11 March 1944

SATURDAY, 11 MARCH 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 255: France and Germany
are hit in two raids; 1 B-17 and 4 fighters are lost; both forces use
blind-bombing techniques due to thick overcast:
1. 120 of 124 B-17s dispatched hit the marshalling yard at Munster; 1 B-17
drops on Bentheim as a target of opportunity and 3 drop on Burgsteinfurt
accidentally; 1 B-17 is lost and 24 damaged; casualties are 10 MIA. Escort
is provided by 90 P-47s and 50 P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost and 2 P-47s are
damaged; casualties are 2 MIA.
2. 34 of 51 B-24s hit V-weapon sites at Wizernes, France; 1 B-24 is
damaged. Escort is provided by 40 P-38s and 213 P-47s; 2 P-47s are lost, 1
damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 2 MIA.
HQ 467th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 789th, 790th and 791st Bombardment
Squadrons (Heavy) arrive at Rackheath, England from the US with B-24s; first
mission is 10 Apr.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 61 B-26s bomb V-weapon sites in N
France; 53 abort because of weather and navigational difficulties.
Arrivals in England from the US: HQ 53d Troop Carrier Wing at Greenham
Common; HQ 394th Bombardment Group (Medium) and 584th, 586th and 587th
Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) with B-26s at Boreham (first mission is 23
Mar); HQ 440th Troop Carrier Group at Bottesford.