16 March 1944

THURSDAY, 16 MARCH 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 262: 2 primary targets and
targets of opportunity in Germany are attacked; fighter opposition is heavy
against the first force of bombers over France and Germany; the bombers claim
68-32-43 Luftwaffe aircraft; 23 bombers and 10 fighters are lost and 179
damaged:
1. 401 of 501 B-17s hit Augsburg, 46 bomb Gessertshausen and 18 hit Ulm; 18
B-17s are lost; casualties are 1 KIA, 10 WIA and 171 MIA.
2. 197 of 213 B-24s bomb Friedrichshafen and 13 hit targets of opportunity;
5 B-24s are lost and 1 damaged beyond repair; casualties are 6 KIA, 7 WIA and
46 MIA.
Escort is provided by 125 P-38s, 608 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and
135 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; claims and losses are:
1. P-38s: 1 lost.
2. P-47s claim 25-3-17 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 P-47s are lost and 5 damaged;
3 pilots are MIA.
3. P-51s claim 53-4-16 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 P-51s are lost, 2 damaged
beyond repair and 5 damaged; 6 pilots are MIA.
The fighters also claim 1-0-13 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 15th Tactical Reconnaissance
Squadron, 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, moves from Chilboton to Middle
Wallop, England with F-6s.