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The Second World War

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Ludwig Prandtl

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Abstract

In the Second World War, Prandtl changed the direction of the work at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut für Strömungsforschung to research needed for the war. For the Aerodynamics Research Institute which, since 1937, was no longer under the control of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society but, instead, the Reich Ministry of Aviation, this change in direction was still greater. In 1942, within the context of reorganisation at the Reich Ministry of Aviation, research planning was transferred to a four-person committee with the name “Forschungsführung” (Research Executive Committee)—with Prandtl as its chairman. As a result, he took on responsibility for aviation research required by the war extending well beyond the boundaries of the Göttingen research establishments. Even so, research that was more oriented to basic science did not completely come to a halt. In the last few months of the war, Prandtl was able to achieve some remarkable results in turbulence theory.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Tollmien (1999, pp. 191–193).

  2. 2.

    Vogel-Prandtl (2005, p. 147).

  3. 3.

    Speech on the 6th October 1939 in Berlin before the Reichstag. In: Der großdeutsche Freiheitskampf. Reden Adolf Hitlers. Vol. I from the 1st September 1939 to 10th March 1940. Zentralverlag der NSDAP, Franz Eher Nachf., München (1941), Zweite Auflage (1943, pp. 67–100, here p. 82 and 95). What was judged in National Socialist propaganda to be the “great freedom speech”, on closer examination reveals the ethnic-racist motive for Hitler’s planned “new order”. Please refer in this context to Wildt (2006).

  4. 4.

    Vogel-Prandtl (2005, p. 147).

  5. 5.

    Prandtl to the RLM, 25th May 1940. AMPG, Abt. I, Rep. 44, No. 45.

  6. 6.

    Prandtl to Abt. LC 1 in the RLM, 20th October 1939. AMPG, Abt. I, Rep. 44, No. 45.

  7. 7.

    Trischler (1992, pp. 199–203).

  8. 8.

    Prandtl to Baeumker, 14th June 1940. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 73.

  9. 9.

    Theoretikerkolloquium am KWI, 22. September 1939. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 297.

  10. 10.

    Prandtl to the RLM, 25th May 1940. AMPG, Abt. I, Rep. 44, No. 45. Please refer also to Epple (2002b).

  11. 11.

    Baeumker (1944, p. 61).

  12. 12.

    Busemann to Prandtl, 17th and 22nd July 1940. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 217. Regarding Busemann’s Institute of Gas Dynamics at the LFA, please refer to Blenk (1941, pp. 506–509).

  13. 13.

    ZWB, LG, S-10, p. 3.

  14. 14.

    ZWB, LG, S-10, pp. 75–135.

  15. 15.

    ZWB, LG, S-10, pp. 17–27; FB 1343 (January 1941).

  16. 16.

    Prandtl (1941, p. 147).

  17. 17.

    Please refer to Sect. 8.7.

  18. 18.

    Jahrbuch 1941 der Deutschen Luftfahrtforschung (1941, p. 3).

  19. 19.

    Jahrbuch 1941 der Deutschen Luftfahrtforschung (1941, p. 6).

  20. 20.

    Milch to Prandtl, 3rd February 1940. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 1073.

  21. 21.

    Prandtl to Hitler, 5th February 1940. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 680.

  22. 22.

    Prandtl to Göring, 5th February 1940. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 541.

  23. 23.

    Prandtl to Milch, 18th March 1940. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 1073. Regarding the subject of aviation engine development for greater altitudes at the DVL, please refer to Trischler (1992, p. 206).

  24. 24.

    Prandtl to Sommerfeld, 22nd March 1941. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, Nr. 1538. Reproduced in ASWB II, p. 538f.

  25. 25.

    Vogel-Prandtl (2005, p. 148).

  26. 26.

    Prandtl to Bock, 1st March 1950. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 152.

  27. 27.

    Cited in Vogel-Prandtl (2005, p. 148).

  28. 28.

    Prandtl to Joos, 28th April 1941. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 771.

  29. 29.

    Prandtl to the Reich Ministry of Education, 22nd January 1941. UAG, Kur PA Prandtl, vol. 2. Regarding the cultural programme in the Second World War, please refer to Hausmann (2001).

  30. 30.

    Prandtl to Valcovici, 16th October 1940. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 1986.

  31. 31.

    Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Prandtl, 21st March 1941; Prandtl to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 25th March 1941. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 1986.

  32. 32.

    Report on the lecture tour to Rumania, 26th May 1941. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 1986.

  33. 33.

    Comment in the margin in the report dated 26th May 1941. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 1986.

  34. 34.

    Gengler to Prandtl, 14th November 1942; Prandtl to Gengler, 20th November 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 1126.

  35. 35.

    Prandtl to Göring, 25th September 1940. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 541.

  36. 36.

    http://cambridgehistorian.blogspot.de/2012/07/world-war-2-air-attacks-on-cambridge.html.

  37. 37.

    Prandtl to Göring, 28th April 1941. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 541. The enclosure is reproduced in Vogel-Prandtl (2005, pp. 210–214).

  38. 38.

    Sommerfeld to Prandtl, 1st March 1941; Prandtl to Sommerfeld, 22nd March 1941. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 1538, reproduced in ASWB II, p. 538f.

  39. 39.

    Prandtl to Ramsauer, 28th April 1941. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 1302.

  40. 40.

    Prandtl to Ramsauer, 4th June 1941. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 1302.

  41. 41.

    Prandtl to Milch, 13th November 1941. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 1073.

  42. 42.

    The submission is reproduced in Hoffmann and Walker, pp. 594–617. For the context, please refer to Eckert (2007) and Hoffmann (2007).

  43. 43.

    Vogel-Prandtl (2005, p. 149).

  44. 44.

    Please refer for more detail to Eckert (2007, p. 154).

  45. 45.

    Hoffmann (2007, p. 188).

  46. 46.

    Baeumker to Prandtl, Betz and others, 10th January 1942. GOAR 2658. Regarding the position of the research department in the Ministry of Aviation before the reorganisation in summer 1942, please refer to Trischler (1992, pp. 241–246), Hein (1995, pp. 55–61) and Boog (1982, pp. 68–76). For assessment of Baeumker’s efforts from the perspective of the aeronautics industry, please refer to Budraß (2002).

  47. 47.

    Boog (1982, p. 73).

  48. 48.

    Baeumker to Milch, 10th January 1942 (copy). GOAR 2658.

  49. 49.

    “Organisation der Luftfahrtforschung”, Enclose to Baeumker’s submission to Milch, 10th January 1942 (copy). GOAR 2658.

  50. 50.

    Note on the discussion between Baeumker and Milch on the 16th April 1942. BA-MA, RL 1/20, Sheet. 25–27. Reproduced in Trischler (1993), Document No. 51, pp. 158–161.

  51. 51.

    Prandtl to Milch, 26th January 1942. BA-MA, RL 1/20, Bl. 3–7. Reproduced in Trischler (1993), Document No. 49, pp. 151–154.

  52. 52.

    Prandtl to Milch, 17th April 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2109.

  53. 53.

    File note on the discussion between with Milch “betr. Neuorganisation der Luftfahrtforschung”, 7th May 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2109.

  54. 54.

    Bericht zur ersten Sitzung der Forschungsführung, 8th May 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2109.

  55. 55.

    Prandtl to Baeumker, 19th May 1942; Prandtl to Milch (with copy to Baeumker), 20th May 1942; Baeumker to Prandtl, Georgii and Seewald, 21st May 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2109.

  56. 56.

    Prandtl to the members of the Research Executive Committee, 27th May 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2109.

  57. 57.

    Erlass des Reichsministers der Luftfahrt und Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe, 29th May 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2109.

  58. 58.

    Besprechung bei Staatssekretär Milch über die Aufgaben der Forschungsführung, 5th June 1942. BA-MA, RL 1/20, Sheet. 30–33. Reproduced in Trischler (1993), Document No. 54, pp. 173–176. Regarding the rivalling of the Reichsforschungsrat (Reich Research Council) which, in 1942, likewise went through a phase of reorganisation, please refer to Flachowsky (2008, Chap. 6).

  59. 59.

    Prandtl to Seewald, 11th June 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2110.

  60. 60.

    Prandtl to Baeumker and Georgii, 3rd July 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2111; Geschäftsordnung für die Mitglieder der Forschungsführung. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2113.

  61. 61.

    Prandtl to Baeumker, Seewald and Georgii, 17th July 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2111.

  62. 62.

    Milch to Prandtl, 10th September 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 1073.

  63. 63.

    Prandtl to Milch, 18th September 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 1073.

  64. 64.

    Please refer also to Schmaltz (2009) and Schmaltz (2011).

  65. 65.

    Baeumker to Prandtl, 29th September 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2113.

  66. 66.

    Prandtl to Seewald, 20th October 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2114.

  67. 67.

    Seewald to Prandtl, 22th October 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2114.

  68. 68.

    Seewald, Erläuterungen zum Gegenstand der Besprechung der Forschungsführung am 6. 11. 1942, 26th October 1942. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2125.

  69. 69.

    Prandtl, Beiträge zur Niederschrift der Sitzung der Forschungsführung vom 7./8. Januar 1943. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2116.

  70. 70.

    Seewald to the members of the Research Committee, 18th February 1943. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2125.

  71. 71.

    Prandtl to Baeumker, 14th April 1943. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2117.

  72. 72.

    Prandtl to Seewald, 20th July 1943. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2118.

  73. 73.

    Baeumker to Betz, 13. März 1945. GOAR 2728.

  74. 74.

    Trischler (1992, p. 258).

  75. 75.

    Schmaltz (2010).

  76. 76.

    Prandtl to Baeumker, 16th November 1943. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2121.

  77. 77.

    Focke to Prandtl, 11th December 1943. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2121.

  78. 78.

    Focke to Prandtl, 28th December 1943. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2121.

  79. 79.

    Baeumker to Prandtl, 15th October 1943. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2190.

  80. 80.

    Prandtl to Schwaiger, 18th October 1943. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2190.

  81. 81.

    Benz et al. (2005, pp. 461–463), Wolf (1996).

  82. 82.

    Benz et al. (2005, pp. 459–461).

  83. 83.

    Thiel (1986).

  84. 84.

    Meier (2006, pp. 61–80). Regarding the use of jet engines, please refer to Schmaltz (2010).

  85. 85.

    Betz to Prandtl, 29th December 1942. GOAR 1005.

  86. 86.

    Baeumker to Betz, 24th March 1943. GOAR 1005.

  87. 87.

    Meier (2006, pp. 371–377).

  88. 88.

    Hirschel et al. (2001, p. 303). Siegfried Ruff, the head of this institute, was also involved in experiments on concentration camp prisoners in Dachau in which, using a low-pressure chamber, conditions at a great height could be produced. Please refer in this context to Roth (2001, 2006).

  89. 89.

    Discussion in the office on 3rd April 1943. GOAR 1005.

  90. 90.

    Report on the visit to the testing centres Peenemünde West and Ost on 9th August 1943, as well as the testing centre Rechlin on 10th August 1943 by the representatives of the Research Committee for the area of work “airframe”, 17th August 1943. GOAR 1005.

  91. 91.

    File note of Baeumker, 10th June 1943. GOAR 1005.

  92. 92.

    Baeumker (1944, p. 69).

  93. 93.

    Baeumker to Betz, 15th November 1943. GOAR 2728.

  94. 94.

    Baeumker to Betz, 6th December 1943. GOAR 2728.

  95. 95.

    Baeumker to Georgii, 16th February 1944. GOAR 2728.

  96. 96.

    Georgii to Betz and others, 18th April 1944. GOAR 1003. Also reproduced in Trischler (1993), Document No. 66, pp. 207–211.

  97. 97.

    The scientific and most important war merits of Prandtl, 4th December 1943. GOAR 1003.

  98. 98.

    Prandtl to Göring, 7th March 1945. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 541.

  99. 99.

    Contracts from the Research Executive Committee to establishments, institutes and individual researchers, aerodynamics, dated 12th November 1942. GOAR 1005.

  100. 100.

    Please refer to Sect. 8.1.

  101. 101.

    Bußmann: Messungen am Laminarprofil P-51 “Mustang”, Forschungsbericht No. 1724. ZWB.

  102. 102.

    Breford, Möller: Messungen am Originalflügel des Baumusters P-51 “Mustang”, Forschungsbericht No. 1724/2. ZWB. Please also refer in this context to investigations of captured Mustang wings at the DVL by H. Doetsch: Versuche am Tragflügelprofil des North-American “Mustang”, 1. Teil, Forschungsbericht No. 1712; Bericht über das Fachgebiet “Profile” vor dem Sonderausschuss Windkanäle am 10. 11. 43 und 4. 1. 44, Untersuchungen und Mitteilungen Nr. 1190; Versuche am Mustang-Profil über den Einfluss des Hinterkantenwinkels auf die Profileigenschaften, Untersuchungen und Mitteilungen No. 1488. ZWB.

  103. 103.

    Betz, circular letter, 13th May 1943. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2125.

  104. 104.

    Blenk to the Research Committee, 9th June 1943. GOAR 2728.

  105. 105.

    F. Riegels: Russische Laminarprofile. Untersuchungen und Mitteilungen No. 3040. ZWB.

  106. 106.

    F. Riegels: Russische Laminarprofile. 4. Teil: Widerstandsmessungen am Profil 2315 Bis. Untersuchungen und Mitteilungen No. 3159. ZWB.

  107. 107.

    H. Holstein: The Large AVA-Tunnel of Low Turbulence. Reports and Translations No. 83, June 15th, 1946. ZWB.

  108. 108.

    Prandtl to Betz, 24th May 1943. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2125.

  109. 109.

    Schultz-Grunow (1940); Prandtl to the RLM, 25th May 1940. AMPG, Abt. I, Rep. 44, No. 45.

  110. 110.

    Enclosure to the application dated 21st March 1942 for granting of research funds for the financial year 1941/42. AMPG, Abt. I, Rep. 44, No. 46.

  111. 111.

    K. Wieghardt: Über das Ausblasen von Warmluft für Enteiser. Forschungsbericht Nr. 1900. ZWB. This work was carried out in conjunction with the Kälteinstitut der AVA (AVA Cold Research Institute) at the request of “airplane manufacturers”. Prandtl to Betz, 24th May 1943. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 2125.

  112. 112.

    Enclosure to the application dated 21st March1942 for granting of research funds for the financial year 1941/42; progress report dated 30th July 1942, 28th November 1942 and 10th April 1943. AMPG, Abt. I, Rep. 44, No. 46. Kriegsauftrag des RLM dated 20. 5. 1944, AMPG, Abt. I, Rep. 44, No. 52, reproduced in Epple (2002b).

  113. 113.

    K. Wieghardt: Zum Reibungswiderstand rauher Platten. Untersuchungen und Mitteilungen No. 6612. ZWB. Please refer to Rössler (2006, p. 132f).

  114. 114.

    File note, 22nd January 1943. AMPG, Abt. I, Rep. 44, No. 46. Please refer also to Epple (2002b, p. 341) and Schmaltz (2005, pp. 326–356).

  115. 115.

    K. Wieghardt: Über Ausbreitungsvorgänge in turbulenten Reibungsschichten. Geheimbericht für das Marineobservatorium Greifswald, 1. September 1944. APMG, Abt. III, Rep. 76B, Kasten 2.

  116. 116.

    For further details please refer to Schmaltz (2005, pp. 340–352).

  117. 117.

    Prandtl to Georgii, 26th January 1945. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep.61, No. 2130.

  118. 118.

    Prandtl and Wieghardt (1945).

  119. 119.

    Wilcox (1993, pp. 5–9). Please also refer to Sect. 10.2.

  120. 120.

    Akademie der Wissenschaften in Göttingen: Einladung zur ordentlichen Sitzung am 26. Januar 1945. GOAR 3727.

  121. 121.

    Various manuscript versions on the Ausbreitungstheorie der Turbulenz“, 14th October 1944 to 29th July 1945. GOAR 3727. Please refer to Bodenschatz and Eckert (2011, Chap. 2.10).

  122. 122.

    Sheet 9 of the manuscript on “Ausbreitungstheorie der Turbulenz”, 31st October 1944. GOAR 3727.

  123. 123.

    Sheet 28 of the manuscript on “Ausbreitungstheorie der Turbulenz”, 17th–18th December 1944. GOAR 3727.

  124. 124.

    Prandtl and Wieghardt (1945, p. 13).

  125. 125.

    Sheet 45 of the manuscript on the “Propagation theory of turbulence”, 21st January 1945. GOAR 3727. Andrei Nikolaevich Kolmogorov had already published the same result in 1941 in a Russian Academy report, but it first became public outside the Soviet Union after the war. Please refer to Falkovich (2011).

  126. 126.

    Prandtl to Busemann, 17th January 1945. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 217.

  127. 127.

    Tollmien (1999, p. 215).

  128. 128.

    Comments on the 1944 peace programme in the sphere of flow research, undated. GOAR 3728.

  129. 129.

    Büttner (2005).

  130. 130.

    Comments on the 1944 peace programme in the sphere of flow research, undated. GOAR 3728.

  131. 131.

    Prandtl to Osenberg, 27th March 1945. Reproduced in Trischler (1993), Document No. 70, p. 216f.

  132. 132.

    Federspiel (2003), Schlegel (2008).

  133. 133.

    Prandtl to Osenberg, 27th March 1945. Reproduced in Trischler (1993), Document No. 70, p. 216f.

  134. 134.

    Schmeling (1985, p. 40).

  135. 135.

    Vogel-Prandtl (2005, p. 166). Regarding Lauterbacher please refer to Leonhardt (2009, Chap. 13).

  136. 136.

    Prandtl to Richard Grammel, 29th September 1945. AMPG, Abt. III, Rep. 61, No. 565.

  137. 137.

    Tollmien (1999, pp. 217–219).

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    Michael Eckert

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Eckert, M. (2019). The Second World War. In: Ludwig Prandtl. Springer Biographies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05663-6_8

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