This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: March 28th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 28 Mar 2026 08:17:43 -0000

March 28, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 26
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards, Rouen, France
Crews Dispatched: 18
Length of Mission: 4 hours, 10 minutes
Bomb Load: 12 x 500 lb H.E. M43 bombs
Bombing Altitude: 22,600 ft
Ammo Fired: 16,480 rounds

March 28, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission No. 47: 79 B-17's and 24 B-24's are dispatched against the Rouen-Sotteville, France marshalling yard. The B-24's are recalled at 1245 due to bad weather; 70 B-17s drop 209 tons of bombs on the target at 1249-1250 hours. We claim 5-4-1; we lose 1 B-17 and 9 others are damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 10 MIA.

March 28, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 130
Target: Dijon/Longvic Airdromes, France
Crews Dispatched: 20
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 30 minutes
Bomb Load: 42 x 65 lb M-47A1 Incendiary bombs
Bombing Altitude: 16,900 ft
Ammo Fired: 440 rounds

March 28, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 283: 2 formations of B-17s are dispatched to hit airfields in France while B-24s are dispatched to The Netherlands. 1. 182 B-17s are dispatched to Dijon/Longvic Airfield (117 bomb) and Reims/Champagne Airfield (59 bomb); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 60 damaged; casualties are 3 KIA and 1 WIA. 2. 191 B-17s are dispatched to Chateaudun Airfield (127 bomb) and Chartres Airfield (61 bomb); 2 B-17s are lost and 59 damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 28 MIA. 3. 77 B-24s are dispatched to the Ijmuiden, The Netherlands E-boat pens but they are recalled due to excessive clouds and failure of the escort to takeoff. Escort for the B-17s is provided by 46 P-38s, 284 P-47s and 123 P-51s; details are: P-38s: no claims or losses P-47s claim 0-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft. P-51s claim 30-1-32 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost; the pilots are MIA. 36th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), VIII Air Force Composite Command [attached to 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional)] moves from Watton to Harrington, England with B-24s; the squadron flies CARPETBAGGER missions.

March 28, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 347
Target: Branden-Burgische Motorenwerke at Berlin/Spandau
Crews Dispatched: 40
Crews Lost: Lt. Fredrickson - 1 KIA
Crew Members Lost or Wounded: Lt. Wokersien & Sgt Bovey, KIA: 2 wounded
Length of Mission: 9 hours, 41 minutes
Bomb Load: 6 x 500 lb H.E. M43 & 4 x 500 lb Incendiary bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 26,500, 25,500, & 27,300 ft

March 28, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 917: 965 B-17s and 390 P-51s are dispatched to hit industrial targets in Berlin and Hannover; 10/10 cloud cover forces the B-17s to bomb using H2X radar; 2 B-17s are lost: 1. 446 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Spandau tank factory (318) and Falkensee armament plant (65) in Berlin; 6 hit Stendal, the secondary; targets of opportunity are Hannover (1) and other (21); 2 B-17s are lost, 5 damaged beyond repair and 133 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 8 WIA and 19 MIA. Escorting are 245 of 272 P-51s. 2. 519 B-17s are sent to hit the Hanomag tank factory at Hannover (34); 431 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Hannover; targets of opportunity are Minden (10) and other (5); 66 B-17s are damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. 86 of 99 P-51s escort. 3. 8 of 9 P-51s escort 3 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 4. 6 of 10 P-51s fly scouting missions.