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I see that news of the disaster with the paratroopers’ transports is dribbling out now, when most readers will be more interested in the buildup to the invasion of Europe.

Thanks for pointing that out.
This is a second incident, 10 transport planes this time, bringing the total to 33 transports shot down, apparently by friendly fire, back in July 1943.
From the report it's not clear exactly how many of these 10 transports (43 Americans killed) fell to enemy versus friendly fire, or how many by US or British forces.

And the government itself did not report the incident until after newsman Drew Pearson broke the story (dare I say, Snowden-like?).
Then belatedly they produced a wishy-washy statement which might be interpreted any way you wanted.

But your larger point about using "bright shining objects" to tamp down embarrassing stories is well worth noting.
Indeed, I've wondered if today's (really, I mean today) western-public response to Russia's invasion of Crimea might be getting hugely tamped down by the "abracadabra" of that disappeared Boeing 777?

In this case the reverse of the situation in April 1944.