Operation Aphrodite

[Brian]

Wow! What have I started?

Sorry if I misled you Alex, I meant that of the three B-17 drones used in September operations (which is the month mentioned in the unofficial account I have) only 39827 didn't have a name according to Blue Spader's list. The other two were 30180 Black Hawk and 30363 Ruth L III. By a simple process of deduction, my dear Watson (as Sherlock Holmes would have no doubt retorted), I dedued that '827 must be Melancholy Baby!

The account, published in the London Evening News circa 1945, in part reads: "I can now reveal that 'ghost bombers', piloted by radio control and loaded with 11 tons of bombs, were being aimed across the North Sea to crash on the heavily defended German island of Heliogoland. The planes were old Flying Fortesses. One of them caused a scare right across England from the Wash to Liverpool when it got off course and headed west instead of east. Becuase the Germans were in the dark about it when the Flying Fortress Melancholy Baby went the wrong way in September 1944, everybody in the know had to tell a story whuch would not give the secret away.

It went from the King's Lynn area, south of the Wash, in a north-westerly direction to Derby, over Spalding and Melton Mowbray, then to Merseyside, passing over Congleton, Middlewitch, Northwitch and Runcorn, It gave Liverpool its first air raid warning for 18 months and RAF officials, who knew the danger, were appalled to see it circle the city twice before setting off in a westerly direction again, causing an alert in Bangor as it went. Fighters went up to pusue 'baby', which was flying perfectly at more than 250mph, and they were ready to shoot it down into the sea. At one time it looked as if it would outstrip its pursuers, and a warning was flashed to America that the bomber was heading on a course that might carry it right across the Atlantic. But finally RAF fighters caught it and shot it down into the Atlantic."

Now, I know that newspaper reports are not always totally reliable but obviously, in this case, the writer had been briefed.

I rest my case! Over and out!

Brian