World War II led to the creation of some truly bizarre and unconventional aircraft as nations scrambled to gain a technological edge. Among the strangest was the Bachem Ba 349 Natter.
Named after a snake, the Natter was a rocket-powered interceptor designed for vertical takeoff, much like the infamous V-2 missile. Once airborne, the pilot would guide it toward a formation of American bombers and unleash a barrage of rockets. After the attack, the pilot would eject and descend by parachute while the aircraft's fuselage did the same separately.
A captured Bachem Ba 349 Natter at an airfield. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
German engineer Erich Bachem conceived the Natter as a way to counter the new generation of Allied bombers, which seemed impervious to conventional defences. Heavy bombers like the Boeing B-29 Superfortress flew at altitudes too high for standard anti-aircraft guns, while flak became increasingly ineffective as bomber speeds increased. Surface-to-air missiles showed promise in countering the Allied bombing offensive, leading to a variety of experimental projects. However, persistent issues with guidance and homing systems prevented any from reaching operational use.
In July 1944, the Luftwaffe launched the "Emergency Fighter Program," seeking simple target interceptors to defend against the relentless bombing raids. Several designs were submitted, including the Heinkel P.1077 Julia, which featured a prone pilot position to minimize drag, and the Junkers EF 128, a swept-wing jet capable of reaching 1,000 km/h.
Bachem had first explored the idea of a vertical-takeoff rocket interceptor while working at Fieseler, where he was asked to refine a concept by Wernher von Braun. This led to the Fi-166, a massive twin-turbojet aircraft launched vertically with the help of a 10-tonne rocket booster. However, the government dismissed the design as impractical, and it never advanced beyond the conceptual stage.
Drawing from this earlier work, Bachem designed the Ba 349 Natter with a focus on simplicity and rapid production. To keep costs low and allow for quick assembly in small, minimally equipped workshops, he proposed building the aircraft primarily from wood. The Natter also required minimal pilot training as the operator only needed to guide the aircraft in the final moments before attack. Bachem envisioned launching swarms of Natters against incoming bomber formations. After firing their rockets, pilots would eject, and the aircraft would descend via parachute, ready for reuse.
A Bachem Ba 349 Natter just clears the launch tower. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Initially, the German Aviation Ministry (Reichsluftfahrtministerium, or RLM) rejected the design. However, Bachem found an influential supporter in Heinrich Himmler, who pressured the RLM into approving the project. The ministry ultimately ordered 50 aircraft, while Himmler’s SS placed an additional order for 150.
Bachem's design was simple and easy to produce. The wings were plain, rectangular wooden slabs without ailerons or flaps. Control surfaces were located on the Natter’s cruciform tail, where the four fins worked together to provide yaw, pitch, and roll control. Even the cockpit was stripped down and contained only minimal instrumentation.
The Ba 349 Natter was powered by a Walter HWK 509 rocket engine, which generated about 1,600 kg of thrust. This was supplemented by four solid-fuel rocket boosters, adding an additional 4,800 kg of thrust to propel the aircraft rapidly to 20,000 feet—where it would engage incoming American bombers. The pilot would then steer the Natter toward its target and fire a salvo of rockets.
A captured Ba 349A-1 Natter on display at Freeman Field, Indiana, September 1945. The original design didn’t include the swastikas and were added later for the exhibition. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
By the time this manoeuvre was completed, the Walter engine would have exhausted its propellant, causing the aircraft to begin gliding downward. At an altitude of around 3,000 meters, the pilot would jettison the nose cap, triggering the deployment of a parachute from the rear of the fuselage. Sitting with his seatbelt already disengaged, the pilot would then be ejected forward by the sudden deceleration and descend using his personal parachute. Meanwhile, the valuable Walter rocket engine would float down under its own parachute to be recovered by ground crews.
A factory was established in Waldsee, deep in the Black Forest, and by November 1944, the first Natter was ready for testing as an unpowered glider. A Heinkel He 111 bomber carried it to 18,000 feet before releasing it. The pilot found the aircraft easy to control, and at 1,000 meters, he activated the explosive bolts, successfully initiating the escape sequence as designed.
On December 22, the first successful launch took place using only the solid-fuel boosters, as the Walter rocket engine was not yet ready. Over the following months, ten more successful launches followed. Early in 1945, the long-awaited Walter engine finally arrived, and on February 25, the Natter was launched for the first time with its full propulsion system. This test carried a dummy pilot, and the nose section separated as planned, allowing the dummy to descend safely under its parachute. But the Walter rocket motor burst into flames when the fuselage hit the ground.
Lothar Sieber climbs into a Bachem Ba 349 Natter prototype on 1 March 1945. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Lothar Sieber (left) discusses with Erich Bachem before his fatal flight. Photo credit: Smithsonian Magazine
Bachem believed more time was needed to perfect the Natter, but authorities in Berlin pressured him to conduct a manned flight by the end of February. Against his better judgment, on March 1, twenty-three-year-old Luftwaffe test pilot Lothar Sieber climbed into the cockpit of a fully fueled Natter, strapped himself in, and blasted off from the launch tower.
Trouble began almost immediately. At around 500 meters, the cockpit canopy flew open, possibly because it was not secured properly before launch. This exposed a critical design flaw: the pilot’s headrest was attached to the underside of the canopy rather than to the bulkhead. When the canopy tore away, it took the headrest with it, causing Sieber’s head to snap back violently under the immense G-forces. Seiber either broke his neck or was rendered unconscious.
The Natter continued to climb with an incapacitated pilot at the controls and disappeared into the clouds. After about 15 seconds, the Walter engine burned out, by which time Sieber had likely reached 1,500 meters. The aircraft then nosedived and crashed into the ground. The entire flight lasted just 32 seconds.
Although Sieber’s death was in vain, he did became a historical footnote as the first person to take off vertically under pure rocket power, 16 years before Yuri Gagarin's Vostok 1 achieved the first manned orbital flight in peacetime.
The Bachem Ba 349 Natter taking Lothar Sieber rises into the sky on 1 March 1945. Photo credit: Smithsonian Magazine
Despite the tragedy, many pilots volunteered to fly the Natter, but Bachem refused to conduct further manned tests until the aircraft was perfected. By the war’s end, he had built 36 Natters, though none were delivered to the SS or the Luftwaffe. Of these, 25 were used in various unmanned test flights, while six were destroyed by Bachem’s employees to prevent them from falling into Allied hands. American troops captured four, and the Red Army seized one.
Today, only two Natters are known to survive. One remains in storage under the care of the Smithsonian Institution in the United States, while another is displayed at the Deutsches Museum in Munich. The fate of the other captured Natters remains unknown.
After the war, an operational launch site for the Ba 349 Natter was discovered in a forest about 27 kilometers southeast of Stuttgart. The site featured three concrete foundations for launch towers, arranged in an equilateral triangle with sides measuring 120 meters. It is believed that construction was still incomplete when advancing U.S. forces entered the region, prompting Bachem’s team to abandon the site and retreat to Waldsee.
A preserved Bachem Ba 349 Natter launch pad in the Hasenholz woods. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Although the development of the Ba 349 Natter was cut short, the concept of a “zero-length” launch system gained traction among military planners during the early years of the Cold War. The ability to launch an aircraft without the need for a long runway was particularly appealing, as it eliminated reliance on airbases that could become easy target for enemy attacks.
The United States Air Force, the German Air Force, and the Soviet Air Force all conducted experiments with zero-length launch systems, with mixed success. However, these projects were ultimately abandoned due to logistical challenges and the increasing effectiveness of guided missiles, which reduced the strategic necessity of such aircraft.
Nevertheless, the need for combat aircraft that were not dependent on vulnerable runways led to the development of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft. Notable examples include the British Hawker Siddeley Harrier and the Soviet Yak-38.
A Bachem Ba 349 Natter at the National Air and Space Museum.
A U.S. engineer lifts the hinged canopy of a captured Bachem Ba 349 to take a look inside the cockpit. Photo credit: Smithsonian Magazine
American soldiers outside St. Leonhard, Austria, take Natters and rocket engine parts into custody in May 1945 for shipment back to the United States. Photo credit: Smithsonian Magazine
References:
# Bachem Ba 349 B-1 Natter (Viper), National Air And Space Museum
# World War II’s Worst Airplane, Smithsonian Magazine
Recommended Reading:
# Robert Forsyth, Bachem Ba 349 Natter (X-Planes, 8)
# Manfred Griehl, Luftwaffe X-Planes: German Experimental Aircraft of World War II
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