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THIS IS THE STORY OF THE 445TH HEAVY BOMBER GROUP THAT FLEW A WWII MISSION FROM TIBENHAM, ENGLAND TO BOMB HENSCHEL MOTOR WORKS IN THE AREA OF KASSEL, GERMANY. THE HENSCHEL MOTOR WORKS MANUFACTURED PANZER AND THE ENTIRE WARTIME INVENTORY OF TIGER II TANKS FOR THE GERMAN ARMY. OF THE 35 B-24 LIBERATOR HEAVY BOMBERS THAT LEFT THE TIBENHAM AIR FIELD THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 24, 1944, ONLY 4 RETURNED THAT AFTERNOON. EACH B-24 BOMBER WAS FLOWN BY 10 OR 11 MAN CREW. DUE TO REASONS UNKNOWN, FOR OVER 70 YEARS, THIS BOMBER GROUP WAS WITHIN TWO MINUTES OF REACHING THE HENSCHEL MOTOR WORKS TARGET ON ITS BOMB RUN, WHEN SUDDENLY, THE FORMATION DEVIATED AWAY FROM THE BOMB RUN. LEAVING BEHIND ITS FIGHTER ESCORTS AND THE DEFENCES OF SURROUNDING BOMBER GUARDS AND BOMBED ARGUABLY THE WRONG TARGET (GOETTINGEN). ISOLATED FROM THE FIGHTER AND BOMBER STREAM PROTECTION, THE 445TH WAS ATTACKED BY OVER 120 GERMAN FIGHTER INTERCEPTORS EQUIPPED WITH 20mm AND 30mm CANNONS RESULTING IN 28 OF THE 35 BOMBERS BEING DESTROYED WITHIN A PERIOD OF 3-4 MINUTES IN THE MOST INTENSE AERIAL COMBAT ENCOUNTER WITH THE GREATEST PERCENTAGE LOSSES EVER RECORDED IN MILITARY AVIATION HISTORY. THE INTENSE ATTACK RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF 117 USAAF AIRMEN AND 18 GERMAN PILOTS. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND SAID IT SEEMED LIKE THE OVERCAST ABOVE WAS RAINING DOWN AIRPLANES AND PARACHUTES. THE OFFICIAL USAAF CONCLUSION PENNED OCTOBER 23, 1944 WAS TO BLAME THE LEAD BOMBER CREW FOR NAVIGATIONAL ERROR, SPECIFICALLY THE RADAR NAVIGATOR. WE OFFER TWO OTHER FAR MORE SENSIBLE THEORIES AS TO THE CAUSE AND EFFECT, EITHER ONE OF WHICH BY NECESSITY LED TO AN 8TH AIR FORCE COVER UP.