Operation Aphrodite

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In this week in military history, we explore the Allied attack on a German V-3 long range artillery site, known as Operation Aphrodite, on August 12, 1944.

The German military had been designing advanced weapon systems throughout World War II. One of these was the V-3 long range cannon, an extended long-range artillery weapon that fired a large number of smaller shells very rapidly. The Germans hoped that V-3 barrages would terrorize the residents of Allied cities and cause them to turn against the war. Allied intelligence located a firing site for the missiles in northern France and sent previous air raids against the location, the Fortress of Mimoyecques. These attacks were not successful, since the target was located underground. Heavier firepower would be necessary.

The result was an Allied initiative known as Project Aphrodite, begun on June 23, 1944, using Army Air Force and Navy volunteers to conduct flight trials of radio-controlled aircraft that could deliver twelve tons of explosives onto a heavily defended target. These drones would take off with two pilots, who would arm the explosives, switch on the remote-control mechanism, and parachute to safety. Two of these volunteers were Lieutenant Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (elder brother of future President John F. Kennedy) and Lieutenant Wilford John Willy trained to fly Consolidated "Liberator" heavy-bombers converted to drones. On August 12th, the lieutenants began their mission with an escort of Lockheed Ventura bombers and Mosquito fighter planes. After reaching their first checkpoint, still over England, the bomber drones suddenly exploded before the pilots could parachute out. Approximately 25,000 pounds of explosives obliterated the aircraft, killing the pilots. A defect in the wiring was suspected as the cause of the explosion. Lieutenant Kennedy and Lieutenant Willy were posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, Purple Heart and Air Medal.

Join us next time for another segment of This Week in Military History with the Pritzker Military Museum & Library!