1962 Northern Co-operative Society : Weapons of World War II

Weapons of World War II trading cards were issued in 1962 by Northern Co-operative Society Ltd. of Aberdeen, Scotland. The illustrated 25-card collection showcases aircraft, vehicles, and weapons used during World War II. Each card measures approximately 1.375 x 2.625 inches (35 x 67 mm).

The series includes a "V.2 Rocket" illustration based on a declassified U.S. Army diagram published in November 1944 titled "A-4 Long-Range Rocket." The German Vergeltungswaffe 2 (V-2) guided ballistic missile, originally designated as Aggregat 4 (A-4), was developed under the direction of Wehrner von Braun at the Peenemünde Army Research Center.

A-4 MW 18014 is the first object launched into sub-orbital space. On June 20, 1944, A-4 MW 18014 was fired from Peenemünde to an apogee of 109 miles (176 km). Nazi Germany launched the first V-2 attacks to reach Paris and London on September 8, 1944.

From 1945–1951, General Electric constructed 67 rockets from captured German V-2 components. The first American space launch was conducted at White Sands on May 10, 1946. Hermes V-2 No. 3 was fired to an apogee of 70 miles (112.7 km). The first animals in space were fruit flies placed inside the nose cone of Hermes V-2 No. 20. The Blossom 1 biological experiment was launched from White Sands on February 20, 1947.

White, L. D. Final Report, Project Hermes V-2 Missile Program. Report No. R52A0510. General Electric Company, Defense Products Group, Aeronautic and Ordnance Systems Divisions, Guided Missiles Department. [September 1952]