Now a man had to fly and the first test came on February 28. Oberleutnant Lothar Siebert climbed into a Ba 349A, strapped in, and rocketed off the launch tower. At about 500 m (1600 ft), the Natter shed its canopy and headrest and the aircraft veered off and flew into the ground, killing Siebert. No cause was determined but the ground crew may have failed to lock the canopy and it could have struck the pilot. Despite the tragedy, more pilots volunteered to fly and the Bachem team launched three flights in March.

With the end near, the Germans erected a battery of ten Natters at Kircheim near Stuttgart. Pilots stood alert day after day but no U. S. bombers flew into range. The U. S. Seventh Army overran the site but not before the Germans blew up all ten Natters and their launchers.

www.nasm.si.edu/research/...chemba.htm