During that war the Nazis came up with some nastily
creative thinking as far as weapons against Britain were concerned. Usually they thought about rockets and such,
but one interesting weapon was just a gun, a supergun.
It was a very long, very effective cannon. It rested on this unkempt frame inside an inclined
tunnel near Calais. The weapon just sat
there; it never moved and it would launch cruel explosive projectiles across the
English Channel that landed on London to ghastly effect, and it could do all this with impunity.
You see, Allied bombers, try as they might, could
not bomb it. The tunnel was located
inside deep rock.
So the Allied types came up with some creative
thinking of their own.
In a top-secret, and very dangerous, mission (“Operation Aphrodite”) they loaded up a huge bomber, a Liberator, with 20,000 pounds of explosives. They’d navigate this flying bomb until it was right on target for the entrance of the tunnel. Then the pilot would lock in the auto pilot and bail out. The plane would blow up the tunnel and the supergun within it.
A great plan, but…
What happened was a terrible tragedy. Just before the pilot was to bail out, an
electrical fault in the Liberator caused all that explosive material to
detonate.
In a tremendous explosion the plane and the pilot just
disappeared. Here’s his picture. He had been an interesting naval lieutenant,
still in his twenties. Interesting
because he came from a well-known New England family, the eldest of nine
children, and he had had a charmed life up to that time. His family had sent him to Choate and Harvard
and had plans for the young man to become an important figure on the American
political scene.
His father, a former Ambassador, had been convinced
that ultimately he could become President of the United States.
34 comments:
Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
Oh my goodness, from the family that has probably the most horrible losses, of loved ones, even in flight, besides from the hands of mad men. This pilot you are searching for, is Joe (Joseph) Kennedy Jr. you can completely see Kennedy in his face. I have a link of him with another favorite Kennedy son.
http://www.jfklibrary.org/~/media/assets/Foundation/WWII/JFK%20PP-83.jpg
Joe Kennedy Jr I would think Berowne!
Hank
We're starting off with three correct answers - from rel, Karen S and kaykuala.
That man was Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Jr.
Joe Kennedy of course.
Joseph P Kennedy Jnr
Three more with the right answer: Bee of the Blog of Bee, christopher and Rene Foran.
That's Joe Kennedy, JFK's older brother.
Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
I'm pleased to report that our own Tess K. and naturgesetz have provided us with the correct answer.
Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. ~ Interesting post
Without cheating, I would guess the eldest of the Kennedy Clan.
Humbird and Stafford Ray have also coughed up the right answer.
No idea. Until I read the line about being President, and saw the picture! That's gotta be Joe Kennedy, JFK's older brother.
Roger Owen Green also has the right answer.
Gday Berowne , great yarn , Flight Lieutenant Phaeton ?
Joseph P. Kennedy, whose father (same name) was US Ambassador to Great Britain during WW2.
Joseph Kennedy Jr. I did not know how he had died in WWII- he certainly was a hero.
A few more correct answers from Kathe W and Doc FTSE.
Great quiz. I believe the answer is Joseph Kennedy Jr.
Patrick Kennedy?
At first, I didn't think I knew this, but suddenly I realized it's Joseph Kennedy, Jr. I did know he'd died in WW2, but had not known how. Very interesting and how tragic!
Leslie
abcw team
Three more "winners": Meryl, Hildred and Leslie, all with the correct answer.
Joe Kennedy Jr. , older brother of President John F Kennedy.
Uberrhund is the latest to join us with the right answer.
Major James Doolittle?
what a brave man and a very sad story but I knew at once it was Joesph P. Kennedy.
This was the favourite son of Joseph Kennedy, Joseph Kennedy Jnr. His father hoped he might be president material, however his younger brother John Kennedy got there instead.
Sheilagh Lee and oldegg - two more with right answers.
Sounds like a Kennedy to me.
The latest with the right answer: Alice Audrey.
Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr.
Altonian also has checked in with the correct answer.
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