right|thumb|Barracks ruins in Kummersdorf Gut in Brandenburg

Kummersdorf () is the name of an estate near Luckenwalde, around 25 km south of Berlin, in the Brandenburg region of Germany. Until 1945 Kummersdorf hosted the weapon office of the German Army which ran a development centre for future weapons as well as an artillery range.

Early history

In 1871, the Prussian ministry of war decided to move the artillery test range at Tegel to the Kummersdorf Forest. The new range became operational on 15 October 1875 when it was connected with the Royal Prussian Military Railway. In 1880, the first firing experiments took place on the 12 km southeast-northwest firing range. These experiments investigated the effectiveness of various fortifications, and the effects of weapons and projectiles. Total size of the Kummersdorf Firing Range was 878.1 hectares. In 1913, the dropping of bombs from the LZ 13 Hansa airship and Wright biplanes was investigated. In the 1920s, secret development started in the areas of artillery, armored forces, motor vehicles, signals technology and aviation. On 21 September 1933, Hitler visited for the first time.

Aircraft and rocket history

In 1929, the German Minister of National Defense undertook research into the use of rocket propulsion for military purposes, and responsibility for rocket development was assigned to the Ballistics Branch of the Army Weapons Department. Walter Dornberger joined that branch in 1930. They built a test stand for liquid-propellant rockets, Experimental Station West, at Kummersdorf in December 1932. Dornberger, Walter Riedel, and Wernher von Braun tested their first rocket motor on 21 December, using liquid oxygen and 75% ethyl alcohol. Arthur Rudolph joined the organization, and work started on the Aggregate 1 (A-1), which was to be a complete missile, but then development moved on to the A-2. They used a wind tunnel to determine stable flight configurations, starting from zero through to supersonic speeds. In December 1934, the first two A2s were successfully launched from the North Sea island of Borkum.

In late 1944, a unit was formed, and at a meeting in the Fuhrer's headquarters it was referred to as tank company "Kummersdorf". This unit consisted of three tank platoons (mostly still mobile), one recon platoon of armored vehicles, an infantry (Grenadier) platoon and one tank platoon, consisting of a Tiger II, a single Jagdtiger heavy tank destroyer, two American Shermans, the Carro Armato P 40 Heavy Tank and several Borgward IVs armed with machine guns. According to a Telex on April 4, 1945, at least part of a tank company should have been transferred to the district of Dresden. Non-mobile equipment, including a VK 4501 (P) took part in combat south-east of Kummersdorf, where they and workers, civilians and other people at the facility were thrown together to make a makeshift grenadier unit. By the battles end, the VK 4501 (P) had destroyed a single T-34 and the Grenadiers had destroyed several others, a nearby 88 mm (8.8 cm) flak gun destroyed another advancing T-34. The entire unit failed in their mission and dispersed into the nearby woods.

Another tank unit was formed at Kummersdorf and participated in combat on April 21, 1945. The fighting took place to the south in the direction of Baruth, with the objective of stopping the 1st Ukrainian Front, coming from the direction of Golßen. Joining up with Battle Group Käther with 43 vehicles, including one Panzer V Panther. During the fighting near the settlement of Baruth, the entire unit was destroyed by the Russian forces.

The fate of the tanks left at the facility is unknown, though some information suggests that several American made tanks were sent to Panzer Brigade 150, being used in Operation Greif. A T-35 Heavy Tank became a member of Combat Group Ritter, who fought in the area of Zossen, it was quickly knocked out in combat. It is also believed that a Renault Char D2 saw combat in the Zossen area. There is also a photo of knocked out British Cruiser tanks sitting next to a knocked out Panther, which was taken on the outskirts of Berlin, these were believed to be from Kummersdorf. On March 9, 1945 the commander of Army Group Vistula signed the order for all tanks still at Kummersdorf to be sent away in parts to the occupying defences around Stettin. What became of these tanks is still unknown.

See also

  • Walter Dornberger
  • Erich Warsitz
  • Peenemünde
  • Usedom
  • Aggregate 1
  • Maus Tank
  • Berlin
  • Operation Greif

References

Bibliography

  • Lutz Warsitz: THE FIRST JET PILOT - The Story of German Test Pilot Erich Warsitz, Pen and Sword Books Ltd., England, 2009, , [http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1762]
  • Kummersdorf entry in "The Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Spaceflight"
  • http://members.aol.com/kummersdrf/kummer0.htm
  • Article title
  • The official Erich Warsitz Website, inclusive rare videos and audio commentaries
  • http://beutepanzer.ru/Beutepanzer/Museum/Articles/Artcile.html
  • Pictures from Kummersdorf-Gut, Verskraft, Eisenbahnpioniere Schumkasee, Kaserne Klausdorf-Rehagen, Sperenberg