The range of missiles

Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky realized the importance of multi-stage rockets and in 1883 proved that with their help it is possible to fly into space. Thanks to its solid theoretical activities in this field Tsiolkovsky later became known as the father of Astronautics. However, before such flights were still far away, and rockets were used for a different purpose.
During world war 1 (1914-18) Britain was hit by German airships to rockets. After the war, the result of unflagging interest in rocketry caused by the works of Tsiolkovsky, the Soviet Union's first officially supported development of military missile technology. In 1929, research was started to implement in the Leningrad laboratory of gas dynamics. In 1933, this organization together with the Moscow group of jet propulsion study (gird) has created a rocket with liquid rocket engine (LRE), which set the altitude record (5.6 km) in 1936 In 1927 a group of German engineers organized by the Society for spaceflight. Under pressure from the Nazis, this organization was disbanded in 1934, but some scientists continued their research for military purposes. Thus were laid the foundations of the leadership of German rocketry during world war II (1939-45). The world's first ballistic missile "V-1" was created by the great German rocket scientist Werner von Braun. She was used to bombard England in 1944-45 G.