Oberst walter dornberger biography

SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11

NAME:            Generalmajor Dr. Walter Robert Dornberger
 PW NO:          B33410
RANK:            Major General
CAPTURED:   Reutte, Germany
DATE:             2nd May 1945

PERSONAL
 DATE OF BIRTH      6th September 1895
PLACE OF BIRTH:   Giessen / Hessen
DIED:                         26th June 1980
PLACE OF DEATH:  Obersasbach
NATIONALITY:        German
RELIGION:                Evangelical
OCCUPATION:        Regular Soldier
HEIGHT:                    5'9"
WEIGHT:                   151 lbs
HAIR COLOUR:        Grey
EYE COLOUR:          Blue Grey
NEXT OF KIN:        Alice Dornberger, Grosskoenigsdorf Bez, Koeln, Marienhoferweg (British Zone)

Promotions (included):

  • 7 August 1914: Entered service as a War Volunteer and later Fahnenjunker in Fußartillerie-Regiment General-Feldzeugmeister (Brandenburgisches) Nr.3.

  • 3 July 1915: Platoon Leader and Battery Leader in Foot Artillery Regiment 3.

  • 24 August 1915-20 September 1915: Detached to the Artillery Firing School.

  • 27 July 1918: Adjutant of Foot Artillery Battalion 26.

  • 3 October 1918-20 March 1920: French prisoner of war.

  • 26 March 1920: Transferred to Reichswehr Artillery Regiment 10.

  • 4 October 1920-22 December 1920: Detached to the Firing Course in Jüterborg.

  • 4 December 1920: Transferred to the Observation Battery of Artillery Regiment 6.

  • 17 January 1922-13 February 1922: Detached to sports courses.

  • 29 September 1924-8 November 1924: Detached the Firing Instruction Course with the Army Measurement Service.

  • 1 April 1926: Detached to the Technische Hochschule in Charlottenburg where he studied mechanical engineering.

  • 30 December 1930: Certified as an academically qualified engineer (Dipl.-Ing.).

  • During the 1930's he worked with Warner Von Braun and others developing rockets and guided missiles. 

  • 1 April 1931: Appointed to the Ballistics and Munitions Branch (WaRw 1) of the Army Weapons Department as assistant to Hauptmann Ritter von Horstig. This branch oversaw the development of liquid-fuel rockets for military use.

  • 11 August 1934: Squadron Chief in Transport Battalion 4.

  • 1 October 1934: Battery Chief in Artillery Battalion Königsbürck.

  • 5 March 1935: Honorary Doctorate in Engineering (Dr. Ing. h.c.).

  • 15 October 1935: Battery Chief in Nebel [Smoke] Battalion 1.

  • 1 February 1936: Transferred to the Army Weapons Department/WaPrw1.

  • 24 July 1936: Department Chief in the Army Weapons Department (WaPrüf 11) and representative for special experiments at the Army Experimental Station Peenemünde (rocket development).

  • In May 1937 he was moved to Peenemunde on the Baltic Coast, where the A series of rocket missiles was built.  His pioneering work resulted in the devlopment of the powerful V-2 rocket which was used against Britain during WWII.
  • 1st September 1939, entered WW2 as Oberstleutnant and Abteilungschef im Heereswaffenamt (responsible for the development of rocket weapons)

  • 11 May 1943: While continuing to serve as Chief of WaPrüf 11, Dornberger also appointed to head Home Artillery Park 11.

  • 1 September 1943: Artillery Commander 191 (motorized), a unit responsible for further development of the A 4 (V-2) rocket and the preparation and direction of future deployment of long-range rocket batteries.

  • 1 October 1944 Inspekteur der Raketentruppen. SS-Obergruppenführer Hans Jüttner, Himmler's Replacement Army deputy, redefined responsibilities of the A 4 program: Kammler took over field operations and had power of decision over all fundamental matters while Dornberger, as Commissioner for Special Duties in the Army, served as Kammler's deputy and Inspector of Long-Range Rocket Troops. As such, Dornberger, had control of their formation and training while continuing to oversee A 4 development and supply in coordination with the Army Weapons Department

  • 12 January 1945: In an effort to remove Dornberger from SS influence, Albert Speer appointed him chairman of "Arbeitstab" [Working Staff] Dornberger"as part of the Ministry of Munitions. This staff was charged with breaking Allied air superiority by developing different types of guided rockets for antiaircraft use.

  • 6 February 1945: Kammler, supported by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, further consolidated his power by assuming responsibility for the development and production of all long-range antiaircraft rockets and wireless guided projectiles for use against surface targets. In one fell swoop, "Working Staff Dornberger" was transferred as Kammler's own personal technical staff! Thus, the SS ultimately won the battle for control over every aspect of Germany's rocket program.

  • 3 April 1945: Kammler ordered Dornberger to evacuate his staff of about 450 Peenemünde men to the Lower Alps near Oberammergau under SD escort. Dornberger, his staff and Wernher von Braun, spent the last month of the war at Oberjoch near Hindelang.

  • ? April 1945: Although details are scanty, Kammler was probably shot and killed by his adjutant in keeping with his own orders to prevent persons related to Germany's rocket program from falling into enemy hands.

  • 2nd May 1945: Dornberger surrendered to troops of the U.S. 44th Infantry Division. Evacuated with Werner Von Braun and other rocket scientists to Oberjoch near Hinderlang for 1 month after the war.