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The ''Meillerwagen'' ( en, Meiller vehicle) was a German
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
trailer used to transport a
V-2 The V-2 (german: Vergeltungswaffe 2, lit=Retaliation Weapon 2), with the technical name ''Aggregat 4'' (A-4), was the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was develope ...
rocket from the 'transloading point' of the Technical Troop Area to the launching point, to erect the missile on the ''Brennstand'' ( en, firing stand),) blast deflector shaped somewhat like a lemon juicer was used under the firing table. and to act as the service gantry for fuelling and launch preparation. The unofficial 'Meillerwagen' name was often used in official documents and refers to a parts supplier for the trailer, Meiller-Kipper GmbH of
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
, Germany (founded 1850). The
Peenemünde Army Research Center The Peenemünde Army Research Center (german: Heeresversuchsanstalt Peenemünde, HVP) was founded in 1937 as one of five military proving grounds under the German Army Weapons Office (''Heereswaffenamt''). Several German guided missiles and ...
designed the ''Meillerwagen'', and the Gollnow & Son company assembled the ''Meillerwagen'' from supplied components. The ''Meillerwagen'' was assembled with
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
and
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n prisoner laborers of the Lager Rebstock. The ''Meillerwagen'' was vehicle code number 102 of several vehicles in a V-2 launching battery, which included an 8 ton half-track launch control vehicle. Launching of V-2s from mobile equipment was studied under
code name A code name, call sign or cryptonym is a code word or name used, sometimes clandestinely, to refer to another name, word, project, or person. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may also be used in industrial c ...
''Regenwurm'' ("Earthworm") to replace bunkers such as at the Watten bunker.


Operation

The ''Meillerwagen'' A-4/V-2 transport-launcher unit consisted of the following vehicles: * ''Feuerleitzugmaschine''
Sd.Kfz. 7 The Sd.Kfz. 7 was a half-track military vehicle used by the German Army, Luftwaffe and Waffen-SS during the Second World War. Sd.Kfz. is an abbreviation of the German word ''Sonderkraftfahrzeug'', "special purpose vehicle". A longer designati ...
/3 (command half-track vehicle) * ''Feuerleitpanzer'' Sd.Kfz.251 (armored half-track command vehicle) *
Hanomag Hanomag (Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG, ) was a German producer of steam locomotives, tractors, trucks and military vehicles in Hanover. Hanomag first achieved international fame by delivering numerous steam locomotives to Finland, Romania and ...
SS-100 (tractor vehicle) * The ''Meiller-Wagen'' (V-2 mobile wagon-erector trailer, the direct precursor to self-powered 20th/21st century
transporter erector launcher A transporter erector launcher (TEL) is a missile vehicle with an integrated tractor unit that can carry, elevate to firing position and launch one or more missiles. History Such vehicles exist for both surface-to-air missiles and surface-to-su ...
s) * ''Opel-Blitz T-Stoffwagen'' (fuel car-tanker, possibly of the same "Ausf. S" version as used with the Me 163B) * ''Kesselanhänger für Fl-Sauerstoff'' (liquid oxygen wagon-tanker)


Transport

After completing the process of fitting the
warhead A warhead is the forward section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a missile, rocket, torpedo, or bomb. Classification Types of warheads include: * Explosiv ...
to the
V-2 The V-2 (german: Vergeltungswaffe 2, lit=Retaliation Weapon 2), with the technical name ''Aggregat 4'' (A-4), was the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was develope ...
rocket, the Technical Troop used a 'strabo crane' at the transloading point to transfer the missile from the ''Vidalwagen'' to the ''Meillerwagen'' for transport to the launching point. Typically a Hanomag SS-100 tractor pulled the ''Meillerwagen'' up to 45 km/h (28 mph) forward with the rocket travelling tail-first – the maximum speed in reverse was 15 km/h since the ''Meillerwagens pneumatic brakes could not be coupled to the tractor when being pulled backward.


Setup

After the ''Meillerwagen'' was close to the launch point, the Firing Platoon Truck Section took charge and removed the rocket's
camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...
cover and rudder protection. The control compartment batteries, alcohol-filling connection, tools, and other equipment were loaded into a box on a strut at the top of the ''Meillerwagens lift frame. The Meillerwagen was moved via hand winches to the firing stand and then levelled via the two extendable outriggers with end-jacks.


Lift

The rocket was raised via the ''Meillerwagen'' lift frame and
hydraulics Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...
. When vertical, the rocket was suspended above the firing stand, which was raised to touch the rocket fins. Clamping collars were used to connect the rocket to the firing stand, and the ''Meillerwagen'' was withdrawn less than a meter and the rocket was turned a quarter turn for the fuel connections to face the ''Meillerwagen'' platforms, which were lowered into position for standing. A separate three-section extendable ladder, the
Magirus Magirus GmbH is a truck manufacturer based in Ulm, Germany, founded by Conrad Dietrich Magirus (1824–1895). It was formerly known as Klöckner Humboldt Deutz AG, maker of the Deutz engines, so the brand commonly used was Magirus Deutz, and for ...
ladder, was used for areas of an erected rocket not accessible via the ''Meillerwagen''.


Fuelling

The
hydrogen peroxide Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscous than water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usually as a dilute solution (3% ...
tank on the Meillerwagen (126 litres) was filled from a 2120-litre tank truck with its own pump, then the rocket was filled from the ''Meillerwagen'' tank. Additional ''Meillerwagen'' piping included the following.


Fuel pipes

The elevated lifting frame was fitted with piping to fuel the rocket with A, B, P, and T-stoff. *'' A-Stoff'':
Liquid oxygen Liquid oxygen—abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries—is the liquid form of molecular oxygen. It was used as the oxidizer in the first liquid-fueled rocket invented in 1926 by Robert H. Goddard, an applica ...
equipment consists of a pipe, which follows a circuitous route along the centreline of the lifting frame’s lower half. The pipe is fixed on the lifting frame by brackets, and closed at each end by cast ramp-and-claw seals. *''
B-Stoff During World War II, Germany fielded many aircraft and rockets whose fuels, and oxidizers, were designated (letter)-''Stoff'' (). The following list of stoffs refers to the World War II aerospace meanings if not noted otherwise. Meaning of ''st ...
'':
Ethyl alcohol Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl group linked to a hyd ...
equipment consists of a pipe which runs along the full length of the starboard beam of the lifting frame. The pipe is slung from the underside on straps, and closed at each end by threaded seals. *'' P-Stoff'': Compressed nitrogen (or
compressed air Compressed air is air kept under a pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure. Compressed air is an important medium for transfer of energy in industrial processes, and is used for power tools such as air hammers, drills, wrenches, and o ...
) equipment to service the rocket consists of several batteries of compressed air tanks carried on the chassis frame, and a pipe fixed to the full length of the starboard beam of the lifting frame. The P-stoff batteries consist of one bank of six fixed tanks, and two banks of two removable tanks. (compressed air for the Meillerwagen pneumatic brakes was sourced from a separate set of two tanks across the front of the chassis frame) *''
T-Stoff T-Stoff (; 'substance T') was a stabilised high test peroxide used in Germany during World War II. T-Stoff was specified to contain 80% (occasionally 85%) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), remainder water, with traces (<0.1%) of stabilisers. Stabilisers ...
'':
High test peroxide High-test peroxide (HTP) is a highly concentrated (85 to 98%) solution of hydrogen peroxide, with the remainder consisting predominantly of water. In contact with a catalyst, it decomposes into a high-temperature mixture of steam and oxygen, with n ...
equipment consists of a pipe which runs along the starboard beam of the lifting frame from the trunnion end to the halfway point. The pipe is fitted at the upper end to the triple valve assembly, consisting of two flow valves and a three-way valve. The triple valve assembly connects to two tanks, a large measuring tank and a smaller overflow tank. The measuring tank can be filled to the rocket's required amount of T-stoff, after which any excess flows down a stand pipe to the overflow tank. The measuring tank is fitted with a ventilation stud, which vents displaced air as the tank is filled. The ventilation stud includes a
ball cock A ballcock (also balltap or float valve) is a Mechanism (engineering), mechanism or machine for filling water tanks, such as those found in flush toilets, while avoiding overflow and (in the event of low water pressure) backflow. The modern ball ...
fixed to a frustum stopper, which blocks the vent stud in case of accidental overfilling so that ''T-Stoff'' does not spray from the air vent. Both ''T-Stoff'' tanks are fitted with an inspection window.


Timeline

According to an official document of the time (5240/44GKdos) which describes a 110 minute launch, the ''Meillerwagen'' participates thus: * arrival at launch site and dismount rocket; duration 20 minutes from X minus 110 to minus 90 minutes. * fuelling of ''B-Stoff'' and ''T-Stoff''; duration 20 minutes at X minus 55 minutes. * fuelling of ''A-Stoff'' and ''Z-Stoff''; duration 10 minutes at X minus 30 minutes. * finalise rocket position, couple ''Meillerwagen'' to tractor, depart site; duration 5 minutes at X minus 13 minutes.


Structure

The structure of the ''Meillerwagen'' consisted of the wheeled trailer
chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
, and the hydraulic lifting frame. The trailer chassis was a lattice frame of tubular members. It comprised a transverse
trunnion A trunnion (from Old French "''trognon''", trunk) is a cylindrical protrusion used as a mounting or pivoting point. First associated with cannons, they are an important military development. Alternatively, a trunnion is a shaft that positions a ...
box member at the front, from which six longitudinal tube members ran aftward and converged into one large main central tube at the rear; the six longitudinal members were braced vertically and horizontally by smaller-gauge tubes. The rear central tube member supported a large horizontal-plane turntable. A steerable front truck was installed just behind the trunnion box member, while the turntable surmounted a two-axle rear bogie. The steerable front truck was fitted with twin duplex wheels (four tyres), the inner wheels equipped with pneumatic
drum brake A drum brake is a brake that uses friction caused by a set of shoes or pads that press outward against a rotating cylinder-shaped part called a brake drum. The term ''drum brake'' usually means a brake in which shoes press on the inner surfac ...
s. The duplex wheels rode on swinging wishbone axles with transverse semi-elliptical
leaf spring suspension A leaf spring is a simple form of spring (device), spring commonly used for the suspension (vehicle), suspension in wheeled vehicles. Originally called a ''laminated'' or ''carriage spring'', and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, ...
. A steering lock was included for use during rear towing. A turntable at the rear of the chassis frame supported a bogie, mounted on bearings so it could swivel and pivot. The bogie was fitted with two axles, a fixed middle axle and a steerable rear axle, both of the swinging wishbone type with transverse semi-elliptical leaf spring suspension. The middle axle was fitted with pneumatic brakes, while the rear axle was unbraked. A feedback steering system was included in the design, so that any change in direction by the rear bogie (and fixed middle axle) was duplicated by the steerable rear axle, but to twice the extent. The linkage for the feedback system was for used front towing, and was disengaged during rear towing. The towing arm could be fitted to the front truck, or the steerable rear axle of the rear bogie. The towing arm was fitted with a sprung force stem, contrived so that the tow arm 'floated' horizontally at zero relative weight. Each front corner of the chassis was fitted with a swing-out
A-frame An A-frame is a basic structure designed to bear a load in a lightweight economical manner. The simplest form of an A-frame is two similarly sized beams, arranged in an angle of 45 degrees or less, attached at the top, like an uppercase lette ...
boom equipped with a
screw jack A jackscrew, or screw jack, is a type of jack that is operated by turning a leadscrew. It is commonly used to lift moderately and heavy weights, such as vehicles; to raise and lower the horizontal stabilizers of aircraft; and as adjustable sup ...
and foot plate. The booms enlarged the Meillerwagen footprint to stabilise it during erection of the rocket, and provided a means of adjusting the Meillerwagen transverse level. The booms deployed outward and forward of the lifting frame trunnion axis to prevent it toppling forward or to either side. The lifting frame was constructed of two formed
I-beam An I-beam, also known as H-beam (for universal column, UC), w-beam (for "wide flange"), universal beam (UB), rolled steel joist (RSJ), or double-T (especially in Polish language, Polish, Bulgarian language, Bulgarian, Spanish language, Spanish ...
s, with tubular and box transverse braces. The lifting frame was fitted with plumbing for fuelling the rocket; wiring for powering and monitoring the rocket and for
field telephone Field telephones are telephones used for military communications. They can draw power from their own battery, from a telephone exchange (via a central battery known as CB), or from an external power source. Some need no battery, being sound-powere ...
s; accommodations for carrying and dismounting the rocket; and folding platforms to service the rocket with rungs to access them.


Electrics

The lifting frame was fitted with outlet sockets and wiring for
field telephone Field telephones are telephones used for military communications. They can draw power from their own battery, from a telephone exchange (via a central battery known as CB), or from an external power source. Some need no battery, being sound-powere ...
s. A main connection from the armoured launch vehicle switchboard to inlet sockets on the lifting frame provided circuits for four field phone stations at the Meillerwagen – one each at the upper and lower folding work platforms and two at the launch table. An early configuration of the ''Meillerwagen'' included hard-wiring of two electrical power circuits and two ''FLAK''-plug circuits for the power and control needs of the rocket. The system included four sockets at the upper and at the lower end of the lifting frame, and the connective wiring fixed along the starboard beam. The four circuits were connected to two Stotz
ejecting plug Ejection or Eject may refer to: * Ejection (sports), the act of officially removing someone from a game * Eject (Transformers), Eject (''Transformers''), a fictional character from ''The Transformers'' television series * Eject (song), "Eject" (son ...
s, stowed with their cables along the side of the lifting frame. All of this wiring had become redundant by the time the rocket attacks began, but was not removed from the ''Meillerwagen''. The ''Meillerwagen'' chassis was fitted with a Notek tail light at the rear, its patch plug at the front, and the connective wiring in a conduit along the chassis frame.


Hydraulics

The lifting frame erected the rocket from horizontal to vertical, using hydraulic power. The hydraulic lifting equipment consisted of a hydraulic pump and its drive motor, a
hydraulic fluid A hydraulic fluid or hydraulic liquid is the medium by which power is transferred in hydraulic machinery. Common hydraulic fluids are based on mineral oil or water. Examples of equipment that might use hydraulic fluids are excavators and backhoe ...
tank, a control valve group with
manometer Pressure measurement is the measurement of an applied force by a fluid (liquid or gas) on a surface. Pressure is typically measured in units of force per unit of surface area. Many techniques have been developed for the measurement of pressur ...
s, and the lifting pistons themselves. The drive motor was a petrol KdF (Volkswagen) 14 ps (hp) engine, adapted for stationary industrial use by the fitting of
magneto ignition An ignition magneto, or high-tension magneto, is a magneto that provides current for the ignition system of a spark-ignition engine, such as a petrol engine. It produces pulses of high voltage for the spark plugs. The older term ''tension'' ...
and a
centrifugal governor A centrifugal governor is a specific type of governor with a feedback system that controls the speed of an engine by regulating the flow of fuel or working fluid, so as to maintain a near-constant speed. It uses the principle of proportional cont ...
to the throttle; besides these modifications, the engine was otherwise identical to those found in
Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, informally in German (meaning "beetle"), in parts of the English-speaking world the Bug, and known by many other nicknames in other languages—is a two-door, rear-engine economy car, ...
s, an air-cooled flat-four
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...
. The engine was housed in a metal box fixed to the chassis frame. A three-piston
eccentric Eccentricity or eccentric may refer to: * Eccentricity (behavior), odd behavior on the part of a person, as opposed to being "normal" Mathematics, science and technology Mathematics * Off-center, in geometry * Eccentricity (graph theory) of a v ...
-
cam Calmodulin (CaM) (an abbreviation for calcium-modulated protein) is a multifunctional intermediate calcium-binding messenger protein expressed in all eukaryotic cells. It is an intracellular target of the secondary messenger Ca2+, and the bin ...
hydraulic pump Hydraulic pumps are used in hydraulic drive systems and can be hydrostatic or hydrodynamic. A hydraulic pump is a mechanical source of power that converts mechanical power into hydraulic energy ( hydrostatic energy i.e. flow, pressure). It generat ...
was coupled to the engine
flywheel A flywheel is a mechanical device which uses the conservation of angular momentum to store rotational energy; a form of kinetic energy proportional to the product of its moment of inertia and the square of its rotational speed. In particular, ass ...
. (''Meillerwagen'' at Operation Backfire were fitted with electric motors as
hydraulic drive Hydraulic machines use liquid fluid power to perform work. Heavy equipment, Heavy construction vehicles are a common example. In this type of machine, hydraulic fluid is pumped to various hydraulic motors and hydraulic cylinders throughout t ...
in place of the petrol engine.) A 70-litre (15 gal) oil tank was fixed to the chassis frame as hydraulic fluid reservoir. Oil under pressure flowed from the hydraulic pump to the control valve group consisting of three valves in a common housing, manipulated via one large cross-handle and two small hand taps. The large cross-handle regulated the speed of raising or lowering the lifting frame. One hand tap selected direction to either raise or lower the lifting frame. The second hand tap controlled oil flow to the lowering piston (see below), to begin lowering of the lifting frame from its vertical position. The two hydraulic lifting pistons each consisted of one stationary cylinder and four extending telescopic cylinders. The largest extending cylinder included a
flange A flange is a protruded ridge, lip or rim (wheel), rim, either external or internal, that serves to increase shear strength, strength (as the flange of an iron beam (structure), beam such as an I-beam or a T-beam); for easy attachment/transfer of ...
halfway along its length, against which hydraulic pressure could be selectively applied from either above or below; it was used during raising to delay its extension until all other cylinders had extended, and also to begin the lowering process when the lifting frame was vertical (once lowering had thus been initiated, gravity finished the job). All components of the hydraulic system were products of ''Meiller-Kipper GmbH'', except the KdF drive engine from Volkswagen.


Platforms

Acting as gantry, the lifting frame included a number of work platforms from which crewmen serviced the rocket. Three (later two) platforms folded flat against the lifting frame, and could be folded out from the elevated lifting frame with the use of a hand winch. Each folding platform included a safety rail of folding posts and chains. Two side platforms or catwalks were inserted into holders for deployment on each side of the lifting frame, otherwise stowed together on brackets near the turntable. A rotating platform could be suspended from the rocket nose, to provide access to the rocket control compartments on the far side of the rocket. The port beam of the lifting frame was fitted with around 40 rungs along its full length, with which crewmen climbed to the working platforms.


Accommodations

The lifting frame included two accommodations for the rocket, a nose clamp around the warhead and a pivoting clamp around the rocket midsection. Both accommodations included a saddle, and various mechanisms to assist dismount of the rocket onto its launch table. The mechanisms were operated with two
drive shaft A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power (physics), power and torque and rotation, usually ...
s running up the port lifting frame beam. The drive shafts ran within the integral rungs, and were operated by a crewman with a ratchet hand tool. The two drive shafts comprised a short shaft and a long shaft; both starting at the trunnion end of the lifting frame, one running half the length of the lifting frame while the other ran the full length. The short drive shaft operated the pivot clamp around the rocket midsection, which could move the rocket 28 mm (~1") forward or backward along its centreline. The rocket midsection was fitted with a band which included trunnion pins placed in opposition; the pivot clamp held the rocket by the trunnion pins. The pivot clamp was able to rock on a transverse shaft, thus causing the rocket to move along its centreline. After erection of the rocket to a vertical position, it was held suspended above the launch table; by use of the pivot clamp, the weight of the rocket could be gently lowered onto the launch table until fully taken up, allowing the rocket to be unsecured from the lifting frame, thus dismounting it from the Meillerwagen. The short drive shaft operated a screw sleeve, which extended to work a
bell crank A bellcrank is a type of crank that changes motion through an angle. The angle can be any angle from 0 to 360 degrees, but 90 degrees and 180 degrees are most common. The name comes from its first use, changing the vertical pull on a rope to a h ...
. The bell crank turned a transverse shaft fitted with an eccentric cam, which would push or pull the pivot clamp, thus moving the rocket forward or aftward along its centreline. The long drive shaft ran along the full length of the port beam of the lifting frame. It entered a
worm gear A worm drive is a gear arrangement in which a worm (which is a gear in the form of a screw) meshes with a worm wheel (which is similar in appearance to a spur gear). The two elements are also called the worm screw and worm gear. The terminol ...
at the pivot clamp, then continued to the nose clamp where it entered another worm gear. A shift lever at the nose clamp disengaged the drive shaft to allow either simultaneous or independent operation of the two worm gears. The worm gear at the pivot clamp operated a pair of scissor arms, one on each side of the lifting frame to insert or extract the trunnion pins from the rocket. The worm gear at the nose clamp operated the jaws of the nose clamp to either open or close, thus enclosing or releasing the rocket.


Brakes

The Meillerwagen was equipped with
pneumatic Pneumatics (from Greek ‘wind, breath’) is a branch of engineering that makes use of gas or pressurized air. Pneumatic systems used in Industrial sector, industry are commonly powered by compressed air or compressed inert gases. A central ...
drum brakes A drum brake is a brake that uses friction caused by a set of shoes or pads that press outward against a rotating cylinder-shaped part called a brake drum. The term ''drum brake'' usually means a brake in which shoes press on the inner surfac ...
, installed on the front and middle axles. The middle axle brakes could also be applied mechanically with a hand-operated cable, to act as a
parking brake In road vehicles, the parking brake, also known as a handbrake or emergency brake (e-brake), is a mechanism used to keep the vehicle securely motionless when parked. Parking brakes often consist of a cable connected to two wheel brakes, which is ...
. The Meillerwagen’s pneumatic brakes drew air pressure from the towing vehicle, and were operated by the tractor driver as an extension of his vehicle’s brake circuit. A control valve handle on the Meillerwagen regulated the braking force it drew from the tractor, depending on whether the Meillerwagen was laden with a rocket or unladen. The Meillerwagen was equipped with two compressed air reservoirs, filled from the towing vehicle. These allowed the Meillerwagen to use its pneumatic brakes when it was unhitched from the tractor. In the unhitched mode, the Meillerwagen brakes were operated from the control valve handle, to provide braking ability during winching and hand-manoeuvring around the launch site. The brake control and regulator system were supplied by Graubremse GmbH. The compressed air reservoirs, pneumatic brake cylinders and drum brakes were supplied by
Knorr Bremse Knorr-Bremse AG is a German manufacturer of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles that has operated in the field for over 110 years. Other products in Group's portfolio include intelligent door systems, control components, air con ...
GmbH.


Accessories

The Meillerwagen carried a number of accessories on the chassis and lifting frame, both for itself and the rocket. A toolbox fixed on the chassis carried
snow chains Snow chains, or tire chains, are devices fitted to the tires of vehicles to provide increased traction when driving through snow and ice. Snow chains attach to the drive wheels of a vehicle or special systems deploy chains which swing under ...
, a tyre pump, and assorted tools for the Meillerwagen and KdF motor. The chassis was equipped with a pair of blast shields, entrenching tools, a hand-steering A-frame, two jacks, a spare tyre and a folding ladder. Special trays were fixed on the chassis to carry the transport cases which held various rocket accessories such as the graphite steering vanes, the nose fuse, and the
Z-Stoff Z-Stoff (, "substance Z") was a name for calcium permanganate or sodium permanganate mixed in water. It was normally used as a catalyst for T-Stoff ( high-test peroxide) in military rocket programs by Nazi Germany during World War II. Z-Stoff was ...
(permanganate) flask. The rocket was provided with ejecting umbilical connectors, although their precise deployment evolved. Initially these 'Stotz plugs' travelled as Meillerwagen accessories, stowed on the lifting frame along with their cables. Later, the Stotz plugs were stowed in the cable box, and a ten metre cable mast was stowed on the lifting frame for ultimate erection on the launch table at the launch site.


Specifications

'Laden' refers to carriage of an unfuelled rocket with warhead fitted. 'Camouflage frame' is a tube-frame box assembled around the rocket and covered with tarps, rarely used during combat launches. * Total length: ''With towing arm'' – Unladen without Camouflage frame, 14700 mm; Laden with Camouflage frame, 16665 mm. ''Without towing arm'' – Unladen without Camouflage frame, 12610 mm. * Shipping class: S (for the unladen vehicle) * Total width: Unladen without camouflage frame, 2800 mm. Laden with camouflage frame, 2870 mm. * Total height: Unladen without camouflage frame, 3270 mm. Laden with camouflage frame, 4200 mm. * Total weight: Laden, 15476 kg. Unladen, 11300 kg. * Axle loads: ''Front axle'' – laden, 7010 kg; unladen, 5860 kg. ''Middle and rear axle'' – laden, 4385 kg; unladen, 2720 kg. * Turning circle radius: 10700 mm. Clearance: 350 mm. * Maximum towing speed: forwards, 45 km/h; backwards, 15 km/h. * Brakes: ''Type'' – Knorr single-acting pneumatic cylinders and internal-shoe drums. ** ''Front axle wheels'': Brake cylinders, 125/140 mm; drum brake shoes, 400 × 140 mm; Pneumatic. ''Middle axle wheels'': Brake cylinders, 80/110 mm; drum brake shoes, 400 × 120 mm; Pneumatic or cable. ''Pneumatic brake lines'': Steel pipes, 15 mm, diam × 1.5 mm; rubber hose lines, 24.5 mm, diam × 1.3 mm. Pneumatic storage: two tanks, each of 40 litres capacity at 6 kg per cm2. * Wheels: ''Type'' – split rim. Rim size: 8" × 20. * Tyres: ''Type'' – Pneumatic tyres, front axle duplex tyres, middle and rear axle single tyres. Size, 270-20. ''Air pressure'' – Front axle, 4.8 atm.; Middle and rear axle, 5.8 atm. * Wheelbase: Overall, 9800 mm; trailing rear truck, 2600 mm. Track width: Front axle, 1250 mm (central distance between duplex tyres); middle and rear axle, 2000 mm. * Hose connectors: ''B-material line'' – steel tube of 70 mm ID; upper and lower connectors, M 90 × 2 mm; tank drain valve, M 45 × 1.5 mm. ''T-material line'' – aluminium pipe of 32 mm ID; upper and lower connectors, R 1. ''A-material line'' – light alloy pipe of 70 mm ID; Upper and lower connectors claw clutch size, NW 70 mm. ''P-material line'' – steel tube of 10 mm; 6 compressed gas bottles, 230 atm.; filling pressure with a volume of 58 L each; filling and emptying connecting pieces, AM 14 × 1,5 mm. * Hydraulic lifting system: ** Oil pump: ''Design'' – Meiller-Kipper single-action three-piston high-pressure pump. Reservoir capacity, 70 litres; acid-free spindle oil. ** Drive engine: ''Design'' – Stationary KdF engine (from
Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
) type 120/15. ''Working type'' – Four-stroke petrol Otto engine. ''Fuel'' – 74 oct gasoline; Coldstart fuel, ether. ''Stroke'', 64 mm. ''Bore'', 75 mm. ''Number of cylinders'', 4. ''Capacity'', 1131 cm3. ''Compression ratio'', 1:5,8. ''Working number of revolutions'', 1470–1500 rpm. ''Continuous operation'', 14 hp. ''Fuel consumption under full load'', ~5.4 L/h. ''Lubricating oil consumption'', about 20 ml/h. *** Tools for the VW Motor: 1 starting crank, coldstart fuel (ether) in canister. ** Hydraulic presses: Number, 2. ''Design'' – 1 cylinder + 4 extending pistons (3 pressure pistons and 1 combined pressure and lowering piston). * Accessories: hand steering pole, 2 blast shields, Stotz plugs and cables, catching net for the Stotz plugs, entrenching tools (1 pick, 1 spade), tool hoist, camouflage frame and tarps, 2 jacks, 2 side platforms. Cable Mast. * Toolbox with contents: Cable kit, 1 Wheel-brace, 4 Snow chains, 2 Tubular extensions (for boom cranks), 2 ratchet keys (for drive shafts), Tommy bar (for frame brace turnbuckles), 1 spirit level, 1 × 4 m patch cable (for tail light), 1 crank handle (for platform winch), repair kit for catching net, Tool kit. * Tool kit: 1 Hand pump with hose, 1 Combination pliers, 1 Mechanics hammer, 2 Tyre levers.


Survivors

Of a reported production run of 200 units, three are confirmed survivors. *
Australian War Memorial The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving pe ...
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Treloar Resource Centre The Treloar Resource Centre, also known as the Treloar Centre and Treloar Technology Centre, is the Australian War Memorial's (AWM's) storage and conservation facility. It is located in the industrial suburb of Mitchell, Australian Capital Terri ...
. Canberra, Australia. ( Operation Backfire emeritus, unrestored, serial number 5628) *
Royal Air Force Museum Cosford The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, located in Cosford in Shropshire, is a free (currently, 2022) museum dedicated to the history of aviation and the Royal Air Force in particular. The museum is part of the Royal Air Force Museum, a non-departme ...
, Cosford UK. (Operation Backfire emeritus, restored, serial number unrecorded) *
National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the ...
,
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene County, Ohio, Greene and Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patte ...
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Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...
, USA. (A4b experimental unit, restored, serial number 7364) An unknown number were taken east in 1945, all or none of which may still exist in the former USSR.A-4/V-2 Rocket with Meillerwagen trailer
Australia PV Australian War Memorial - Treloar Centre Annex


Notes


References

{{V-weapons German inventions of the Nazi period Military trailers World War II military vehicles of Germany Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944