Hellmuth Walter

German rocket scientist (1900–1980)

Hellmuth Walter (26 August 1900 in Wedel near Hamburg – 16 December 1980 in Upper Montclair, New Jersey) was a German engineer. He pioneered research into rocket engines and gas turbines.

His most noteworthy contributions were rocket motors for the Messerschmitt Me 163 and Bachem Ba 349 fighter planes. He designed JATO (jet-assisted take-off) units for various Luftwaffe aircraft during World War II, and a revolutionary new propulsion system for submarines known as air-independent propulsion (AIP).

In 1945 he got the Knight's Cross for his work. After the war he worked for the Royal Navy and in America. Finally, in 1956, he founded the company Hellmuth Walter GmbH in Kiel. In 1967 he built a civilian submarine, STINT, with Walter propulsion.[1]

References

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  1. Vitzthum, Wolfgang (1972). Der Rechtsstatus des Meeresbodens. Duncker & Humblot. p. 102.