The Kassel WW2 Bombings were a Set of Allied Strategic Bombing Attacks which took place from February 1942 to March 1945. In a single deadliest Raid on 22/23rd October 1943, 150,000 inhabitants were Bombed-out, at least 10,000 people died, the vast majority of the City Centre was destroyed, and the Fire of the most severe Air raid burned for 7-days. The US 1st Army captured Kassel on 3rd April 1945, where only 50,000 inhabitants remained, compared to 236,000 in 1939.
From the Outbreak of WW2 it took 2 more years before Bomber Command Attacked the City. It was the Target for a Bombing Raid for the 1st Time during the Night of 8/9th September 1941.
95 Aircraft carried out an Attack on the Henschel Armaments Works and a Locomotive Plant. Only 2 Factory Buildings were severely damaged, although the Crews claimed to have carried out Accurate Bombing. Some 70 houses were also Hit. The Insignificant results were characteristic of the Inefficiency of the Air Offensive during the 1st-Stage of the War. In the following months it became clear the Tactics of Precise Bombing on Military & Industrial Targets did not had the desired effect. Therefore another Commander was appointed in early 1942. Air Marshal Sir Richard Peirse was replaced by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris. Since then a new Bombing Tactic called ‘Area-Bombing’ was used. These Attacks were not carried out against Military or Industrial Targets alone, but carried out on a large area surrounding these Targets, such as a City Block or an entire City.
It took some time before Harris sent his Bomber Force to Kassel. For the Night of 27/28th August 1942 he assembled an Attacking Force of 306 Aircraft, which was composed of the following:
No.1 Group – 97 Bombers
No.3 Group – 93 Bombers
No.5 Group – 80 Bombers
Pathfinder Force – 36 Bombers
It was only the 3rd time Air Vice Marshall Donald Bennett’s Pathfinder Force was part of the Bomber Force. 36 of these ‘Pathfinders’ had to identify the most important Targets like Factory Buildings & Military Objects with Flares. At the Briefing the Crews were told to expect the Target to be Heavily Defended because of its Industrial importance. The Weather conditions – Good Visibility & light Wind – would make it possible for them to Bomb the Targets successfully. The Attacking Force was split into 3 Sections. The 1st Section contained the Pathfinders. They had to illuminate the most important Targets in the City Centre – the Henschel Armaments Works (codenamed Bream), the Marshalling Yard (codenamed Smolt) and the surrounding City Block – with their Flares in 5-mins. Hereafter the Aircraft of the 2nd Section had 20-mins to drop their Bombs on these Targets. The last Section had 15-mins to carry out the Bombardment. 4 specially picked Crews had to Observe the Results of the Attack after 35-mins so they could Report the effects of the Raid. These 4 Crews were picked from No.12, 103, 150 & 305 Squadrons.
Preceded by the Pathfinders, the 270 Bombers took-off from their Airfields in England around 20.30hrs. No.115 & No.142 Squadron supplied the most Aircraft (15 each) for the Attack. Wellington Z1469 (142 Squadron) had taken off from RAF Grimsby. Sergeant Norman Child recalls: “we were Routed in 10-miles South of Münster. Flak Ships were very active off the Dutch Coast. There was no trouble so far. Visibility good. Approaching Target and all Hell let loose approximately 10-miles ahead. Very heavy barrage! Town ringed with Guns & Searchlights. Several Kites had been Hit & gone Down.”
Only a small number of Aircraft had to Abort the Mission on Route to Kassel or had been Shot down before they reached the Target. The Bomber Force arrived over Kassel around Midnight. The Pathfinders were able to illuminate the area well. They had dropped 51-Flares, their best effort so far. Hereby, the remainder of the Attacking Force knew exactly where to drop their Bomb Load & many Crews claimed to have hit their Targets. But they also experienced that the warnings for the City’s Heavy Defences at the Briefing were justified. Child: “for a few minutes everything was Chaos. Searchlights & Flak were forcing us lower & lower. The Flak was so bad and the Searchlights so Blinding! Front & Rear Turrets were firing at the Searchlights and between them they accounted for 5.” Flight Sergeant Leslie Seamark’s Wellington was caught by several Searchlights. His Observer, Sergeant Richard Lind, later reckoned there were 15-20 of them. The Aircraft was subjected to intense Heavy Flak. Seamark succeeded in escaping German Defences, but the Crew experienced 2 very scary moments. First, when the Pilots Oxygen Mask was holed by schrapnel from light flak. Surprisingly Seamark only suffered a slight graze on his chin. Moments later, the Fuselage of the Wellington was damaged by impact with a Factory Chimney. The badly damaged Bomber had to Fly Back to England at a precarious height. Meanwhile, it was constantly Fired at by Flak. However Seamark managed to reach Grimsby at 02:30hrs. During the de-Briefing the Crew admitted it had been a very Daunting Trip.
Other Crews were less Fortunate. Many Bombers were Shot Down by the Heavy Flak or were so badly damaged that they Crashed on the Homeward Journey. Besides that, the German Night-Fighters also had the advantage of the Clear Sky that Night. No less than 13 Aircraft were Intercepted & Shot Down. Stirling W7624 of No.15 Squadron was one of them. This machine was attacked over Bentelo (Province of Overijssel) by Oberleutnant Viktor Bauer and Crashed in a Fireball. Hendrik Kleinsman lived in Bentelo. He recalls: “it was a giant Ball of Fire. The huge Bomber hit the Ground with such Force that its Cockpit & Engines were driven up to 15M into the sodden Earth.” The impact of the Crash was so powerful and the Fire was so intense that only one Crew Member, New Zealander Glen Smith, could be identified.
31 Aircraft failed to Return, more than 10% of the Bomber Force. Losses were Heavy for 142 Squadron in particular. 5 (Wellington Z1266, Z1338, Z1396, Z1411 & Z1424) out of 15 Aircraft deployed on this Operation were lost, all from ‘B-Flight’. 25 Airmen from the Squadron were Killed and 5 were taken Prisoner of War. Norman Child concludes: “Our Aircraft looked a Mess. Full of holes & big chunks off. The next day we discovered, to our horror, that of the 6 Aircraft from ‘B’-Flight, our Crew were the only Survivors.” In total, 154 Allied Airmen lost their lives during the Operation on Kassel. Another 20 Crew Members were taken as PoWs and 15-men were able to Evade capture by the Germans. Widespread damage was caused in Kassel, although reports also state that many Bombs fell outside the Town, in Fields & Woods. Particularly the South-western part of the City was Hit badly. 144 buildings were destroyed and 317 seriously damaged. 43 people were killed in the Bombardment. The number of dead Soldiers, 28, exceeded the number of Civilians, 15. Besides that, 64 Soldiers and 187 Civilians were injured. All 3 Factory Buildings of the Henschel Armaments Works were among the severely damaged buildings.
During the remainder of the War Kassel was repeatedly Attacked by the Allied Air Forces. It would take more than a year before Bomber Command would Raid the city again. During the Night of 3-4 October 1943, 547 Aircraft Bombed the City Center. 569 Bombers carried out another attack less than 3-weeks later (22/23rd October). On 8th September 1944, 262 B-24’s of the US 8th Air Force Bombed the Henschel Armaments Works in Daylight. The last large scale Bombing of Kassel took place during the Night of 8/9th March 1945, when 176 Aircraft of Bomber Command were sent to the City. As well as these large Attacks, the City also was repeatedly a Target for Diversion Raids. These small scale Operations were intended to divert attention from Heavy Raids on other Cities.
Bob Gill’s Operation No.15 – Kassel 23rd October 1943 Halifax ll RAF Graveley 35 Squadron Pathfinder Unit – Lancaster ND734?, TL-H Crew. Pilot Archie Vernon Hardy, Bob Gill Rear Gunner
It was on this Night that an RAF Ground Radio Station in England, probably the one at Kingsdown in Kent, started its Broadcasts with the intention of Interrupting & Confusing the German Controllers‘ Orders to their Night Fighters. The Bomber Command Official History describes how, at one Stage, the German Controller broke into vigorous swearing, whereupon the RAF Voice remarked, ‘The Englishman is now swearing’. To this, the German retorted, ‘It is not the Englishman who is swearing, it is me‘.
569 Aircraft – 322 Lancasters, 247 Halifaxes – to Kassel. The German Controller was again successful in assessing the intended Target.
The Initial ‘Blind’ H2S Marking Overshot the Target but 8 out of the 9 ‘Visual’ Markers correctly identified the Centre of Kassel and placed their Markers Accurately. Although German Decoy Markers may have drawn off part of the Bomber Force, the Main Raid was exceptionally Accurate & Concentrated. The result was the most devastating Attack on a German City since the Firestorm Raid on Hamburg in July and the results at Kassel would not be exceeded again until well into 1944. The Fires were so Concentrated that there was a Firestorm, although not as extensive as the Hamburg one.
43 Aircraft – 25 Halifaxes, 18 Lancasters – were Lost, 7.6% of the Force.
28 Lancasters & 8 Mosquitos of No.8-Group carried out a Diversionary Raid to Frankfurt. Bombing was scattered. 1 Lancaster Lost.
Kassel, situated in central Germany in the State of Hessen. This City was an important Target and was repeatedly Attacked from the Air. A Bombardment of Kassel was a dangerous Operation for the Bomber Crews as well. For example, they suffered Heavy Losses during the night of 27/28th August 1942. More than 10% of the Bomber Force, 31 Aircraft, were lost that Night. As well as being the Capital of the Provinces of Hesse-Nassau & Keur-Kurhessen, Kassel because of its location in Central Germany it was an important interchange for Railways & Roads with some important Targets.
- Fieseler Aircraft – Messerschmidt Bf109 & Focke-Wulf Fw190 – Dornier Do7 Plant
- Henschel & Sohn facilities, maker of the Tiger I & King Tiger Heavy Tanks
- The Henschel & Sohn Firm’s Locomotive Plant
- Engine Plant
- Motor Transport Plant
- Railway Works
- Military HQs at Wehrkreis IX, & Bereich Hauptsitz, Kassel
- Central Germany HQ, Highway & Railway Construction
- Regional Supreme Court
Pilot Sgt Archie Vernon Hardy gets promoted from Sgt to Flt Sgt by the 6th November 1943. Flying Halifax’s HR866 TL-C, HR860 TL-A, TL-B & TL-S. Flying Air Tests, Night Cross Country Flying, Up 19.30hrs Flight 1.30hrs, Y-Training (Gee), Walters Training as Bomb Aimer, Bombing 10,000ft, Training Air to Air Firing 2.45hrs, Bombing using H2S, Night Operation Kassel Up 11.15hrs Flight 5.45hrs. Signed By OC C-Flight Flt/Lt & Wing Co
Kassel WW2 Timeline 1940
22nd June – The RAF commences its 1st Bombing Raid on Kassel at 1-am with 5-10 Aircraft. The Target was the Flugplatz Waldau.
22nd July – 2nd RAF Raid on Kassel with 16 Aircraft, commencing at 01.00hrs. Bombs Hit Industry Targets & Homes in Bettenhausen and the lower new part of Kassel.
24th July – RAF Targeted the Aircraft Plants & Airfield at 12:30hrs with 10 Aircraft, again hitting Industrial Targets & Homes in Bettenhausen.
16/17th August – RAF Hits houses at Gräfestrasse 2, 4 & 6 in a Raid that began at 23:41hrs and lasted until 03:45hrs. Two people were killed & 11 wounded.
16/17th October – RAF Hits the Stadtgartnerei & Jagerkaserne commencing at 22:02hrs & lasting until 01:13hrs.
1941
8/9th September – RAF returns with 73 Aircraft to hit Henschel & Sohn & Crede & Co (Railroad Cars) at 23:31-03:00hrs. They Hit various locations in the City, the Museum Friedericianum with the Library & the Rote Palais. 15 people are killed with 35 injured.
24/25th October – Night Raid by 7 or 8 RAF Aircraft beginning at 22:37-00:21hrs. The Target was Henschel & Sohn. They Hit the Train Yards at Harleshausen & Houses in the area.
1942
17/18th February – 10 Wellingtons & 3 Stirlings to Emden, Hamburg, Kassel & Aachen.
27/28th August – Target was Henschel. 306 Aircraft destroyed/seriously damaged 144/317 buildings, particularly in the City Southwest. Three Henschel Buildings were seriously damaged, and 43/251 were killed/injured. In addition to the Military Targets, Houses & Hospitals were Hit.
1943
17th May – RAF returned to Kassel with 4 Aircraft at 01:12-02:58hrs, killing 2 people; Tidal Wave reaches Kassel after Erdtal Dam is blown by British Dambusters.
28th July – The USAAF begins 1st Raid on Kassel, Targeting Fieseler Aero Engine Works in Bettenhausen & Waldau. 182 B-17’s are despatched against the Fieseler Works at Kassel, 58 Hit the Target at 10.27-10.54hrs. Most of the Bombs fall at Spinnfaser AG and in the neighborhood of Bettenhausen.
3oth July – USAAF Hit the Aircraft Component Works. 119 B-17’s are despatched to the Bettenhausen Fieseler Works; 94 Hit the Target at 09.10-09.17hrs.
2/3rd October – The Pathfinder Force (PFF) was not able to find the Centre of the City, and most Bombs fall on Wolfsanger, Sandershausen, Ihringshausen & Bettenhausen. In addition to considerable damage, an Ammunition Store was Hit.
3/4th October – 547 Aircraft used H2S Radar; the main weight of Bombs fell on the Western Suburbs & outlying Towns & Villages.
22/23rd October – 569 Bombers dropped more than 1,800 Tons of Bombs (including 460,000 Magnesium Incendaries) that started Fires which Illuminated the entire Town seen as far away as Frankfurt. Damage to the main Telephone Exchange & the City’s Water Supply hindered Firefighting efforts. Over 10,000 people perished in the ensuing Firestorm. 80% of the City Centre is destroyed.
1944
In the Junkers Airplane & Engine Works in Kassel, among other things, accessories for the 1st Operational Jet Military Aircraft, the Me-262, developed by Messerschmitt are manufactured. Henschel produces the Heavy Battle Tank Tiger II (“Königstiger”) in series.
20th January – In Kassel, the only Daily Paper still printed is the “Kurhessischen Landeszeitung”. The Postal Code is introduced by the Post Office Minister. Kassel belongs to the Area Code 16.
18/19th March – 11 Mosquitos on a Diversionary Raid.
29th March 1944 – Gerhard Fieseler, Head of the Fieseler Aircraft Plants is dismissed as Operating Leader because the Production numbers demanded by the Military are not reached.
30/31st March – 34 Mosquitos on Diversionary Raids to Aachen, Cologne & Kassel.
19th April – Target was Eschwege Airfield. Bombers attacked a Factory for Fighter Plane Engines nearby. The Flak Batteries around that area could not stop the Attack. 271 of 277 B-17s Hit the Kassel area, Eschwege Airfield, Limburg & a Target of opportunity. Fieseler, Henschel Airplane Engine Works and Junkers Hit.
23rd April – German Fighter fought several Allied Fighter Planes. The German Plane was Shot Down near Besse. The Pilot was Killed.
6th June D-Day; Allied forces Land on Beaches in Normandy, France.
12th July – An Electrical Oberleitungsbus begins Service between Harleshausen & Kirchditmold for the 1st time, briefly called the “O-Bus”.
8th September – 166 B-17s are despatched to Hit an Oil Depot at Kassel.
10th September – 121 of 135 P-47s Strafe Airfields, Ground & Rail Traffic in a sweep over the Cologne, Frankfurt/Main & Kassel areas.
13th September – A Bomber was Shot Down by the Flak Batteries in Grossenritte. The Bomber crashed in a Forest near Besse.
22nd September – Ordnance & Motor Vehicle Factories were scheduled for Attack on this date with all (3) Bomber Squadrons assigned Targets in the Vicinity. The 577th & 578th were assigned Lead Functions with Lieutenant Mace & Captain Westerbrook as Lead Bombardiers, respectively. At 07.00-08.00hrs, (24) Crews were Briefed and all commenced Take-offs at 10.30hrs. The Trip was noted as uneventful with no Fighters seen & Flak meager. A total of (23) Crews Bombed through 10/10th Cloud with results unobserved and dropping (288) 500-lb Bombs in the Target area by PFF means. All Bombers returned safely about 17.20hrs. 661 Bombers are dispatched to Hit Armoured Vehicle Motor Vehicle Factories at Kassel/ Henschel, Bombing by PFF; 453 B-17s are dispatched; 410 Hit the Primary Targets, 10 Hit Wetzlar & 7 Hit Targets of Opportunity. 12 people are reported dead with 7 injured.
23rd September – Monday 48 Aircraft Raid.
27th September – Daylight Raid on Tank Factory. At 04.30 & 05.00hrs, (30) Crews were Briefed again for this Target up behind the Ruhr. At 07.25hrs, (28) Aircraft were despatched with (25) going over the Target to drop Bombs through 10/10 Clouds. Results of the (142) 1000-lb Bombs which were released were un-observed. No Fighter opposition was experienced, but once again Flak was moderate & accurate. Mission Aircraft returned to Base around 14.15. 315 B-24s are despatched to hit Kassel/Henschel Aircraft Plant (248); 35 also hit Gottingen. Escort is provided by 207 P-38s, P-47s & P-51s. 14 people are reported dead, with 7 injured.
27th/28th September – Night Bombing 46 Mosquitos. Hit Kassel at 22:00-22:30hrs.
28th September – Daylight Raid on Henschel Motor Transport Plant. 243 of 262 despatched B-24s Bombed the Kassel/Henschel Motor Transport Plant. At 04.15-05.15hrs (30) Aircrews were given Briefings and at 07.16hrs, all commenced Take-offs. The Bombing was done by PFF through Cloud with the results of (244) 500 & 1000-lb Bombs in the mixed Loading not being observed. Again no Fighters. Landing was at 14.00hrs. 243 B-24s are despatched to Hit the Kassel/Henschel Motor Transport Plant; 1 hits a Target of Opportunity. Target hit at 11:30-12:12hrs with 7 reported injuries.
2nd October – Bettenhausen Ordnance Depot was hit using PFF plus Visual Sighting with good results. Flak was moderate but fairly Accurate, while no Enemy Air Opposition was met. 129 B-17s are despatched to Hit the Bettenhausen Ordnance Depot at Kassel; 143 Hit Targets of Opportunity at Kassel; 384 B-17s are despatched to Hit the Henschel Motor Vehicle Plant at Kassel. Target was Hit at 10:49-11:40hrs.
3/4th October – Night Bombing 43 Mosquitos. Target was Henschel at Mittelfeld.
7th October – 12:30 Daylight Raid on Tank Factory. The Ordnance Plant again was Targeted. General Briefings were given for (37) Crews at 04.30 & 05.30hrs with (36) being despatched at 08.00hrs. A Force of (34) went over the Target Bombing with fair results, releasing (270) 500 & 1000-lb Bombs. From the 578th, Lieutenant R H Johnson in 966 was Hit by Ack Ack Fire on the Bomb Run at 12.24hrs with 3 Engines catching Fire & the Aircraft falling from Formation position. Shortly after the Bomber went into a steep Dive & around 1000ft the right Wing was severed by an Explosion with no Chutes seen. 7 Bombers of the returning Force which Landed around 14.25hrs sustained Battle damage. 122 B-24s are dispatched to Hit an Armoured Vehicle Plant at Kassel/ Henschel.
15/16th October – Night Bombing 2 Mosquitos on a Diversionary Raid Hit the City Centre.
18th October – 300 B-17s are despatched to make a PFF attack on Kassel/Mittelfeld. Target is Henschel at 11:00hrs. Also MarshallingYards.
24th October – 415 P-47s & P-51s are dispatched to Attack Aircraft & Ground Targets in the Hannover-Kassel area.
9/10th November – 22:00 Night Bombing 3 Mosquitos.
4th December – 212 B-17s are despatched to Hit Marshalling Yards at Kassel. Kassel Hit at 12:22-13:00hrs with 62 dead & 131 injured.
15th December – 318 of 334 B-17s Hit the Marshalling Yard & Tank Factories at Kassel; 5 others Hit Targets of opportunity.
27/28th December – Night Bombing 7 Mosquitos.
30th December – 314 B-17s are dispatched to hit Marshalling Yards at Kassel. Using Radar through close Cloud cover, they Bomb the Marshalling Yard at Rothenditmold.
1945
During 1945 Henschels had 8000 Workers working in 2 shifts each of 12- hrs.
1st January – daylight Raid on Railroad Marshalling Yards, Tank Factory (secondary Target), ME-109 Airplane Factory. 292 B-17s. Secondary Targets are the Henschel Marshalling Yard at Kassel (292). (Ref. 9). About 700 Bombs fall. (Ref. 12)
January 6/7 – evening bombing 20 Mosquitos. (Ref. 1).
January 18/19 – evening bombing 12 Mosquitos. (Ref. 1).
January 21/22 – evening bombing 76 Mosquitos. (Ref. 1).
January 29 – Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe was bombed. (Ref. 3). 93 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Henschel oil plant at Kassel; 154 hit the secondary, the Kassel marshalling yard. (Ref. 9). Central wing of Wilhelmshöhe Palace goes up in flames. (Ref. 12)
February 2 – Bombers dropped around 200 bombs in the forest near Grossenritte. (The deep holes of the bombs were filled with water over time, and are still there today.) (Ref. 3). Fifteen people reported dead with Seventy-three injured. (Ref. 10)
February 28 – 364 of 380 B-17s hit the marshalling yard at Kassel, the secondary target. (Ref. 9).
March 2/3 – evening bombing 67 Mosquitos. (Ref. 1). Two people reported dead with thirteen injured. (Ref. 10)
March 8/9 – 176 aircraft in the last heavy raid by the RAF on Kassel. According to the history of the RAF, “262 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitos of No.’s 1 and 8 Groups carried out the first large raid on Kassel since October 1943; it was also the last large RAF raid on this target. 1 Mosquito lost. This target was also covered by cloud.” (Ref. 1). Fourteen people reported dead with Fifty-four injured. (Ref. 10)
March 9 – daylight raid on Locomotive Repair Shop and Marshalling Yard; Henschel Motor Works. 318 of 336 B-17s attack the marshalling yard and a large tank factory at Kassel visually. (Ref. 9). Fourty-two people reported dead. (Ref. 10)
March 18/19 – evening bombing 24 Mosquitos. (Ref. 1).
March 20/21 – 2:30-4:30 evening bombing 16 Mosquitos. (Ref. 1). City center hit. (Ref. 10). 40th air attack of the war and the last. (Ref. 12)
March 27 – Kassel was largely destroyed. Lack of energy, electricity and water at the plants led to production losses. On 27 March 1945, the Managing Director of works, Fieseler, Wegmann, Junkers and Henschel for the defence command in Kassel are gathered. A leading General announced that all works in Kassel and surroundings should be blown up. But, this could be averted at the last minute. (Ref. 11)
March 28 – Bombers were flying over Grossenritte. One bomber was hit by flak from Grossenritte. (Ref. 3).
March 30 – Messages that American troops were nearby. Tank blockades were built up in Altenritte. German artillery was also built up. An Artillery duel between an American battery near the village Werkel and the Grossenritte flak unit. One Allied plane was shot down. Civilians ran into the forests for safety. (Ref. 3).
March 31 – American infantry captured Grossenritte. Suddenly, artillery shells hit the village, killed and wounded residents of Grossenritte. Two American soldiers were also killed, and about 20 houses damaged. The wounded residents (women and children) came into American hospitals in the towns of Homberg/Efze and Ostheim. The shells came from the American’s own artillery. They tried to hit two German flak guns outside the village, but they hit the village and their own infantry. (Ref. 3).
79 forced laborers, most of them Italians, take food from a boxcar that had already been broken into and looted by German on the grounds of the Wilhelmshöher train station. A Gestapo unit appears on site a few hours later, and although there is opposition, the command is followed to kill 79 men. Five weeks later the American occupation force German prisoners of war to unearth the bodies. The tragedy of this incident on the station area is hard to beat: While the Italians are dying, the town is sealed off South and West by the advancing Americans. For the first time, a five-minute wailing – tank alarm sounds in Kassel. The next day, German soldiers blow up the Fulda bridge, but the Americans are not stopped. (Ref. 11)
April 1 – To impede the advance of US troops, the Fulda bridge is blown by retreating German units. (Ref. 12). The US 3rd Army advanced in a southwest-northeast direction from Frankfurt am Main. As the US 80th Infantry Division approached Kassel from the south, its advance ground to a halt due to heavy gun fire from German RAD anti-aircraft battery positioned on the Dönche training ground, which was a relatively flat area that allowed the German 88mm guns to engage in long range fire.
April 2 – The US forces responded with heavy artillery fire, destroying the RAD AA battery. Then, the US 318th Infantry Regiment moved a battalion into the wooded high ground (Habichtswald) west of Kassel, while the US 319th Infantry Regiment crossed the Fulda River and moved north along its east bank. By the end of the day, western and southern suburbs of Kassel had been occupied by the Americans.
April 3 – The US 318th Infantry Regiment (80th Inf Div) was able to make their way into Kassel after ferocious fighting against a Wehrmacht unit composed of 500 men deployed on the outskirts of the city. Then, as the Americans entered Kassel, fierce house-to-house fighting broke out against other German elements that had set up machine gun nests, barricades, and sniper positions in the town. Midnight-Scattered pockets of resistance was mopped up in Kassel during the night. The US First Army captured Kassel on April 3, 1945. (Ref. 1).
April 4 – Early in the morning, at 12:30am, General Major Erxleben, Commanding General of the garrison at Kassel, surrendered himself and an estimated four hundred men to friendly forces. This culminated the battle for Kassel, and the city was cleared. (Ref. 7). Midnight-Fierce resistance from small arms, machine guns and direct fire was encountered during the morning, as we advanced on Kassel. One counterattack of five tanks, supported by an unknown number of infantry was received at 9:20am, from the northwest of Vallmorshausen. It was repulsed without loss of ground. During the afternoon, resistance slackened somewhat, as our forces entered Kassel and cleared two thirds of the town. Pockets of resistance in the city are being mopped up. An estimated 1,260 P.W.’s were captured during the period. (Ref. 7). The battle had raged through that night, when at 09:00 hours, on April 4, 1945, the American forces that had pushed through the city, closed in on the command bunker of General Erxleben, who surrendered to the Americans.
April 5 – Visibility is poor, with sporadic rain. (Ref. 7).A few days after the war ended, the village was plundered by foreign workers. (Ref. 7).
Former 702nd Tank Battalion S-2 (Intelligence) Officer, Carl Nordstrom remembered the Tiger Tank factory near Kassel. The air corps had tried many times to level the factory, in order to halt German tank production. The entire area surrounding the factory had been leveled in the carpet bombing, but the factory remained virtually unscathed and continued production right up to its capture by the Americans. (Ref. 3).
Former 702nd Tank Battalion, Company “B” Tank Commander, Fred Riley remembers; ”It seems as though there was a lot of horse-drawn artillery in that area.” (Ref. 3).
Former Platoon Leader Lt. “Slim” Rives, who led the tanks which encountered the Grossenritte flak unit, remembers; “ My best recollection of Kassel was that my platoon captured a wine cellar. We loaded our tanks with all we could carry. Later we heard that higher headquarters took it over, and inventoried forty thousand bottles of high quality French wine. We also feared the attack on Kassel because it was either the factory for the Tiger Tanks or was a big mobilizing depot for the Tigers. As the Germans were out of fuel they could not mobilize the tanks, so the attack on Kassel was pretty much a “fizzle”.” (Ref. 3).
April 7 – The occupying powers employ Willi Seidel as Acting Mayor. The Social Democrat and staunch Nazi opponent Seidel comes from an old merchant family in Kassel. Since 1903 he is busy in the city administration eventually as Managing Director. Seidel is significantly involved in the constituent communities of Kassel suburb. On the occasion of his 60th birthday on November 1, an evaluation of the head of the city appears in the Hessian news.
April 8 – a replacement for the Fulda bridge establishes a ferry service between the old town and lower new town. (Ref. 12)
April 17 – Unit moves in Germany: HQ 48th Fighter Group and 493d and 494th Fighter Squadrons from Kelz to Kassel with P-47s. (Ref. 9).
April 21 – Unit moves in Germany: HQ 36th Fighter Group and 22d and 23d Fighter Squadrons from Niedermennig to Rothwesen Airfield, Kassel with P-47s. (Ref. 9).
April 30 – Hitler is dead.
May 8 – Unconditional surrender of Germany
June 19 – At Königsplatz, a weekly market is held for the first time. (Ref. 12).
August 6 – gas company resumes gas supplies. (Ref. 12)
November 21 – The Nuremberg trials were a series of trials, or tribunals, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership held in the city of Nuremberg at the Palace of Justice. The first and best known of these trials was the Trial of the major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal (IMT), which tried 22 of the most important captured leaders of Nazi Germany. It was held from November 21, 1945 to October 1, 1946.
1946
1946–1952 – Order in Kassel kept by the “Blitz-Polizei” or “Lightning Police” Some units referred to them as “Circle-C-Cowboys” They were the United States Constabulary Army. (Ref. 8).
March 25, 1946 – Start of systematic debris removal. (Ref. 12)
August 21, 1946 – a bridge at the train station Wilhelmshöhe collapses as a train beneath it is burning. (Ref. 12)
Air Gunner Bob Gill DFM 