22 March 1944

WEDNESDAY, 22 MARCH 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 273: 474 B-17s and 214
B-24s are dispatched to bomb aviation industry plants at Oranienburg and
Basdorf, Germany but 8/10 to 10/10 cloud cover prevents an attack; the
bombers hit the secondary target, Berlin, and targets of opportunity; the
bombers also drop 6.368 million leaflets; 1 bomber is damaged beyond repair
and 347 bombers are damaged; casualties are 20 WIA and 135 MIA. Details are:
1. 460 of 474 B-17s bomb Berlin; 7 B-17s are lost.
2. 196 of 214 B-24s bomb Berlin and 1 bombs Heide; 5 B-24s are lost.
Escort is provided by 125 P-38s, 496 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 196
Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s. There is no air combat and the only claim
is for 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground by P-47s. Details are:
1. 3 P-38s are lost and 7 damaged; 3 pilots are MIA.
2. 5 P-47s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 9 damaged; casualties are
1 WIA and 5 MIA.
3. 4 P-51s are lost and 2 damaged beyond repair; 4 pilots are MIA.
Mission 274: 6 of 6 B-17s drop 263 bundles of leaflets on Paris, France;
and The Hague, Amsterdam and Leeuwarden, The Netherlands at 2135-2207 hours
without loss.