42-40043
Delivered Long Beach 11/11/43; Independence 30/11/43 and modified to be capable of carrying GB-4 guided bombs on underwing racks**, was assigned to secret 8AF Batty* Project at Fersfield, Norfolk. Summer of ’44 and operated by 388BG; Independence 30/11/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 20/12/45.
*BATTY was the 8th Air Force code name for testing of the GB-4 glide bomb. The GB-4 was an early "smart bomb," as we call them today, and consisted of an M34 2,000lb GP bomb with wings and tail attached.
**One of three B-17's so modified and flown to the UK, the only A/C that operationally launched the GB-4's.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-756266
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Winfarthing
- Site type: Airfield
Missions
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Crashed |
Brooksville Ave, Brooksville, FL 34601, USA | 31 December 1943 | Taxiing accident Brooksville AAF, Brooksville, Florida Cat 3 damage, pilot Lt Thadd H Blanton, 31-12-43. |
Other Aphrodite mission |
Watten, France | 4 August 1944 | Provided navigation for Aphrodite mission to V1 missile site at Watten. Pilot Lt Perry Llewellen. |
Other Aphrodite mission |
Watten, France | 6 August 1944 | Provided navigation for Aphrodite mission to V1 missile site at Watten. Pilot Lt Perry Llewellen. |
Other Batty* GB-4 glide bomb attack |
Le Havre, France | 13 August 1944 | The port of Le Havre, France was attacked with Batty* bombs. The TV receiver in the A/C was not working correctly and the picture was too faint to allow the operator to control the two bombs dropped. One landed 1 mile short and the second landed about 1 mile to the right of the port. |
Other Batty* GB-4 glide bomb attack |
Rue du Foulou, 64290 Gan, France | 17 August 1944 | Le Foulous rail bridge, Batty missiles are selected to be used for this target. Deteriorating weather causes the mission to be aborted. |
Other Batty* GB-4 glide bomb attack |
La Pallice, 17000 La Rochelle, France | 25 August 1944 | The second mission, against the LaPallice U-boat pens was really unsuccessful. The first bomb was dropped and the shutter on the TV camera closed preventing transmission of pictures; the second bomb dropped went into an uncontrollable spin. |
Other Batty* GB-4 glide bomb attack |
IJmuiden, Netherlands | 26 August 1944 | The final Batty* mission was flown on 26 Aug 44 against Ijmuiden, Netherlands but the target area was covered with 8/10ths cloud cover and the mission was aborted. The Air Force then decided to "go back to the drawing boards" with the project. |
Other Returned Stateside |
Field Rd, Independence, OR 97351, USA | 30 November 1945 | Returned USA, Independence Field 30/11/45. Sold for scrap. |
Revisions
AAM DB Entry.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Aphrodite
Liberator: The Consolidated B-24 by Graham Simons.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/articles/level1/batty_t…
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbasn.asp?SN=42-40043
AAM DB Entry.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Aphrodite
Liberator: The Consolidated B-24 by Graham Simons.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/articles/level1/batty_t…
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbasn.asp?SN=42-40043