FROM THE DUST JACKET:

This is the incredible story of the most incredible mission of World War II ... born in desperation ... carried out with foolhardy courage and at the cost of brave men's lives. Because it was so daring, so super secret -- many of the facts revealed here were designated highly classified until now -- all sorts of fantastic stories sprang up about what actually happened. Here, at long last, is the truth about Aphrodite.

In late 1942 and 1943, reports (see back page) reached Allied intelligence that German superweapons of advanced design and terrifying power were being readied to snatch a Nazi victory from the jaws of defeat. Then, shortly after D-Day, the first V-1 burst over London. As death rained down, from the skies (more than 300 V-l's were fired in one, twenty-four-hour period), the Allies activated a desperate mission to stave off the threat of the dread German missiles ... and even deadlier rockets, known to be nearly operational, that threatened not only the British capital -- but New York as well.

Mission Aphrodite was a scheme straight out of science fiction, an aerial Guns of Navarone that called for volunteers to fly war-weary B-17 drone planes, crammed with the most powerful load of high explosives ever flown in wartime and guided by remote control from mother ships, straight into the mouths of the caves from which the rockets were ostensibly launched. The art of flying drones and the automatic arming of tons of explosives was still in its infancy, and American pilots became unknowing guinea pigs on combat runs that had worked beautifully, faultlessly, on practice flights.

But combat was a different matter.... A drone would inexplicably dive into the sea or U-turn and head its dangerous load back to London. Some, as in the case of the plane flown by Joe Kennedy, Jr., would explode in midair, killing all occupants. "Friendly" anti-aircraft was always a threat, as were Allied fighters, unfamiliar with the Aphrodite special markings. Yet the concept was so daring -- actually Aphrodite flights laid the groundwork for guided missiles -- and was such a pet project of the highest brass that even after there was no longer a need to do so, missions kept flying, men kept dying....

Heroic and tragic, brilliant and stupid, the full story of Aphrodite -- a real-life Catch-22 -- is a powerful exposition of military thinking and the bravery (and lunacy) of war.

Jack Olsen, the author of many highly praised books, served in the U.S. Army Air Force and OSS during World War II.

THE BACK COVER:

THE NAZI THREAT:

"The speeches of the German leaders contain mysterious allusions to new methods and new weapons which will presently be tried against us. It would, of course, be natural for the enemy to spread such rumors in order to encourage his own people. But there is probably more in it than that." -- Winston Churchill, to the House of Commons, September 21, 1943

"I ought to let you know that during the last six months evidence has continued to accumulate from many sources that the Germans are preparing an attack on England, particularly London, by means of very long, range rockets which may conceivably weigh 60 tons and carry an explosive charge of 10 to 20 tons." -- Churchill, to Franklin D. Roosevelt, October 25, 1943

"There is no doubt that the Germans are preparing on the French shore new means of attack on this country, either by pilotless aircraft or possibly rockets, or both, on a considerable scale." -- Churchill, to Commons, February 22, 1944

THE ALLIED RESPONSE: MISSION APHRODITE!