The Kassel Raid, 27 September 1944

An account of the 445th Heavy Bombardment Group raid that resulted in the greatest single-day loss to a group from one airfield in aviation warfare history. On Thursday, 28 September 1944, a force of 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. The bombers’ target was the industrial city of Kassel in northern Germany—specifically the engineering