coined by Allied pilots and was derived from the comic strip “Smokey Stover.”
While some foo fighter reports were dismissed as misidentifications or the result of atmospheric conditions, others were taken more seriously. Leading scientists, including Luis Alvarez, began investigating these sightings.
The Nazi UFO is said to be the fabled foo fighters
In certain instances, Allied intelligence and commanders suspected the foo fighters observed in the European theater could represent advanced German aircraft or weapons. This suspicion was fueled by Germany’s development of innovative technologies such as the V-1 and V-2 rockets and the operational Me 262 jet fighter planes.
Notably, most foo fighters were observed as passive luminous phenomena without aggressive or damaging behavior. However, there were a minority of reports indicating that foo fighters caused damage to Allied aircraft.
Despite extensive investigations, the true nature and origin of the foo fighters remain a subject of debate and speculation. Some theories suggest they were atmospheric phenomena, while others propose unconventional aircraft or experimental technologies.
Wunderwaffe 07: Schwerer Gustav
The Schwerer Gustav, also known as the “Heavy Gustav,” was indeed the largest artillery piece ever built. It was a railway gun designed by the German company Krupp during World War II. Its primary purpose was to destroy French forts along the Maginot Line, but it was not ready in time for the campaign against France.
The gun saw its first and only operational use during the Siege of Sevastopol in 1942. It proved to be highly effective against fortified positions, including underground targets. During the siege, the Schwerer Gustav destroyed a deep underground munitions depot.
After Sevastopol, the gun was transported to Leningrad to take part in the siege there. However, by the time it arrived, the Soviets had lifted the siege, and the gun never fired a shot in that theater.
The Schwerer Gustav remains the most powerful artillery gun ever built
The Schwerer Gustav was an enormous weapon, weighing 1,490 tons and measuring 47.3 meters (155 ft 2 in) in length. It required a crew of 250 soldiers to operate it. The preparation for firing involved laying a dedicated track, digging entrenchments, and assembling the gun.
Another gun of similar design, named “Dora,” was ordered along with the Schwerer Gustav. Typically, the first piece of artillery ordered from Krupp was provided for free, and that was the case with the Schwerer Gustav.
Despite its impressive appearance and capabilities, the gun saw limited action and was not widely used during the war.
Wunderwaffe 08: The Horten Ho 229
The aircraft you are referring to is the Horten Ho 229, also known as the “Ho IX” or “Gotha Go 229.” It was a prototype flying wing aircraft developed by the Horten brothers, Reimar and Walter, in response to a demand by Hermann Goering for a light bomber.
The Horten Ho 229 featured a flying wing design, which was unique for its time. It had the potential to provide a reduced radar cross-section, although the actual advantage in terms of stealth capabilities has been a subject of debate among historians. The aircraft’s speed and potential radar signature reduction could have made it difficult to intercept.
An image of the Horten Ho 229 — the stealth fighter jet that was ahead of its time
Three prototypes of the Horten Ho 229 were built, and all saw active service beyond the testing phase. After the war, further tests were conducted on mock-up versions of the aircraft, which confirmed its reduced radar cross-section compared to conventional aircraft of the time.
Reimar Horten, one of the aircraft’s designers, claimed he had ideas to coat the plane in radar-absorbing dust, but historians remain skeptical. However, the Horten Ho 229 contributed to advancements in stealth technology and inspired America’s development of stealth aircraft.
Today, the only surviving piece of the Horten Ho 229 is the central chassis with engines and cockpit from the third prototype. It is housed at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., where it serves as a historical artifact showcasing innovative aircraft design during World War II.
Concluding the Wunderwaffe
Undoubtedly, the examples mentioned earlier represent just a fraction of the Wunderwaffe pursued or envisioned by the Nazis. Among these designs were those bordering on the absurd, others that belonged to the realm of science fiction, and some that proved to be highly destructive.
It is evident that the Nazis, with their cruel and relentless nature, displayed remarkable creativity in their pursuit of technological superiority.
RIP Victims
Next, read about the Story of Johnny Lewis, the Actor Who was Never the Same After an Accident. Then, about the Antarctic Snow Cruiser, a Massive Machine Made to Rule the Frozen Continent
