Walther Johannes Riedel (January 23, 1903 - November 16, 1974) was a rocket engineer who worked on the German V-2 and Wasserfall rockets before later working for North American Aviation.
Career edit
In 1929, Riedel graduated from the Technical University of Berlin; From 1936 to 1946, he directed development of liquid-fueled rockets at Peenemünde.[1][2] In 1942, Reidell was chief of design on the V-2.[3]
During the US occupation of Germany, Riedel was arrested and jailed.[4] German rocket scientists including Riedel were sent to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip.[5] In 1946, he was profiled for cooperating with authorities at Fort Bliss, Texas.[6] One article featured Riedel's complaints that American food was tasteless compared to that of his native Germany.[7][8] On December 30, Albert Einstein and the American Federation of Scientists authored a letter in protest.[8] Riedel was employed by North American Aviation which sought to recreate and improve upon the V-2.[9]
In 1949, the United Press quoted Riedel's prediction of space ships in 25 years.[10] He was against profiled in 1949 for his work at North American Aviation's plant in Downey, California.[11][12] Letters to the editor featured a complaint about the piece's positive treatment of Riedel.[13][8]
In 1953, he was denounced by fellow NAA employee Victor Black, leading to an interview with the CIA.[14]
He returned to West Germany and died in Hamburg in 1974.[15]
Reference edit
- ^ "Rotarians Will Hear Walther Riedel, German Technician". April 15, 1948. p. 23 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Brown, Brian (November 5, 2019). "Someone Is Out to Get Us: A Not So Brief History of Cold War Paranoia and Madness". Grand Central Publishing – via Google Books.
- ^ Neufeld, Michael (April 12, 2017). "Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War". Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group – via Google Books.
- ^ Jacobsen, Annie (February 11, 2014). "Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America". Little, Brown – via Google Books.
- ^ "The Golden Age of Aerospace". April 4, 2023.
- ^ "Article clipped from El Paso Herald-Post". December 5, 1946. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "American Cooking 'Tasteless,' Says German Rocket Scientist; Dislikes 'Rubberized Chicken'". December 6, 1946. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Brzezinski, Matthew (September 18, 2007). "Red Moon Rising: Sputnik and the Hidden Rivalries that Ignited the Space Age". Macmillan – via Google Books.
- ^ "ch1". www.hq.nasa.gov.
- ^ "Space Ship Seen as Possible But Not in the Near Future". April 20, 1949. p. 18 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Designer of German V-2 Now Works to Aid US". March 13, 1949. p. 33 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "V-2 Designer Helping U.S." March 24, 1949. p. 28 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Achievement in Woe". March 17, 1949. p. 32 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Moseley, James W. (November 2, 2010). "Shockingly Close to the Truth!: Confessions of a Grave-Robbing Ufologist". Prometheus Books – via Google Books.
- ^ "Riedel, Walther". www.astronautix.com.