The Heinkel He 162 Production in an Underground Salt Mine in Hinterbrühl, Austria: A Wartime Effort to Overcome Allied Bombing

In the final years of World War II, as Germany’s air superiority waned and Allied bombers relentlessly targeted German factories and military infrastructure, the German war machine faced significant challenges in maintaining production of essential weapons. One of the most ambitious efforts to keep up with the Allied bombing campaigns involved a secretive and innovative approach to aircraft production. This effort centered on the production of the Heinkel He 162, a jet-powered fighter aircraft that would later become infamous for its role in the last stages of the war. To shield the aircraft’s production from Allied airstrikes, the German military moved production into an underground salt mine in Hinterbrühl, Austria—an operation marked by desperation and resourcefulness during the closing months of World War II.

The Heinkel He 162: A Last-Ditch Effort

The Heinkel He 162, also known as the “Volksjäger” (People’s Fighter), was a jet aircraft developed by the Heinkel company in 1944. Designed as a response to the increasing number of Allied bombers that were wreaking havoc on German cities and industrial targets, the He 162 was envisioned as a simple, low-cost, and mass-producible aircraft that could be quickly rolled out to bolster the Luftwaffe’s defenses. The aircraft was intended to be a short-term solution to counter the overwhelming number of Allied bombers, which were targeting Germany’s industrial heartland in the final stages of the war.

The He 162 featured a sleek design, with a single turbojet engine mounted on its rear fuselage. It was a relatively simple aircraft, relying on minimal materials and using advanced construction techniques that were designed to speed up production. The aircraft’s role was to intercept and engage Allied bombers before they could reach their targets. Despite its promising design, the He 162 was rushed into production, and many of the aircraft that were produced suffered from significant technical issues, including engine problems, structural weaknesses, and difficult handling characteristics.

Nevertheless, the Heinkel He 162 was one of the last attempts by Nazi Germany to produce a jet fighter capable of staving off the overwhelming Allied air superiority that had developed by 1944. As the Allies increased their bombing raids, it became increasingly apparent that conventional manufacturing facilities in Germany could no longer continue production without severe disruption.

The Hinterbrühl Salt Mine: A Hidden Factory

With the growing threat of Allied airstrikes on key German manufacturing centers, the German military leadership began searching for ways to move critical production facilities underground, where they would be less vulnerable to bombing raids. One of the most remarkable decisions made was the relocation of the Heinkel He 162 production to an underground salt mine located in Hinterbrühl, Austria.

Hinterbrühl, a small town situated south of Vienna, was home to a large salt mine that had been operational for centuries. The mine’s extensive network of tunnels and caverns provided the perfect environment for the Germans to hide their production of the He 162 from the prying eyes of Allied bombers. The mine, known as the “Salzbergwerk Hinterbrühl,” had long been used for the extraction of salt, but in the final months of the war, it was repurposed to serve as a secret aircraft factory.

The decision to move Heinkel’s operations to an underground facility was driven by a combination of urgency and necessity. By this point in the war, the Allies had established air superiority over Europe, and German factories above ground were being destroyed at an alarming rate. The relocation to the salt mine was seen as the last-ditch effort to keep producing essential war materials without being disrupted by continuous bombings.

The production process in the Hinterbrühl salt mine was far from simple. The mine’s underground environment posed significant challenges for workers, including cramped spaces, limited ventilation, and a lack of modern tools and equipment. Additionally, the factory lacked the advanced machinery and facilities that would have been needed to produce the Heinkel He 162 to the highest standard of quality. Nonetheless, the move to the salt mine allowed the Germans to continue aircraft production, albeit under difficult and precarious conditions.

The Factory’s Operations in the Salt Mine

Once inside the salt mine, the production of the Heinkel He 162 was carried out under extreme secrecy. The workers in the mine were a mix of skilled laborers, conscripted soldiers, and forced laborers, many of whom were from occupied countries. Conditions within the mine were harsh, as the workers toiled in darkness, with only minimal lighting to guide their way. The cramped tunnels of the mine meant that the workers had little space to maneuver or work efficiently. Despite these challenges, the factory managed to produce several He 162s before the war’s end.

The process of building the aircraft in the salt mine was anything but ideal. Many of the aircraft were hastily assembled, often with inferior materials and without the precision that would have been ideal for a combat-ready jet. Nonetheless, the Germans were able to assemble several units of the He 162 before the collapse of the Nazi regime. The aircraft produced in Hinterbrühl were quickly sent out to Luftwaffe units in a desperate attempt to bolster Germany’s air defense.

In addition to the He 162, the underground factory in Hinterbrühl also produced various other war materials, including parts for other aircraft and components for Nazi Germany’s rocket programs. Despite these efforts, however, the salt mine factory was only able to operate at a fraction of its intended capacity. The overwhelming Allied bombing raids, the lack of skilled labor, and the war’s mounting logistical challenges meant that production was slow and inefficient.

The Aftermath of the Salt Mine Factory

As the war came to a close in 1945, the Heinkel He 162 program was effectively halted. The Allies had successfully penetrated Germany’s borders, and the collapse of the Nazi regime led to the cessation of the production of the Volksjäger. The production facility in the salt mine in Hinterbrühl was abandoned, and the remaining aircraft were either destroyed or captured by the advancing Allied forces.

After the war, the salt mine in Hinterbrühl, like many other such secret facilities in Germany and Austria, was left to fade into obscurity. The remains of the Heinkel He 162s produced there were either disassembled or sent to Allied countries for analysis. The mine itself remained in use for a time as a storage facility, but the legacy of the secret underground aircraft production facility remained largely unknown for many years.

In recent decades, historians and aviation enthusiasts have revisited the Hinterbrühl salt mine as part of their efforts to uncover the hidden history of World War II. The site of the underground factory has become a symbol of the extreme measures taken by Nazi Germany to keep fighting a war they were losing. It also serves as a testament to the resilience of the people who worked under harrowing conditions in an attempt to keep the war effort alive.

Conclusion: The Legacy of Hinterbrühl

The story of the Heinkel He 162 production in the underground salt mine at Hinterbrühl is a fascinating and poignant chapter in the final stages of World War II. In their desperation to counter the overwhelming Allied air power, the Germans turned to one of the most secretive and innovative methods of aircraft production ever conceived. Despite the harsh conditions and the difficulties of producing an advanced jet aircraft in an underground mine, the effort represented the determination of a nation on the brink of collapse.

While the Heinkel He 162 itself would not change the course of the war, and the factory at Hinterbrühl would not survive long after Germany’s surrender, the story of the underground production site stands as a testament to the ingenuity and desperation that marked the final days of Nazi Germany. Today, it remains an important historical site that offers a glimpse into the lengths to which Germany went to try to maintain its war effort as the world around it crumbled.