In the spring of 1945, at a forward airfield in Belgium, Allied ground crews worked feverishly to prepare the 449th Bombardment Squadron for a new mission.

Amongst all the B-26 Marauders, one stood out from the rest. Peppered with over 1,000 patches covering bullet holes, shrapnel, and anti-aircraft shells, this twin-engine bomber was better known around the 449th as Flak Bait.

This would be the 200th mission for the battle-worn B-26, and many wondered how it could still fly.

Leading the attack that day was Colonel John Samuel, the commanding officer of the 332nd Bombardment Group, who had hand-picked this aircraft as his leading flagship for the assault against Nazi targets in Germany.

As copilot, Captain Samuel's mission was clear: ensure the squadron's success and a triumphant return from the assault on German defenses, hoping the aircraft’s nickname wouldn’t finally catch up to it…
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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.