Black Cat (aircraft)

Black Cat was a Consolidated B-24J-1-FO Liberator[note 1] aircraft and the last American bomber to be shot down over Germany in World War II.

In April 1945, General Dwight D. Eisenhower and SHAEF were convinced Hitler and other die-hard Nazis were planning to make a last stand in the Alps near Berchtesgaden.

[3] On 21 April 1945 at around 0630 local time 137 B-24 bombers from the 466th Bombardment Group departed from their base at Attlebridge in Norfolk, England to bomb a railway bridge in Salzburg, Austria.

However once the target was reached four hours later, the mission had to be abandoned due to the heavy cloud and thunderstorms covering the area.

The tail gunner, Albert Seraydarian, and the bombardier, Chris Manners, survived and were liberated from German POW camps within a few weeks.