Operations Sandy and Pushover
Encyclopedia
Operation Sandy was the codename for the post-World War II
launch of a captured V-2 rocket
from the deck of the United States Navy
aircraft carrier USS Midway
on September 6, 1947. It marked the first launch of a large rocket, and the only time for a V-2, from a ship at sea. Operation Pushover was a followup test in late 1949 to assess the danger to a carrier from a V-2 explosion.
, Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations
, was an early advocate of the concept. It was he who initiated Operation Sandy.
Preliminary testing was done at the White Sands Missile Range
, using a simulated aircraft carrier deck. The V-2 to be used was assembled at White Sands. It was shipped across the country to the east coast and loaded aboard the Midway, then the largest carrier in the Navy and equipped with an armored flight deck
. The aircraft carrier sailed to a point several hundred miles south of Bermuda
for the launch.
After liftoff, the V-2 tilted at an angle and subsequently broke up at an altitude of 15000 feet (4,572 m), disappointing the distinguished witnesses.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
launch of a captured V-2 rocket
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
from the deck of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
aircraft carrier USS Midway
USS Midway (CV-41)
USS Midway was an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, the lead ship of her class, and the first to be commissioned after the end of World War II...
on September 6, 1947. It marked the first launch of a large rocket, and the only time for a V-2, from a ship at sea. Operation Pushover was a followup test in late 1949 to assess the danger to a carrier from a V-2 explosion.
Operation Sandy
Rear Admiral Daniel V. GalleryDaniel V. Gallery
Rear Admiral Daniel Vincent Gallery was an officer in the United States Navy who saw extensive action during World War II. He fought in the Second Battle of the Atlantic, his most notable achievement was the capture of the German submarine U-505, on June 4, 1944...
, Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
, was an early advocate of the concept. It was he who initiated Operation Sandy.
Preliminary testing was done at the White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
, using a simulated aircraft carrier deck. The V-2 to be used was assembled at White Sands. It was shipped across the country to the east coast and loaded aboard the Midway, then the largest carrier in the Navy and equipped with an armored flight deck
Flight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft is also referred to as the...
. The aircraft carrier sailed to a point several hundred miles south of Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
for the launch.
After liftoff, the V-2 tilted at an angle and subsequently broke up at an altitude of 15000 feet (4,572 m), disappointing the distinguished witnesses.