Project Hermes was a missile research program run by the Ordnance Corps of the United States Army from November 15, 1944, to December 31, 1954, in response to Germany's rocket attacks in Europe during World War II.
In May 1944 the Army contracted with the California Institute of Technology's Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratories to start the ORDCIT project to research, test and develop guided missiles.
[6] The Hermes program was to originally have three phases: the first would be a literature search, the second a research group would be dispatched to Europe to investigate the German Missiles, and the third "would design and develop its own experimental systems.
"[7] Basically, this project covered every phase of missile technology with the exception of large-scale development and production of warheads and fuzes.
The Army moved to create the White Sands Proving Grounds in south central New Mexico as a place to test the new missiles.
[10] When the United States Army captured the Peenemünde engineers, including Wernher von Braun, Dr. Richard W. Porter of Project Hermes was close behind.
[11] Following the capture by American forces of the Mittelwerk V-2 factory, Special Mission V-2 swept in and scooped up enough components to assemble 100 V-2s.
[12] Three hundred rail cars of V-2 parts and documentation arrived at the White Sands Proving Grounds and General Electric personnel started the task of inventorying the components.
[3] General Electric employees, with the help of German specialists, assembled V-2s at White Sands Proving Grounds in New Mexico where the Army constructed a blockhouse and Launch Complex 33, now a National Historical Landmark.
On 11 January 1946 Von Braun presented his cruise missile design to Major General Barnes and the program was underway.
Still aerodynamic data was scant, and indicated that the Hermes II was unstable at most velocities which required more development of the guidance system.
[27] Another concern was the fuel intended, carbon disulfide, which was easy to ignite, but had a low specific impulse.
The successful flight returned data from Mach 3.6 and made GE confident it could proceed with a two-stage test.
[30] The next Hermes II, (missile 1), the first to have the wings containing the ramjets, was launched by GE on 13 January 1949 and broke up shortly after liftoff due to unanticipated vibrations.
[31] When the Von Braun team transferred to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, their primary mission was still a Mach 3.3 ramjet cruise missile.
[26][31] September 1950 saw General Electric's Hermes C-1 study transferred to Huntsville where it evolved into the very successful PGM-11 Redstone short-range ballistic missile.
[33] Hermes B was a Mach 4 ramjet-powered cruise missile design study undertaken by General Electric.
The Peenemünde nitric acid/visol (vinyl isobutyl ether)-fueled P IX engine was replaced by a General Electric pressure fed 13,500 lb.
[38] Hermes A-1 components such as guidance and telemetry were tested on several V-2 flights at White Sands Proving Grounds in 1947 and 1948.
[39] Plans to develop Hermes A-1 as an operational surface to air missile were dropped in favor of the more suitable Nike.
None of the three subsequent Hermes A-1 flights were totally successful, though "they demonstrated the functional capability of the missile system.
The RV-A10 was a short range solid fuel test vehicle, with plans to develop a tactical missile (SSM-A-13), which were soon abandoned.
[23] Progress on the Hermes A-3 until it was divided into an A-3A (RV-A-8) test vehicle and the A-3B (SSM-A-16) which was intended to be an operational missile with a W-5 nuclear warhead.
[46] This article incorporates public domain material from Mr. Norris Gray's Oral History (PDF).