Wernher von Braun’s military superior during the German rocket development program of World War II. He oversaw the effort at Peenemünde to build the V-2, fostering internal communication and successfully advocating the program to officials in the German army. He also assembled the team of talented engineers under von Braun’s direction and provided the funding and staff organization needed to complete the project. After World War II, Dornberger was brought to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip and helped develop ballistic missiles for the Department of Defense. He also worked for Bell Aircraft for several years, developing hardware for Project BOMI, a rocket-powered space plane.
References
Borrowman, Gerald L. "Walter R. Dornberger." Spaceflight 23 (1981): 118-19.
Dornberger, Walter R. V-2. Translated by James Cleugh and Geoffrey Halliday. New York: Viking, 1958.
