Stealing the V2 rocket: Britain’s secret WW2 intelligence coup

In 1944, as Allied troops pushed across Europe after D-Day, the Allies faced a terrifying new threat, Hitler's V 2 weapons, striking without warning at supersonic speed. In this episode of the History Extra podcast, Emily Briffitt speaks to author, historian and journalist Guy Waters about his new book, Stealing Hitler's Rocket, which uncovers the extraordinary secret mission to smuggle parts of the Nazi vengeance weapon out of occupied Europe and into British hands. Guy starts by setting the scene. If you lived on Staveley Road in Chiswick today, well, obviously you'll be very lucky because you'll probably be quite well off. Chiswick, as most people know, is a pretty posh area and it's pretty nice.

But one day in September 1944, wow, bang. No one knew what had happened initially and lots of people were killed and a whole section of the street was just completely obliterated. And the government said it was a gas main. And it wasn't a gas main, it was something else. Some people thought could it have been a V1 rocket, who I'm sure all listeners will be aware of, a V1 doodle bug.

But it wasn't a V1 doodle bug, it was something else. And it was what Hitler called a vengeance weapon. And it was called a V2, and that is a V2 rocket. And that was a new and deadly weapon that will change the course of warfare and human exploration.

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