Q&A ยท 1:43:16-1:44:33

Could V-2 rockets have gone to sea?

A prolonged-war counterfactual weighs the temptation to move V-2 launchers closer to Britain against the weapon's severe shipboard support burden.

Question

Could Germany have mounted V-2 rockets on warships in a prolonged Second World War?

Short answer

An attempt might appear around 1946-47, but the liquid-oxygen plant and handling burden would make it a difficult shipboard weapon.

Notes

Naval V-2 deployment is a speculative late-war development rather than an actual programme described in the video. If Germany renewed interest in large surface ships, pressure might have emerged around 1946 or 1947 to carry launchers closer to Britain. The practical objection is formidable: a V-2 depended on alcohol and liquid oxygen, so the ship would need specialised production, storage, and handling facilities. The idea separates the appeal of a weapon's range from the logistics required to make it operable at sea.