Project Aphrodite
Blew up in the air
Accompanied of P-51 Mustang fighters, plus navigation and other support airplanes from Fersfield, the attack federation of the US Navy on its way to the point of coastal overflight was Southwold.
Anderson steered Kennedys machine into a light left curve. In this moment, over exactly 18,20 hours GMT, suddenly the Baby exploded with two enormous detonations in the distance of one second in 2.000 feet (600 m) height over Newdelight Wood. Into the far periphery in the proximity of the locality Blythburgh no reference to a possible cause for the explosion was to be found to scattered rubble of the machine. The detonation of 24.000 lbs (11,000 kg) explosive had divided the entire airplane with exception of the engine mounts into smallest fragments. Later investigations came to the result that the most probable cause was an error in electrical system, which had been switched on before the crew bailed out.
In August 1944 three baby-missions did not take place also from TV camera equipped, radio-remote controlled GB-4-Bombs also these attempts were main a straight piercing success due to disturbances via radios and reflections at the water surface.
On 2000 lb-bomb (900 kg) based GB-4 possessed small wings, mobile tail fins, a radio remote steering device and one in the head installed TV camera. In each case two of the bombs were cultivated at external bomb racks below the wings of a B-17-leading-airplane. All missions took place with the B-17G, 42-40043 and a crew of the 388th BG.
After three attempts with the GB-4 on English training areas the first genuine employment took place on 13 August, a goal was the port of Le Havre. A B-17 as observation airplane accompanied the Batty machine. To each crew belonged two and/or five experts from Wright Field, which had been involved in the development of the GB-4. Colonel Forrest observed the employment from its "Droop Snoot" P-38. A Mosquito Reconnaissance plane turned out too close to one of the concreted bombs and fell, from fragments met. Unfortunately the perfectly not working TV receiver built in the leading airplane supplied to weak pictures, in order to be able to steer thereby the bombs precisely. Thus a for instance the mile hit forwards, the other one a mile right from the port of Le Havre.
Camera catch did not make simply
The second, one week later against Uboot bunker with La Pallice led Batty employment was still less successful. When releasing the first bomb the camera catch closed and prevented a further picture transmission. The second GB-4 came into uncontrollable wobbling movements. The third and last attempt with the GB-4 took place on 26 August and was directed against mechanisms in Ijmuiden. With a cloud cover of 8/10 however the target area no more was not to be recognized and the employment had to be broken off. After this third unsuccessful employment the command decided to reset the project for advancement.
Retrospectively one must say that the technology was developed at this time not yet enough, in order to ensure the necessary precise control and reliability.
At the other end of the world Japan used its version of the V-1 against the employment federations of the US Navy operating in the Pacific. The Yokosuka MXY-8 Ohka (the code name of the allied ones was Baka, for fool) became Japanese under the surface of the Mitsubishi G4M-2 Betty of the 721. Kokutai carried. The first employment to 21 March 1945 addressed itself against US Task Force FV58.