This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: March 6th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 06 Mar 2026 02:59:54 -0000

March 6, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 20
Target: Power Station & Adjacent Bridge, Lorient, France
Crews Dispatched: 18
Crews Lost: Lt. Plocher, 2 KIA, 7 POWs & 1 REP
Length of Mission: 7 hours, 15 minutes
Bomb Load: 5 x 1,000 lb H.E. M44 bombs
Bombing Altitude: 25,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 10,650 rounds

March 6, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission No. 40: 71 B-17's of the 1st Bombardment Wing are dispatched against the power plant, bridge and the port area at Lorient, France; 65 drop 162.5 tons on the target between 1441 and 1445 hours local. We claim 7 aircraft destroyed, 2 probably destroyed and 1 damaged; we lose 3 B-17's and 8 others are damaged; casualties are 30 MIAs. Fifteen B-24's of the 2nd Bombardment Wing fly a diversionary mission against the a bridge and the U-boat facilities at Brest, France; all 15 drop 44.5 tons of bombs at 1416-1417 hours local. We claim 2 aircraft destroyed and 2 damaged; 3 B-24's are damaged but there are no casualties.

March 6, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 118
Target: City Area, Berlin, Germany (PFF)
Crews Dispatched: 27
Crew Members Lost or Wounded: 2 crewmen wounded
Length of Mission: 8 hours, 40 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb G.P.; 42 M47A1 Incendiary bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 20,800 ft; 22,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 10,645 rounds

March 6, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 250: 504 B-17s and 226 B-24s are dispatched to hit industrial areas in the suburbs of Berlin; fierce fighter opposition claims 69 bombers (the highest number lost by the 8th AF in a single day) and 11 fighters; the bombers claim 97-28-60 Luftwaffe fighters; details are: 1. 248 B-17s hit secondary targets in the Berlin area; 18 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 172 damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 8 WIA and 184 MIA. 2. 226 B-17s hit targets of opportunity at Templin, Verden, Kalkeberge, Potsdam, Oranienburg and Wittenberg; 35 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 121 damaged; casualties are 15 WIA and 354 MIA. 3. 198 B-24s hit the primary target (Genshagen industrial area), secondary targets in the Berlin area and targets of opportunity at Potsdam; 16 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 54 damaged; casualties are 15 KIA, 8 WIA and 148 MIA. Escort is provided by 86 P-38s, 615 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 100 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; results are: 1. P-38s claim 3-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38 is lost, the pilot is MIA. 2. P-47s claim 36-7-12 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 P-47s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 4 damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 5 MIA. 3. P-51s claim 43-1-20 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 P-51s are lost and 2 damaged; casualties are 5 MIA. The fighters also claim 1-0-12 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground. Mission 251: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Nantes, Cambrai, Lille, Chateauroux and Lorient, France at 2029-2130 hours without loss. CARPETBAGGER missions are also flown. A detachment of 22nd Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), ceases operating from Attlebridge and returns to base at Mount Farm, England with F-5s.

March 6, 1944
Bomber Command begins a large-scale offensive over
northern France in preparation for D-Day. The USAAF sends
730 bombers and 796 fighters to Berlin, during which 69 bombers
and 11 escorts are shot down.

March 6, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 330A
Air-Sea Rescue
Four aircraft of the 360th BS were sent out to search for the crew
of a downed aircraft that had been spotted in the North Sea off the
coast of Denmark. The four B-17s turned back about two hours
after takeoff. The ceiling was very low (400 feet) with rain and fog.
The sea was rough and the wind was strong. The search area was
not reached and no observations were made.

March 6, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 868: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night. 5 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.