# Project Danny

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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{operational plan
| name        = Project Danny
| image       = 
| caption     = 
| scope       = [Operation Crossbow](/source/Operation_Crossbow) 
| planned     = briefed at Pentagon in July 1944
| planned_by  = Naval Air Atlantic Staff
| objective   = German [V-1 flying bomb](/source/V-1_flying_bomb) launch sites in Northern France
| executed    = 
| executed_by = never executed, planned for<br/>{{flagicon|United States}} [United States Marine Corps](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps)
| outcome     = 
| casualties  = 
}}
{{Campaignbox Western Front (World War II)}}
{{Campaignbox Western Europe (1944-1945)}}

'''Project Danny''' was a [World War II](/source/World_War_II) plan for [United States Marine Corps](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps) [F4U Corsair](/source/Vought_F4U_Corsair) fighter aircraft to attack German [V-1 flying bomb](/source/V-1_flying_bomb) [launch sites](/source/V-1_flying_bomb_(facilities)) in northern France. Although the squadrons had been trained at [Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point](/source/Marine_Corps_Air_Station_Cherry_Point) and were loading onto their [escort carrier](/source/escort_carrier)s for the trip to the North Atlantic, opposition from General Marshall meant that the operation was canceled before departing for the [European Theater](/source/European_Theatre_of_World_War_II).<ref>{{cite web|last=Lewis|first=Adam Jr.|date=26 November 2007|title=Capt Tom Ligget|url=http://www.adamsplanes.com/Liggett%20512.htm|work=Plane Fun|access-date=16 January 2010}}</ref>

==Chronology==
Extensive land-based [Combined Bomber Offensive](/source/Combined_Bomber_Offensive) bombings of German targets had begun in June 1943, followed by ["Crossbow" operations](/source/Operation_Crossbow) attacking German long range weapon facilities in August 1943 and V-1 launch sites in December 1943. In July 1944 after the V-1 ["Robot Blitz"](/source/V-1_flying_bomb) had begun on 13 June, [Commander](/source/Commander_(United_States)) [Thomas Hinman Moorer](/source/Thomas_Hinman_Moorer) of the Naval Air Atlantic Staff (NavAirLant) provided a [Pentagon](/source/The_Pentagon) briefing on a June 1944 plan for F4U squadrons of [Marine Air Group 51](/source/Marine_Air_Group_51) (MAG-51) (including [VMF-511](/source/VMF-511), [VMF-512](/source/VMF-512), [VMF-513](/source/VMA-513) and [VMF-514](/source/VMF-514)) to attack V-1 launch sites from escort carriers in the [North Sea](/source/North_Sea)<ref name=tillman>{{cite book |last=Tillman |first=Barrett|year=2002 |orig-date=1979 |title=Corsair: The F4U in World War II and Korea |publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=0-87021-131-5 |page=116}}<br/>
:a. briefing recollection of Commander Thomas Moorer.</ref> with [Tiny Tim](/source/Tiny_Tim_(rocket)) rockets. The Tiny Tim was a rocket-powered adaption of a {{cvt|500|lb|kg}} bomb - each aircraft carrying a single rocket. The plan was disapproved.<ref name=tillman/>{{Rp|a}} Project Danny was a victim of the intense interservice rivalry that existed in the US armed forces during World War II; [Army Chief of Staff](/source/Chief_of_Staff_of_the_United_States_Army) General [George Marshall](/source/George_Marshall) stood up and walked out of the briefing: "That's the end of this briefing. As long as I'm in charge there'll never be a Marine in Europe."<ref name=tillman/>{{Rp|a}}

Had the operation proceeded, MAG-51 would have been the second Marine Corsair squadrons to deploy from [aircraft carrier](/source/aircraft_carrier)s,<ref name=tillman/> the first being a photo detachment aboard the escort carrier USS Nassau in the Aleutians in 1943.

The only contribution the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) did make to Crossbow operations were the [Operation Anvil](/source/Operation_Aphrodite) drone attacks on Crossbow sites in August 1944 using surplus bomber aircraft converted to radio-control bombs.

==See also==
* [United States Marine Corps Aviation](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps_Aviation)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{WWII Operation Crossbow}}
{{V-weapons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Project Danny}}
Project Danny
Category:Cancelled military operations involving the United States
Category:Cancelled military operations of World War II
Category:United States Marine Corps in World War II
Project Danny

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Project Danny](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Danny) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Danny?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.