What were the Nazi's interests in beginning the development of the helicopter?
What were the Nazi’s interests in beginning the development of the helicopter?
To my understanding it was the Nazi’s who first tried to seriously develop the use of helicopters as military weapons. However, it was one of the too late “wonder weapons” projects that got cut short by the end of the war.
It is my understanding that through Operation Paperclip, the US was able to provide some asylum for former Nazi engineers involved in the helicopter program, who helped found the US military helicopter program.
Why were the Nazi’s interested in developing the helicopter? Did they see it as a potential anti-tank weapon? A less costly and ‘potentially safer’ (vs high flying planes and crash landing gliders) and more versatile resupply mechanism? Did they see it as a potential counter insurgent weapon?
Brian Ghilliotti
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Just based on my rather good understanding of WW2 weapons and tactics, I would think (apart from general interest in technical accomplishments – I do know that the first German helicopter demos were treated as a spectacular achievement) the first tactical foreseen application would be supply & troop transport (especially commandos) in difficult terrain and for accelerated tactical speed, which were both things the Germans were interested in and developed systems for (e.g. airlift, paratroops, motor/mechanized maneuver-based tactics). The first helicopters would no doubt be very vulnerable to attack from ground and air and artillery, and so I would expect them not to be used for direct attacks. A recon role for counter-insurgency is a good idea, though – their recon aircraft tended to feature very low speed cruising, and against partisans could afford to be visible to the enemy if they flew high enough.
My mother was born in 1937 and says there were plenty of helicopters to be seen in the U.S, in the early 1940s when she was a child. I don’t know if this helps, but helicopters were far from rare in the U.S. in the 1940s. My mother was in her early 30’s when she told me this (about 1975).
After a little experience, I think anybody involved in military aviation would begin to wish for an aircraft that could be landed and lofted anywhere with a small open space, instead of requiring a long runway.
It would be great for making pinpoint drops of passengers and freight, and extracting people from anyplace needed instead of telling them to find an airport.
It’s the equivalent of having a small boat for beach landings instead of a ship that needs a harbor and dock.
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