This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: April 23rd

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 23 Apr 2024 14:12:53 -0000

April 23, 1944
303rd BG: Mission to Merseburg, Germany was scrubbed before take-off.

April 23, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 313: 382 fighters attack airfields and other targets in N France, Belgium and NW Germany; results are generally good: 1. 136 P-38s attack Laon, Tours and Chateaudun Airfields, France using Droopsnoot aircraft; they claim 1-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 2 P-38s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged; 2 pilots are MIA. 2. 166 P-47s attack Leningen, Le Culot and Chievres Airfields, Belgium and Denain/Prouvy and Hagenau Airfields, France; they claim 7-0-22 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 5 P-47s are lost and 19 damaged; 5 pilots are MIA. 3. 80 P-51s hit unknown targets; they claim 3-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 2 are damaged; no losses. Mission 314: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 1.78 million leaflets on Rennes, Brest, Lorient, St Nazaire and Nantes, France at 2354-0012 hours without loss. 9 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER operations. 4th, 7th, 18th and 391st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 34th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Mendelsham, England from the US with B-24s (first mission is 23 May).

April 23, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 966: During the night of 23/24 Apr, 1 B-17 and 12 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany and 14 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions to Denmark.