Lot 601
Miscellaneous, 1974, Wernher von Braun Handwritten Letter, A two page, handwritten letter from von Braun to Mitchell Sharpe in answer to seven questions he asked on a xerox copy (not enclosed) of a letter regarding information for Sharpe's forthcoming book: "The Rocket Team". Some of the answers von Braun wrote make knowing the questions of no import:
1) "During the closing weeks of WW II, salt mines in the Southern region of the Harz mountains were used as bombproof evacuation sites of all sorts of R & D groups from all over Germany. As the situation was extremely fluid and confused, I don't know who went where. Inherently, salt mines can exist only in extremely dry geological regions (otherwise the highly hydroscopic (?) salt would have leeched out long ago). There were therefor particularly well suited for activities requiring a clean and dry, almost air conditioned, environment."
3) "Whereas X-4 was a wire-controlled air-to-air missile, X-7 was a "smart-bomb" with a target-seeking device (if I remember correctly".)
4) "Schmetterling" (for butterfly) was a Henschel-developed anti-aircraft missile, a sort of competitor to "Wasserfall". I gather that the Stolberg cave must have been an evacuation site for the Luftwaffe's "Smart Weapons" development groups".
5) "R4M does not ring a bell with me. Looks like it was some sort of air-to-air rocket weapon used by the new ME262 jet fighters."
Von Braun has signed and dated his autograph at the end of the letter. Excellent condition and well worth adding to your collection. The information von Braun provides in this letter is "first-person" information from the man in charge at the time….
Estimated Value $750 - 1,000,
Ex. the Mitchell Sharpe Estate collection,
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| Realized $312 |
