World War II Database

1.  BILL says:
19 Mar 2009 06:22:28 PM

28,February 1945 the Bachmen Natter is prepared for its first piloted vertical launch. The Natter was little more than a piloted surface to air missile. The pilot Lothar Siebert, was killed in the first test.

2.  Bill says:
17 Nov 2009 12:04:16 PM

Lother Siebert was the first and only pilot
of a vertical launch, in a rocket powered craft in 1945.
It wasn't until 1961, that Yuri Gagarin was
launched aboard the Soviet Vostok 1, to become the first man into space.

3.  Bill says:
17 Nov 2009 01:25:48 PM

Oberleutnant Lother Siebert's launch at first
went well,but one of the jettisonable rocket
boosters failed to release, and the Natter got out of control.
At 1,600ft. the cockpit canopy pulled off as
Sieber intended to bail out, but as he went
into the clouds, he could have hit the canopy
and injuried himself,the Natter rolled over and nose-dived into the ground killing Sieber.
It is suspected that Sieber may have broken
the sound barrier on the way down.
Excavations of the crash site in 1998, found
remains of the rocket-booster.

Near the end of the war,the Germans did have
a battery of (ten) Natters on alert ready for launch, but no Allied bombers flew within range. The U.S. 7th Army overran the
area, but not before the Germans blew up all
(ten) of the Natters and their launchers.
36 Natters were built
18 Were used in unmanned tests.
2 Crashed with pilots,one during glide test
the other during manned launch with Sieber
10 Were destroyed by the Germans.
6 Were captured by the Allies.

Erich Bachem (1906-1960)
After the war he returned to designing and
building camping trailers. Went into business
with Eriwn Hymer today in Europe, Hymer is
synonymous with recreational vehicles.

4.  Bill says:
11 Nov 2014 02:58:29 PM

PILOT REMEMBERED:

Did you know that the New West German Luftwaffe honored pilot Lother Sieber who was killed during the first manned vertical test launch of the
bi-fueled liquid rocket Natter, February 28, 1945
pilot Sieber experienced during launch 2.2 times the force of gravity.

5.  Bill says:
11 Nov 2014 04:08:27 PM

Did you know the first prototype to make a manned unpowered test flight of the Ba 349 was by pilot Zubert it was towed to altitude in December 1944
other tests followed with no problems all were unpowered.
First manned powered test flight of the Ba 349
was March 1,1945 that crashed killing the pilot Lother Sieber.

NO WOODEN WONDER:

The Ba 349 was constructed from wood with plywood skin. The nose section was built from metal that held the 24 R4M rockets. After the attack, the aft section was ejected with rocket motor and returned by parachute to be used again.
The solid fuel boosters for launch on each side of the fuselage, had enough thrust for twelve seconds of burn and were ejected.
The rocket motor HWK 109-509A2 had eighty seconds of power, producing 3,750lbs of thrust.