German & Allied Secret Weapons of World War II

The phrase “secret weapons” usually evokes images of Hitler’s Vergeltungswaffen – the V-1 and V-2 – and the less successful brainchildren of German scientists. But the Allies might not have won World War II without the relentless program of research and development that characterized their approach to war. If the German advances in rocket technology produced the V-2, pathfinder of the American moon-shots, the application of rockets to almost every contingency was a hallmark of the British and Americans. And while the Germans had glimpsed the possibilities of atomic power, only American resources could have harnessed it to produce a viable weapon.

All the powers involved in World War II had secret weapons, but the Germans went in for more diverse and more ambitious projects than anyone else. Much of their effort was wasted, however, and when they did produce some useful weapons – the Messerschmitt Me 262 for example – they arrived too late to turn the tide of war.

In this book, the readable and authoritative text of Ian V. Hogg and J.B. King explores to complex and fascinating field of Allied and German secret weapons, while John Batchelor, in his own inimitable style, illustrates those that worked, as well as the ideas that remained a frightening possibility.