Kassel Raid, 27 September 1944: The Largest Loss by USAAF Group on any Mission in WWII

On September 27, 1944, 283 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers from the USAAF's 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing took off from their bases in Britain and headed out across the North Sea, escorted by 198 P-51 Mustang fighters, to target the industrial city of Kassel in northern Germany. Among the bombers assigned to the raid was the 445th Heavy Bombardment Group, which had a specific target: the engineering works of Henschel & Sohn, which built Tiger and Panther tanks. Due to a navigational error, the lead Liberator turned due east instead of east-south-east, and the following thirty-five bombers missed Kassel altogether, attacking an alternative target. On the return flight, they were pounced on by 150 enemy fighters and massacred, suffering the greatest single-day losses suffered by any group from one airfield in the history of aviation warfare. Twenty-five of the Liberators were shot down inside Germany, three crashed en route to the coast, two made forced landings at an emergency airfield in England, and the last came to grief within sight of home. The human cost was equally high, with 117 airmen losing their lives, including eleven who were murdered after parachuting safely to the ground, and 121 men being taken prisoner. Only ninety-eight returned to duty.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 26 November 2021
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

On Wednesday, 27 September 1944, a formidable force of 283 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers, under the command of the USAAF's 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing, embarked on a mission from their bases in Britain, traversing the North Sea under the escort of 198 P-51 Mustang fighters. Their target was the industrial city of Kassel in northern Germany. Among the participating bombers were aircraft from the 445th Heavy Bombardment Group. Thirty-five of these Liberators, along with their 336 crew members, took off from their base near the village of Tibenham in Norfolk. Their specific objective that day was the engineering works of Henschel & Sohn, responsible for manufacturing Tiger and Panther tanks.

Kassel had already been subjected to Allied air raids in the past, notably in October 1943, when over 500 bombers dropped 1,800 tons of bombs, resulting in a devastating firestorm that left the city in ruins. However, the raid on 27 September 1944 would yield a vastly different outcome. Due to a navigational error, the lead Liberator of the 445th Heavy Bombardment Group inadvertently turned due east instead of the intended east-south-east direction, causing the subsequent thirty-five bombers to miss their target entirely.

The situation worsened as a result of the altered course. The bombers lost their escorting Mustangs during the return flight, and they were subsequently attacked by a formidable force of 150 enemy fighters. Tragically, the 445th Heavy Bombardment Group suffered the most significant single-day losses ever recorded by any group from a single airfield in the annals of aviation warfare. Within just six minutes, twenty-five Liberators were shot down within Germany itself, three crashed en route to the coast (two in France and one in Belgium), two made forced landings at emergency airfields in England, and the final aircraft met its demise within sight of its home base.

Out of the original thirty-five Liberators, only four managed to return safely to their bases. This catastrophic event marked a turning point in the Second World War, as it showcased the devastating power of the German Luftwaffe and the vulnerability of Allied air forces. The raid on Kassel remains a haunting testament to the bravery and sacrifice of those who served in the 445th Heavy Bombardment Group and other units involved in the operation.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526798268