Project Aphrodite
B-17F 42-30066 "Mugwump" did her service by the 100th BG before she was send to the Aphrodite Project. She was destroyed on 30. October by the attack at Helgoland.
On 27 October the instruction was issued, the still existing Castor airplanes for attacks on industrial complexes in German large cities so far landinward as to be used possible from the USSTAF. For this it was necessary to build an additional engine performance regulation in order into 10.000 feet (3,000 m) height into the opposing territory penetrates and in target proximity the flight altitude to 250 feet (75 m) to reduce to be able. A still larger test flight height would have been desirably, was however because of the oil pressure-regulated loader price increase, which exhibited an inclination to freezing and thus for failing, not possible.
In November, after extracting the projects Batty and Anvil, the 3rd division, to the homeland place of the organizational unit, decided to shift the Aphrodite unit Knettishall, back. This was to end of the monthly locked and already on 5 December took place from Knettishall the start of the first two machines with a target marshalling yard Herford.
During the flight however the weather and the close clouds worsened prevented an identifying of the station. Gaps in the clouds in the proximity of the Dummersee made a descending flight possible, in order to be able to constitute perhaps suitable targets of opportunity. The first Baby was steered on Haldorf and exploded south the city. With second probably engine performance dropped and it fell on a field, without exploding.
The crew of the accompanying Mosquito reconnaissance aircraft seemed to have remained intact the machine. Thereupon flying hunter the instruction was issued to destroy the Baby with machineguns to the escort which failed however.
While the command assumed, which was opponent an intact Baby into the hands pleases, then this seems however not the case to have been. A message lets assume that the Castor bomber briefly after the crash landing exploded and some German soldiers died, which had begun with the examining of the bomber.
German documents over the Aphrodite employments show the fact that at that time none of these attacks had been recognized as such and gives reason to the acceptance that the bomber, if he had exploded after the landing, when normal B-17 with bomb charge had been regarded.