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Testing the water to check interest in a book we are writing on the World War II's Kassel Mission, the air battle between the 445th BG and the entire Luftwaffe. More planes were lost from one field in one days battle on that day than ever in Air Force history.
Does anyone have an idea why this would have been covered up? Is there anyone out there with information on this mission? We have a lot on the Kassel Mission website. But there must be more. We have lots of famlies and veterans still not heard from. 118 Americans died that day. 1/4 of the bases losses of men and machine were on that day.
Anybody have info or interest in such a book?
the 361st history book has a write up on the mission as they seem to be the first on the scene as IV.Sturm/JG 3 got through and dived off-smartly but the JG 4 and JG 300 109's and 190's got it in the shorts as they came through the B-24's. I think the 352nd may have been also in the neighborhood.
with so many LW claims for B-24's an almost insane number equivalent to at least 2 US bomb groups it is no wonder hardly any particular B-24 can be ascertained to any LW fighter pilot
thanks for the fill in Bill except for one very important factor IV.Sturm/JG 3's Sturm Fw's were not intercepted by any US P-51's but what got them shot up was the defensive.50's of the B-24's. Second wave was a mix of JG 4 and JG 300 Sturms along with I./JG 300's Bf 109G-6's, and this is the complicated part. this wave came in a matter of some seconds with a passing third wave of the mix again right on their heels, the German reports were that they did indeed come through the bombers but on banking and trying to form up again got popped by P-51's, am assuming this is when the 355th interfered along with the 361st fg which make some bold and very fat claims of Fw's shot down
understood, I was thinking the 355th fg witnessed the 445bg getting their guts ripped out and went to assist, I see that is not the case, will look for the other Fw units for you to confirm the 355th fg scores.
Bill
the JG 3 Fw component claimed 17 B-24's before they ran off and away but losing 6 190's
I./JG 300 claimed 2 P-51's.....doubtful but lost 5 Bf 109G-6's
II.Sturm/JG 4 came into the fray as a mix withing II.Sturm/JG 300's ranks of Fw's and lost 10 Fw's and the JG 300 Fw component lost 11 but both came up with ridiculous scoring, JG 4 claimed 25 B-24's and the JG 300 Fw's unit claimed 10.
now as to where all the losses were sustained I will have to dig into the books and docs.
there were not other LW Fw units involved on this date for scores or losses. So it was the 3 Sturmgruppen, and the 355th probably got into the JG 4/JG 300 boyz before they mounted their wild attack. there is no doubt in my mind with the crazy claims of JG 4/300 that the pilots were firing at the same B-24's with in 1-2 seconds and they had flown through banked away and pursued hotly by P-51's.
As to Mike we have chatted by emails many times as well with Linda D, whose Father was a pilot from one of the returning B-24's of the 445th bg this date.
Theres always interest on that fateful day over Kassel, but its been done again and again.... The only thing that could make ur book out of the ordinary would be some new info or recently discovered pics....
That being said, I would buy it, cause that day will go down in history.......
welcome Linda I still await ............... you have the info on the LW side of things from me and Neil. I still do not believe there was a cover up at all except for moral reasons, it was bad enough the whole month of September and October till the 2 November 44 when the 3 LW SturmFw units gave it their all on the US Air Forces, and still suffered horrid casualties in the process of their rear facing attacks
Erich ~
I would - it certainly was the blackest day for any single BG in the USAAF, but putting it in perspective September 27 was not in the top ten of 8th AF losses in a day.
I do have some info from the fighter escort side of the mission as the 4th FG, 355th and 361st were all assigned escort to various Bomb Wings in the 2nd Division.
It was 'complicated'.
The 2CW in lead with 445BG plus 389 and 453 was escorted by 355th when strangely the 445th 'went astray' to the sse heading for Gottingen while the rest of the 2nd BD continued (including 389 and 453 which did not follow 445) on a SE heading to bomb Kassel, then headed to rally point near Eschwege. As all this was happening the 445 is tracking east to Gottingen which it bombed, then turned south toward Eschwege but now 40miles behind the trail wings.
BTW - Erich - I just got an in depth briefing from Mike Simpson regarding the possible special nature of the real reason fro the 445 departure from 2 CBW and why it is still Classified. Interesting to say the least.
The 355th breaks up the first attack by 10+ Fw 190's near Eschwege at 1000 getting three.
at ~ 1003 way north, the 445th is headed south and gets hit with first wave and hollers for help. The 361st in trail with rear boxes heads north and intercepts the Fw 190s ~ 1015 at Eisenach south of Eschwege.
The 355th holds lead and sends two squadrons back to fill the hole left by 361st and as the lead elements of the 2nd AD nears Giessen, the 4th FG hits another force of Fw 190s sw of Kassel at 1230. By this time the lead elements of the 2nd AD, with the 355th, are near Frankfurt
Bad day on IP to target route for 445th, great day for patient LW, and really bad cloud cover and cumulous towers masking the 445th from the rest of the force from just nw of Kassel all the way over, down, and wsw from Eisenach.
The 352nd got into yet another batch northwest of Frankfurt in the 1005 timeframe while covering B-17s headed home.
thanks for the fill in Bill except for one very important factor IV.Sturm/JG 3's Sturm Fw's were not intercepted by any US P-51's but what got them shot up was the defensive.50's of the B-24's. Second wave was a mix of JG 4 and JG 300 Sturms along with I./JG 300's Bf 109G-6's, and this is the complicated part. this wave came in a matter of some seconds with a passing third wave of the mix again right on their heels, the German reports were that they did indeed come through the bombers but on banking and trying to form up again got popped by P-51's, am assuming this is when the 355th interfered along with the 361st fg which make some bold and very fat claims of Fw's shot down
Erich - I just re read Brown's Encounter Report. He was covering the rear of the first box bombing Kassel past the Rally point near Eschwege heading south toward Eisenach when one of the B-24's broke north appearing to head for Sweden.
He turned northbound to pick it up (with Priest) when he looked out in front and above and saw a lot of what he thought was flak but realized it was 20mm stuff and saw four B-24s falling out with about 10 Fw 190s continuing forward. These Fw 190s may have been the first to hit the 445th as they were trying to catch up with tail end of the 2BD. He shot down one immediately, the rest broke for the deck and Brown and Priest shot down two more on the deck.
I am speculating but it seems that this engagement was 1000 in Eschwege area.