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FRIDAY, 3 MARCH 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 246: 555 B-17s and
193
B-24s are dispatched to industrial areas and aviation industry
plants at
Berlin, Erkner and Oranienburg but deteriorating weather and dense
contrails
force the formations to abort or seek targets of opportunity, i.e.:
1. 9 of 555 B-17s are lost, 61 hit Wilhelmshaven and 14 hit targets
of
opportunity; casualties are 2 KIA, 3 WIA and 83 MIA.
3. 2 of 193 B-24s are lost and only 4 hit targets of opportunity;
casualties are 3 KIA, 8 WIA and 20 MIA.
The bombers claim 3-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft. Escort is provided by 89
P-38s,
484 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 130 Eighth and Ninth Air
Force
P-51s; claim and loses are:
1. 1 P-38 is lost and 1 damaged; 1 pilot is MIA.
2. 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair and 13 damaged; 1 pilot is WIA.
3. P-51s claim 8-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 P-51s are lost; 5 pilots
are MIA.
During a CARPETBAGGER mission on the night of 3/4 Mar, 2 B-24s are
lost.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In France, 218 B-26s bomb
airfields
at Laon/Couvron, Beauvais/Tille, Rosieres-en-Santerre, Roye/Amy and
Montdidier, and military installations at Juvincourt-et-Damary and
Berneval-le-Grand.
Moves in England: HQ 434th Troop Carrier Group and 71st, 72d, 73d
and 74th
Troop Carrier Squadrons from Fulbeck to Aldermaston with C-47s; HQ
436th
Troop Carrier Group and 80th, 81st and 82d Troop Carrier Squadrons
from
Bottesford to Membury with C-47s.
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