Would it be possible for U-Boats to launch V1 and/or V2 rockets?
- Thread starter Jimbo808
- Start date
It was considered.
en.wikipedia.org
It's a bad idea on all sides, mostly from the fact that the V-2 was horrifically inaccurate, had a small warhead, and used cryogenic liquid fuel. Also, no submarine big enough to carry it was available to the Germans, so it would have had to be launched from a towed pod.
The V-1 actually is more plausible. It was in fact historically tested by the US with reverse-engineered copies (JB-2).
More speculatively, if the Germans had developed solid propellant rockets instead of liquid-propellant ones for long-range use, towing the missiles or lashing them to the sides of the boat becomes less implausible.
Rocket U-boat - Wikipedia
It's a bad idea on all sides, mostly from the fact that the V-2 was horrifically inaccurate, had a small warhead, and used cryogenic liquid fuel. Also, no submarine big enough to carry it was available to the Germans, so it would have had to be launched from a towed pod.
The V-1 actually is more plausible. It was in fact historically tested by the US with reverse-engineered copies (JB-2).
More speculatively, if the Germans had developed solid propellant rockets instead of liquid-propellant ones for long-range use, towing the missiles or lashing them to the sides of the boat becomes less implausible.
Perhaps something like the Japanese I-400 class submarine combined with the V-1 would be a viable combination, though the logistics of such a thing happening are challenging to say the least. The hangar on the I-400 could certainly be used to carry V-1s, but as a submarine, it leaves a lot to be desired (takes nearly a minute to dive - dangerous in the Pacific, so imagine in the busier Atlantic…).
The Reichsmarine wanted to tug a launch container with V2 to US coast and launch it.
There were several issues with program.
one was carry liquid oxygen all the way across the Atlantic and keep it liquid at -200°C.
The other was to Submarine had pull the launch container under water from Europe to US Coast, with out sinking both to ground of Atlantic.
It's odd that never consider to bring V1 in sub to US coast and launch them with solid rockets.
There were several issues with program.
one was carry liquid oxygen all the way across the Atlantic and keep it liquid at -200°C.
The other was to Submarine had pull the launch container under water from Europe to US Coast, with out sinking both to ground of Atlantic.
It's odd that never consider to bring V1 in sub to US coast and launch them with solid rockets.
The answer depends how close you want those weapons to be to their OTL counterpart? Is it a off the shelf V-1/V-2 or can it be 'modified'?
Off the shelf for the V-2 is slightly harder to achieve but doable with what the Germans had and proposed, keeping the fuel from boiling off is tricky but again possible. (There's not much to say in this scenario to what was OTL proposed and already discussed on this forum, too small a payload, inaccurate - thought hitting a big city will make it a non problem - and not worth enough to make a separate compartment in an U-Boat)
The V-1 is easier, much easier, requiring only a launching rail and a carrying compartment not unlike the V-2's... this is the easiest option. Then you could go for a slightly larger U-Boat (below and around I-400 class) that can have dozen of disassembled V-1s and a launching rail.
If they can be modified then it will become much easier. Instead of the V-2 (or A-4 as it was officially called) the A-8, a storage-able propellant version will undoubtedly make this task easier, requiring only a slight modifications of a U-Boat to add an integrated launching compartment akin to the late war and post war design.
Off the shelf for the V-2 is slightly harder to achieve but doable with what the Germans had and proposed, keeping the fuel from boiling off is tricky but again possible. (There's not much to say in this scenario to what was OTL proposed and already discussed on this forum, too small a payload, inaccurate - thought hitting a big city will make it a non problem - and not worth enough to make a separate compartment in an U-Boat)
The V-1 is easier, much easier, requiring only a launching rail and a carrying compartment not unlike the V-2's... this is the easiest option. Then you could go for a slightly larger U-Boat (below and around I-400 class) that can have dozen of disassembled V-1s and a launching rail.
If they can be modified then it will become much easier. Instead of the V-2 (or A-4 as it was officially called) the A-8, a storage-able propellant version will undoubtedly make this task easier, requiring only a slight modifications of a U-Boat to add an integrated launching compartment akin to the late war and post war design.
And the US would certainly be trying to prevent any rocket-armed U-Boats from getting close enough to attack the East Coast, like they did OTL in April 1945 when they thought Germany was trying to attack the US with rocket-armed U-Boats.
You can definitely launch a V1 from a WWII submarine, the USN proved that. I doubt you could successfully launch a liquid fuelled V2 Rocket with the technology Germany actually had rather than thought about though. The Germans were talking about towing a waterproof launch capsule with the V2 inside behind a Uboat
Possible? Yes, as design studies during the war and post-war experiments by the US and USSR demonstrate.
Worthwhile? Late 1943 into 1944 the peak number of U-Boats on patrol was about 65 with 40-50 the more typical range and a low of 25 July 1944. Transit time Brest to New York (as an example) at 10 knots is 14 days, at 14 knots 10 days, double for return time, so, a month in transit total. Throwing the maximum number of U-Boats on patrol in '43-'44 at the problem and assuming no losses (closing to 100-200 km of the US coast is inviting losses...) means either 2-4 V-1s landing in the US per day (assuming most likely one or at most two V-1s per submarine based on size of missile relative to "hanger" in the photos above) if rotating boats to provide a constant presence or a monthly volley of 65-130 V-1s (if throwing ). That's at the cost of stopping all attacks on convoys...
Worthwhile? Late 1943 into 1944 the peak number of U-Boats on patrol was about 65 with 40-50 the more typical range and a low of 25 July 1944. Transit time Brest to New York (as an example) at 10 knots is 14 days, at 14 knots 10 days, double for return time, so, a month in transit total. Throwing the maximum number of U-Boats on patrol in '43-'44 at the problem and assuming no losses (closing to 100-200 km of the US coast is inviting losses...) means either 2-4 V-1s landing in the US per day (assuming most likely one or at most two V-1s per submarine based on size of missile relative to "hanger" in the photos above) if rotating boats to provide a constant presence or a monthly volley of 65-130 V-1s (if throwing ). That's at the cost of stopping all attacks on convoys...
thaddeus
Donor
not sure what damage they could cause but they had a sold fuel rocket https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheinbote (it would not have to employ all four stages)