This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: April 29th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 29 Apr 2026 07:46:23 -0000

April 29, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 144
Target: City area, Berlin, Germany (PFF)
Crews Dispatched: 18 + 1 Spare
Crews Lost: Lt. Bohle & Lt. Fisher
Crew Members Lost or Wounded: Lt. Raker KIA, 1 NAV wounded
Length of Mission: 8 hours, 30 minutes
Bomb Load: 3 x 1000 lb G.P.s + 4 X 65 lb M17 Incendiaries
Bombing Altitude: 25,900 ft
Ammo Fired: 320 rounds

April 29, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 327: 679 bombers and 814 fighters are dispatched to bomb Berlin, concentrating on railway facilities; they claim 95-33-48 Luftwaffe aircraft; 63 bombers and 13 fighters are lost: 1. 210 of 228 B-17s bomb Berlin; 10 B-17s are lost and 150 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 7 WIA and 100 MIA. 2. 218 B-17s are dispatched to Berlin; 158 hit the primary, 24 hit Magdeburg, 10 hit Brandenburg and 4 hit targets of opportunity; 28 B-17s are lost and 161 damaged; 4 airmen are KIA, 20 WIA and 260 MIA. 3. 212 of 233 B-24s bomb Berlin; 25 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 121 damaged; 13 airmen are KIA, 11 WIA and 246 MIA. Escort is provided by 117 P-38s, 463 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 234 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; 3 P-38s and 10 P-51s are lost; 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair; 7 P-38s, 16 P-47s and 7 P-51s are damaged; 1 pilot is WIA and 12 MIA. Mission 328: 4 of 4 B-17s drop 1.06 million leaflets on 21 towns in Northern France and The Netherlands without loss. 14 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER missions without loss.

April 29, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 971: 8 B-17s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany.

April 29, 1945
The American flag went up over Moosburg at 12:15 as POW Camp Stalag VII was liberated by American troops of the 14th Armored Division.