This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: April 1st

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 01 Apr 2026 03:14:18 -0000

April 1, 1943
8th AF: The 83rd and 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group with P-47C's transfer from Goxhill, England to Duxford, England.

April 1, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 287: 440 bombers and 475 fighters are dispatched to bomb the chemical industry at Ludwigshafen, Germany (the largest in Europe). 1. The 245 B-17s dispatched of the lead force abandon the mission over the French coast due to heavy clouds; 7 B-17s are damaged. 2. The 195 B-24s in the second force became widely dispersed and bomb targets of opportunity; 101 hit Pforzheim; 38 hit Schaffhausen, Switzerland; 17 hit Strasbourg, France; and 9 hit Grafenhausen; Schaffhausen and Strasbourg were mistaken as German towns; they claim 1-1-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 12 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 42 damaged; casualties are 9 KIA, 12 WIA and 113 MIA. Escort is provided by 280 P-47s and 195 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s: P-47s claim 13-1-19 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground 2 P-47s are lost and 12 damaged, 2 pilots are MIA; P-51s claim 5-2-4 aircraft, 2 P-51s are lost and 2 damaged, 2 pilots are MIA.

April 1, 1944
The 8th AF requirement for combat missions was changed from 25 to 30. The 25-mission tour still applied for those who completed 25 missions before that date.

April 1, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 921: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss.