A-4/V-2 Rocket,
National Military Museum, Soesterberg,
Netherlands
Special thanks: Ed
Straten, Bert Koopman, Volker Pelz, and
Henk Koopmam
HISTORY: The
Dutch V-2 rocket is currently exhibited
at the Nationaal
Militair Museum in
Soesterberg, Netherlands. Previously, it
was showcased at the Leger en
Wapenmuseum (Army Museum) in Delft for
many years. This V-Weapon collection
includes a V-2 rocket with its launch
table, a detailed motor and pump, as
well as a V-1 mounted on its original
trolley, the "Vorbringerwagen," and a
manned V-1 variant known as the
"Reichenberg." These artifacts are
entirely original, with no post-war
components used to complete them, making
them unique worldwide.
Koninklijk
Nederlands Legermuseum / The
Royal Dutch Army Museum
The Royal Dutch
Army Museum began in Doorwerth
Castle, a medieval fortress on
the Rhine near Arnhem,
Netherlands. Derived from the
private collection of Frederic
Adolph Hoefer, it was
inaugurated as the Nederlandsch
Artillerie Museum (Dutch
Artillery Museum) by Prince
Henry on August 5, 1913. When
World War II began, the museum
artifacts were moved to the
Pesthuis in Leiden, where they
stayed for almost a decade
following the end of the war.
The origin of the
Dutch V-2 rocket is somewhat of
a mystery, but it seems both the
Dutch government and the Belgian
government had collected various
German weaponry immediately
after the war. Through
a negotiated agreement, the
Dutch were able to acquire a
mostly complete V-2 rocket.
This acquisition was achieved
by means of a transaction whereby the
Dutch secured possession of
this advanced piece of German
technology, along with other
forms of military hardware,
through an exchange of goods
or services.
During the period
of 1945 to 1946, Prince
Bernhard held the significant
post of Supreme Commander of
the Dutch Internal Armed
Forces. Given his prominent
role, he used the influence
inherent in his position to
obtain materials related to
V-weapons that were considered
surplus after the end of the
Second World War. Prince
Bernhard's leadership of the
Dutch Internal Armed Forces
likely facilitated his access
to surplus V-weapon materials.
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ARMAMENTARIUM 1970
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PHOTOS BELOW: EARLY VIEWS OF THE DUTCH
V-WEAPON COLLECTION AT THE ARMAMENTARIUM AT
DELFT
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Dutch
Armamentarium Delft
The Armamentarium
originated as the Army Museum in
1950 and grew its collection
significantly throughout the
1960s and 1970s. In 1986, the
remaining collections were
relocated from the Pesthuis in
Leiden to
the Armamentarium in Delft. The Armamentarium
was situated on the
Voldersgracht canal, near the
international city of The Hague
(Den Haag), where many V-2
rockets were launched. Throughout the
latter half of the 20th
century, it housed
exhibitions of the V-2 and
other historical weapons,
remaining a key site for
showcasing military
technology related to Dutch
history.
PHOTOS
BELOW: DUTCH V-2 IN DELFT
1999 - 2001
PHOTOS
BELOW: V-2
LAUNCHING
TABLE, DELFT
1999 - 2001
In July 2001, the V-weapon
collection was relocated from
the Dutch Leger Museum in Delft
to army storage facilities in
Grave-Driehuis, north of
Nijmegen. The V-2 was kept
there, away from public view,
for the rest of the decade,
undergoing several up close
examinations during those years
by the IV2RG.
PHOTOS BELOW:
V-WEAPON COLLECTION
REMOVAL 2001
PHOTOS BELOW: DUTCH V-WEAPONS
IN STORAGE AT MOBILISATIECOMPLEX
GRAVE-DRIEHUIS 2004
PHOTOS
BELOW: DUTCH V-WEAPONS IN STORAGE AT
MOBILISATIECOMPLEX GRAVE-DRIEHUIS
2007 - 2009
In 2010, the V-2 was temporarily
exhibited at the Haags
Historisch Museum in The
Hague (only blocks away from wartime
launch sites) before its scheduled
transfer to the new museum in
Soesterberg. The V-2 was repainted in
the WWII ragged camouflage scheme for
the "Liberation Exhibition."
Once again, a crane was
needed to lift the rocket into a small
upstairs exhibit room. The exhibition
took place from April 10 to September 5,
2010, after which the V-2 was removed
from the Haags Historisch Museum and
transported to the Soesterberg airbase
stores. The other various displays, V-1s
and equipment, were also relocated to
storage at Soesterberg.
The Royal
Dutch Army Museum in Delft
closed permanently in 2013 after
transferring its artifacts to
Soesterberg. In 2014, it
officially merged with the
Military Aviation Museum. This
merger resulted in the formation
of a new, larger museum
institution, known as the
National Military Museum (NMM).
The National Military Museum,
established through this
consolidation, brings together
the collections and expertise of
both the former Royal Dutch Army
Museum and the Military Aviation
Museum under one roof. |
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V-2 MOVED TO HAAGS HISTORISCH MUSEUM 2010
|
 |
PHOTOS BELOW: THE
V-2 IS MOVED FROM GRAVE-DRIEHUIS
TO TEMPORARY
EXIBITION IN
THE HAGUE 2010
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Nationaal
Militair Museum in
Soesterberg
At
Soesterberg, the V-2 was refurbished for its
debut at the new museum. The V-1 and V-2 were
exteriors were sealed, concealing their internal
components from public view. The V-2 was
repainted in a grey-green wartime color. The
restoration was done in a reversible manner,
allowing for the possibility of revealing the
internal components in the future. The V-2 was
reintroduced on display in October 2014, and
other Delft components have gradually been added
to the new museum exhibits over the past several
years.
PHOTOS BELOW:
REFURBISHMENT OF THE COLLECTION AT
SOESTERBERG 2010 - 2014
PHOTOS: V-2 EXHIBITION
SOESTERBERG 2014 - PRESENT
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