9 March 1944

THURSDAY, 9 MARCH 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 253: 8 bombers and 1
fighter are lost on missions to Germany; the bombers claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe
aircraft; 221 bombers are damaged; details are:
1. 339 of 361 B-17s dispatched hit Berlin; 6 B-17s are lost and 1 is
damaged beyond repair; casualties are 10 KIA, 6 WIA and 43 MIA.
2. 150 of 165 B-24s hit secondary targets at Hannover, Brunswick and
Nienburg; 2 B-24s are lost and 1 damaged beyond repair; casualties are 12
WIA and 20 MIA.
Escort is provided by 83 P-38s, 572 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and
153 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; no claims are made; 1 P-38 is lost, 2
P-38s and 1 P-51 are damaged beyond repair; casualties are 1 KIA, 1 WIA and
1 MIA.
784th, 785th and 787th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 466th Bombardment
Group (Heavy), arrive at Attlebridge, England from the US with B-24s; first
mission is 22 Mar.