Hitler's secret Nazi war machines of World War II

Nearly 83 years ago this month, Hitler secretly began rearming the Nazis in violation of the Treaty of Versailles.

In 1934, Hitler told Nazi military leaders that 1942 was the target year for going to war in the east.

Hitler's engineers secretly developed ambitious projects and rapidly produced sophisticated technology that was decades ahead of its time.

In the 2015 fall issue of Weapons of WWII magazine, author KM Lee detailed some of Hitler's advanced weaponry.

Here's a look at are some of the secret weapons the Nazis created during World War II:

SEE ALSO: Hitler created the largest gun ever, and it was a disaster

Hitler's stealth "flying wing" bomber

Referred to as "Hitler's secret weapon," the Horten Ho 229 bomber was designed to carry 2,000 pounds of armaments while flying at 49,000 feet at speeds north of 600 mph.

Equipped with twin turbojet engines, two cannons, and R4M rockets, the Horten Ho 229 was the world's first stealth aircraft, making its first flight in 1944.

Source: Weapons of WWII magazine

According to the Smithsonian, Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring allocated half a million reichsmarks to brothers Reimar and Walter Horten to manufacture the aircraft.

Plagued with problems, the Horten didn't last long in combat. But the bomber's engineering did inspire today's stealth aircraft — like the Northrop Grumman B-2 bomber.

Source: Weapons of WWII magazine

The Fritz X radio-guided bomb

Considered the grandfather of smart bombs, the Fritz X was a 3,450-pound explosive equipped with a radio receiver and sophisticated tail controls that helped guide the bomb to its target.

According to the US Air Force, the Fritz X could penetrate 28 inches of armor and could be deployed from 20,000 feet,an altitude out of reach of antiaircraft equipment at the time.

Less than a month after the bomb was developed, the Nazis sank the Italian battleship Roma off Sardinia in September 1943. The Fritz X's combat use was limited, however, because only a few German aircraft were designed to carry the bomb.

Source: Weapons of WWII magazine