The time is May 1st (May Day) and the year is 1944. The world's first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile streaks through the earth's atmosphere at the fantastic speed of 3,440 miles per hour! It is flying too high and too fast to be intercepted. This is the V-2 "Vergeitungswafte" revenge weapon, and the swastika is proudly displayed on the tail fins. For this is Adolf Hitler's ultimate weapon to win World War ll quickly. The warhead is a bomb about the size of a large pineapple. However, it is capable of mass destruction, killing several million people. Believe it or not, this is the world's first Atomic bomb! When the United States dropped the two atomic bombs on Japan, around 140,000 people were killed. But Hitler's atomic bomb would wipe out at least eighteen million people! For it is headed to one of the most populated metropolitan areas in the world. The destination for this guided missile is 74.00 degrees longitude and 40.45 degrees latitude. A captured German map shows that this is Delancy Street and he Bowery in downtown New York City! But you say, this never did take place, however, most people do not know that it came within a hair-breadth of happening. A German scientist had already developed a ballistic missile called the "Peenemunde" V-2 rocket.  It was 46' 11" high, 5' 5" in diameter. As

previously stated, the maximum speed was 3,440 mph, and it carried 2,150 lbs. of high explosives. Six thousand of the V-2 missiles were manufactured, and most were dropped in and around London, England. Thousands of lives were lost, and much of London was destroyed. One of these V-2 missiles was especially rigged, to carry the first atomic bomb as soon as it was finished.
Dr. Kurt Dierner was head of the German Nuclear Research Program. To make an atomic bomb, energy is delivered from an extremely rapid nuclear chain reaction, in which heavy nucleus or uranium are broken down. (This is known as nuclear fission.) Dr. Diebner's team needed to process uranium U-238 to separate the important fissionable U-235. They decided that "heavy water" would be the best way to slow down neutrons, so they could split uranium nucleus through fission. Heavy water is composed of heavy particles of hydrogen and oxygen. It was very scarce, produced only at a hydroelectric plant in Vermork, Norway. Then it was shipped by rail to Germany. We were aware and very concerned about the progress Germany was making with their atomic bomb. As soon as the water factory in Norway was discovered, we began to bomb the plant. This kept the production of heavy water to a trickle. Finally the entire plant was completely destroyed by air raids. This was the most significant reason why Hitler did not drop his atomic bomb on New York City, before we dropped ours on Japan.
Did you know that after an Atomic bomb explodes over a city, it takes forty years for the dangerous radioactivity to dissipate!!

Supersonic V-2 rockets being stored ready for use. (Photos Time-Life Books)

As this captured map indicates, the Germans planned for their atomic bomb - to be delivered by a specially designed V-2 rocket - to explode near Delancy Street and the Bowery in downtown New York City.