Viewing page 8 of 14

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Transcription: [00:25:28]
{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
—the production, I went to the Mittelwerk only one time, and that was already very late, where I could only say, that is a place where you never would like to work.
[00:25:39]

I was there for one day, and that was again on account of Scheufelen. Scheufelen with his anti-aircraft project, you know with the small rockets.
[00:25:53]

They were produced at the Mittelwerk, and he launched the first ones even from the Mittelwerk, from the top of the Mittelwerk.

{SPEAKER name="MICHAEL NEUFELD"}
Mm-hmm. [[Affirmative]]
[00:26:04]

{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
And he had asked me once, "Why don't you come?" They had a few problems there too. And I went there.
[00:26:12]

{SPEAKER name="MICHAEL NEUFELD"}
Mm-hmm. That would have been very close to the end of the war?

{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
That was very close to the end of the war.
[00:26:18]

{SPEAKER name="MICHAEL NEUFELD"}
Was that after Peenemünde was evacuated?
[00:26:21]

{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
That was at the time of the evacuation of Peenemünde. You know, where we went to Lehesten. And just to give you an idea about that too,—-
[00:26:35]

—we had made up our plans in Lehesten how to build a test stand for a complete rocket. And that had to be approved by Berlin. So I went to Berlin with the drawings and uh,—-
[00:26:53]

—I forgot who it was but somebody in a pretty high position looked at it and said, "I like it but, uh, why don't you finish your design? Why don't you complete it first before I give you the money?"
[00:27:12]

And then I asked, "Does it look that bad?" And he said, "Worse." I said, "Okay."
[00:27:21]

{SPEAKER name="MICHAEL NEUFELD"}
Meaning the state of the war.

{SPEAKER name="KARL HEIMBURG"}
State of the war.
[00:27:23]

Then I have only one interest— that the people there do not get drafted in the army.
[00:27:30]

And he told me, "Okay, I can give you this insurance, that that will not happen." And that was shortly before Christmas '44.
[00:27:30]