Germany's Secret Weapons of WWII

Before we begin to examine the large and diverse array of secret weapons produced in Germany before and during World War II, we should perhaps define what is meant by the term 'secret'. Most weapons are developed in secret - or at least, under conditions of stringent security - whether in times of peace or war, if only because, as the old adage has it, forewarned is forearmed. In Germany's case, there was an added imperative: the Versailles Treaty which, at the end of World War I, forbade her to develop (and even to possess) certain categories of weapons, such as aircraft and tanks. Development programmes for these weapons had to be carried out in absolute secrecy, since the ultimate risk (though probably a small one by the time these development programmes were under way) was the occupation of Germany by the victorious Allies. In many cases, up untill the moment that Hitler signalled his intention to revoke the Treaty unilaterally, the projects were actually based outside Germany: in Holland, the Soviet Union, Sweden and in particular Switzerland.
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