24 March 1944

FRIDAY, 24 MARCH 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 277: The B-17 primary
target is Schweinfurt, Germany; the B-24 primary target are airfields at Metz
and Nancy, France; the bombers make no claims of Luftwaffe aircraft:
1. 230 B-17s are dispatched; 60 hit Schweinfurt using blind-bombing
equipment and 162 hit Frankfurt/Main marshalling yard; 3 B-17s are lost, 3
damaged beyond repair and 68 damaged; casualties are 14 KIA, 1 WIA and 30
MIA.
2. 206 B-24s are dispatched; the primaries are overcast and 148 hit the
secondary target of St Diziere Airfield and 33 hit Nancy/Essey Airfield; 24
B-24s are damaged; casualties are 3 WIA.
Escort is provided by 84 P-38s, 301 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and
155 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; details are:
P-38s: 2 lost, both pilots MIA.
P-47s claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 2-0-4 on the ground;
no losses.
P-51s: no claims; 3 P-51s are lost; 2 pilots are MIA.
Mission 278: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Tours and
Lorient, France; and Charleroi, Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium at 2133-2210
hours without loss.