A group of detectorists recently uncovered fragments of a V-2 rocket near Blizna Historical Park in Ropczyce-Sędziszów County, Poland.

The V-2, also called the Aggregat-4 (A4) or “Vengeance Weapon 2,” was Nazi Germany’s first long-range guided ballistic missile, developed during WWII as retaliation for Allied bombings. Designed by Wernher von Braun and his team at the Peenemünde Army Research Centre, it also became the first human-made object to reach space by crossing the Kármán line.

During the war, over 3,000 V-2 rockets were fired at Allied targets, killing around 9,000 civilians and soldiers, in addition to the thousands of forced laborers and concentration camp prisoners who died building the weapons.

Members of the Podkarpackie Military Enthusiasts Association, collaborating with local authorities and two other detectorist groups, uncovered V-2 rocket fragments while surveying an impact crater near Blizna Historical Park.

Blizna Historical Park served as the primary V-2 testing site after the Peenemünde launch facility in Germany was heavily bombed. Its strategic significance was highlighted by visits from high-ranking Nazi officials, including Adolf Hitler, SS chief Heinrich Himmler, SS-Obergruppenführers Hans Kammler, and Gottlob Berger.

The team recovered fragments including a turbopump, injectors, and a nearly intact ballistic cone, a key feature of the V-2 rocket’s design. The complete rocket warhead was embedded in the ground along with part of the second stage, which had collided with the first segment upon impact. As this was a practice warhead, no explosion occurred. The recovered components will be moved to Blizna Historical Park to join its permanent exhibition.