Blizna

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Blizna is a village with 250 inhabitants in southeast Poland. It belongs to the greater (Gmina) Ostrów in the Ropczycko-Sędziszowski County, Subcarpathian Voivodship.

Between November 1943 and July 1944 there was an SS military base near Blizna, from which 139 A4 (also known as V-2) rockets were launched for experimental purposes and for training. After the air raid on Peenemuende on August 17, 1943 it was decided that the training and testing should be done in southeast Poland outside of the range of the Allied bombers. However test launches also continued at Peenemuende until February 21, 1945.

Because the rockets launched from Blizna - in contrast to the rockets launched from Peenemuende - flew over a populated area, there was also some destruction of buildings. In July 1944 the advance of Soviet troops forced the base at Blizna to be evacuated and launch activities were moved to the Tuchola Forest. In late July 1944, Polish resistance (Home Army and V1 and V2) recovered parts of a rocket and transferred to allied in Operation Most III.

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Coordinates: 50°12′N, 21°37′E