Black Friday (1944)

Black Friday (1944) refers to a disastrous Allied air raid carried out on December 16, 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. The mission involved Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon fighter-bombers attacking German armored units near the town of Malmedy, Belgium.

The attack was intended to support ground troops engaged in fierce fighting against the German counteroffensive. However, due to extremely poor weather conditions, including low cloud cover and heavy fog, the mission was a complete failure. The pilots faced near-zero visibility, making it impossible to accurately identify and target the enemy.

Many aircraft were lost, with a significant number of the Typhoon fighter-bombers being shot down by German anti-aircraft fire or crashing due to the treacherous weather. The losses suffered by the RAF on this single day were among the highest for the entire war.

The name "Black Friday" reflects the heavy casualties and the overall failure of the operation. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by aircrews operating in adverse weather conditions and the difficulties of conducting air support operations during winter in the European theater of operations. The events of Black Friday highlighted the limitations of aerial warfare in poor visibility and the devastating consequences of misjudged or poorly planned operations. The term "Black Friday" in this context predates its later association with the day after Thanksgiving shopping holiday.