This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: March 26th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 26 Mar 2026 12:27:45 -0000

March 26, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 128
Target: "Crossbow" Wizernes, France (Pas de Calais area)
Crews Dispatched: 20
Crews Lost: Lt. Mars, 9 POWs, 1 EVD
Length of Mission: 4 hours, 5 minutes
Bomb Load: 5 X 1000 lb G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitude: 21,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 390 rounds

March 26, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 280: V-weapon sites in France are hit. 1. 234 of 243 and 138 of 185 B-24s hit 9 sites in the Pas de Calais area; 4 B-17s and 1 B-24 are lost, 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 134 B-17s and 38 B-24s are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 15 WIA and 50 MIA. 2. 128 of 145 B-17s hit 7 sites in the Cherbourg area; 64 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 266 P-47s; they claim 1-1-4 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot is MIA) and 5 damaged. Mission 281: 6 of 6 B-17s drop 300 bundles of leaflets on Caen, Rennes, Amiens, Paris and Rouen, France at 2114-2206 hours without loss.

March 26, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 915: 337 B-17s and 527 P-51s are dispatched to attack oil and tank plants in Germany; targets are bombed visually despite poor weather; no aircraft are lost: 1. 185 B-17s are sent to hit the synthetic oil plant at Zeitz (12); 130 others hit the Vomag tank factory at Plauen (130), the secondary; targets of opportunity are Meiningen (25) and Wurzburg (11); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 25 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 5 WIA. Escorting are 194 of 238 P-51s. 2. 152 B-17s are sent to hit the Vomag tank factory at Plauen (139); targets of opportunity are Oelsnitz (12) and Markt Erlbach (1); 3 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 18 airmen are KIA. 98 of 121 P-51s escort. 3. 110 of 118 P-51s fly a freelance fighter mission for the bombers. 4. 26 of 27 P-51s escort 12 F-5s and 1 Spitfire on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 5. 22 of 23 P-51s fly a scouting mission. HQ 7th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) and the 22nd Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron move from Mount Farm to Chalgrove, England with F-5s.