Simons, Graham M. Operation Backfire

Britain’s Cold War Guided Missile Programme

The era of ballistic missiles began in September 1944, when Germany launched its V-2 campaign against Great Britain and Western Europe. Towards the end of the war in Europe and in the immediate postwar period, the Allies vied to secure coveted German technology. This included examples of the V-2 rockets themselves. While the United States took the lead in this effort, General Eisenhower permitted Great Britain to acquire enough parts to assemble eight rockets. Under "Operation Backfire," the British launched three of these rockets near Cuxhaven, located in the British occupation zone of Germany. The tests, conducted by experienced German personnel, were far ahead of the trials the Americans were carrying out at their much-vaunted "Army Launch Area No. 1" (at the White Sands missile range in New Mexico). These tests and the associated work transformed Great Britainin little more than a yearfrom a victim of guided missiles into a user of this impressive new military technology. This marked the beginning of the British guided missile development program. "Operation Backfire" illustrates how rapidly the Cold War arms race emerged from the ashes of the preceding conflict, how closely technology and international relations were intertwined, and the active, enthusiastic role Great Britain played in the early days of the missile age. Moreover, the operation demonstrates that the Soviet Union was not Great Britain's only foreign rival in developing its own post-WWII missile capabilitiesparticularly during the first year after the war ended. Instead, the country faced fierce competition from its closest wartime ally, the USA. Both nations sought to harness German expertise to build their own missile arsenals; However, the greater resources and the status of the USA as a new superpower enabled them to essentially overwhelm their transatlantic allies.