The Kassel Cassettes
an audiobook on CD
On Sept. 27, 1944, during a bombing mission to Kassel, Germany, the 445th Bomb Group became separated from the main bomber stream. Its 35 planes dropped their bombs and began to regroup, unaware that they had lost their fighter protection.
Suddenly, they were attacked by as many as 150 German fighter planes that cut through the formation "like a knife through butter," according to Bill Dewey, a pilot in one of the B-24s. The bombers with their .50 caliber machine guns, the fighters with their 20-millimeter cannons firing, planes blowing up, parachutes over the sky, and then the "cavalry" arrived -- 30 American fighter planes joined the fray. real audio mp3
When the battle was over, the 445th had lost 25 planes. Eighteen German fighters were downed, and one American fighter was lost.
The story of the Kassel Mission is one of the most dramatic untold stories of World War II. It is not just about combat but about gallantry and courage, fear and fate, and it is about closure.
Kassel Mission: Survivors' Stories. An 80-minute audio CD containing several different
accounts from the heart of the battle.
George Collar: A one-hour CD excerpted from a 1999
interview with Collar, a former bombardier and prisoner of war who was
instrumental in preserving the history of the Kassel Mission.
Bill
Dewey: A pilot who flew his crippled plane back to an emergency landing field at
Manston, England. Dewey and Collar were co-founders of the Kassel Mission
Memorial Association. This CD is approximately 40 minutes.
Kay Brainard Hutchins: Co-pilot Newell Brainard's plane was shot down on the
Kassel Mission. He survived the initial battle, but was murdered on the ground
by labor camp guards, some of whom were tried and executed after the war.
Brainard's sister Kay knew only that he was missing in action, and that another
brother, Bill, was a prisoner of war. So she became a Red Cross girl and served
in England so as to be closer to her brothers should there be any news.
Ira Weinstein: A bombardier who became a prisoner of war, Weinstein is a
colorful storyteller and is a key member of the memorial association. This CD,
excerpted from a 1999 interview, is about 50 minutes.
real audio
mp3
Frank
Bertram: At the beginning of this project, Bertram narrated a
sometimes rambling monologue into a pair of cassettes and sent them to Aaron
Elson, who was unable at the time to travel to the West Coast for an interview.
This 80-minute CD provides an excellent overview of the mission, as well as some
poignant and compelling moments. real
audio
mp3
George
Noorigian: A waist gunner on pilot Jackson Mercer's plane, Noorigian was
credited with shooting down a Fokke-Wulf 190. This CD is an hour long.
real audio
mp3
Web Uebelhoer: The pilot of the deputy lead plane on the mission, Uebelhoer saw
the lead plane go down. This CD is an hour long.
real
audio
mp3
Corman
Bean: The navigator on a plane that was shot down. This CD is an hour long.
real audio
mp3
Charles
Graham. The engineer on one of the planes lost that day, Graham became a
prisoner of war and took part in an 88-day "death march" near the end of the
war. This CD is about 45 minutes.
real audio
mp3
Corman Bean, an encore: real audio mp3
More CDs are in the works, but this collection will give you an excellent picture of the battle and makes a great gift or stocking stuffer.
This set is ideal for the history buff in your family. You can listen in your car, convert the files to mp3s and put them on your iPod. And best of all, you'll be helping to keep alive the memory of the little-known Kassel Mission of Sept. 27, 1944. For more information about the battle, or to join the Kassel Mission Historical Society, please visit kasselmission.com