Me 262 in the REIMAHG plant

One of the most astounding German armament industry projects of World War II was the construction of a jet fighter manufacturing plant in the heart of the Walpersberg mountains at Kahla, Thuringia, Eastern Germany. The plant was operated by the REIMAHG works or Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring Werke using forced labour in the most harrowing of conditions. Completed airframes were carried by elevator to the top of the mountain where a 900 metre runway had been constructed. Completed Me 262s were ferried off this relatively short strip with the aid of RATO jet packs - there was no second attempt possible! These images were taken by Life photographers following the discovery of the factory by the Allies and are two of the best from Kahla.