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TUESDAY, 28 MARCH 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 283: 2 formations
of B-17s
are dispatched to hit airfields in France while B-24s are dispatched
to The
Netherlands.
1. 182 B-17s are dispatched to Dijon/Longvic Airfield (117 bomb) and
Reims/Champagne Airfield (59 bomb); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair
and 60
damaged; casualties are 3 KIA and 1 WIA.
2. 191 B-17s are dispatched to Chateaudun Airfield (127 bomb) and
Chartres
Airfield (61 bomb); 2 B-17s are lost and 59 damaged; casualties are
1 WIA and
28 MIA.
3. 77 B-24s are dispatched to the Ijmuiden, The Netherlands E-boat
pens but
they are recalled due to excessive clouds and failure of the escort
to
takeoff.
Escort for the B-17s is provided by 46 P-38s, 284 P-47s and 123
P-51s;
details are:
P-38s: no claims or losses
P-47s claim 0-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft.
P-51s claim 30-1-32 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 3 P-51s are
lost; the
pilots are MIA.
36th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), VIII Air Force Composite Command
[attached to 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional)] moves from
Watton to
Harrington, England with B-24s; the squadron flies CARPETBAGGER
missions.
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