4 March 1943

THURSDAY, 4 MARCH 1943

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission 39: 71 B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Wing are
dispatched against the marshalling yard at Hamm, Germany; 16 drop 40 tons of
bombs on the target at 1043 hours; we claim 13 enemy aircraft destroyed, 3
probably destroyed and 4 damaged. We lose 4 B-17s and 9 others are
damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 7 WIA and 33 MIA. Another 28 B-17s hit the
shipyards at Rotterdam, The Netherlands dropping 70 tons between 1020 and
1021 hours. We claim 3 enemy aircraft destroyed; we lose 1 B-17 while 15
others are damaged; casualties are 9 MIA. This is the first Eighth Air
Force attack on a Ruhr industrial target. To divert the enemy, 14 B-24s of
the 2d Bombardment Wing fly a diversion without a loss.
The Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 26 uneventful sorties, 24
on fighter patrols and 2 on offensive patrols over the Ostend/Dunkirk,
France area.