This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: April 10th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 10 Apr 2026 15:13:56 -0000

April 10, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 133
Target: Airdrome & Aircraft Factory, Brussels/Evere, Belgium
Crews Dispatched: 21
Length of Mission: 4 hours, 40 minutes
Bomb Load: 6 X 1000 lb G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitude: 21,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 480 rounds

April 10, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 295: 729 bombers and 496 fighters are dispatched to hit aviation industry targets and airfields in Belgium and France; 3 bombers and 2 fighters are lost. 1. 238 B-17s are dispatched to bomb aviation industry targets in Belgium; 123 bomb the aviation industry and airfield at Evere, 52 hit Brussels/Melsbroek Airfield, 39 hit aviation industry targets at Brussels, and 20 hit Bergen op Zoom; 1 B-17 is lost and 99 damaged; casualties are 4 WIA and 10 MIA. 2. 248 B-17s are dispatched to hit aviation industry targets and airfields in Belgium and France; in Belgium, 62 hit Maldagem Airfield, 60 hit Diest/Schaffen Airfield and 42 hit Florennes/Juzaine Airfield; in France, 21 hit Courcelles and 21 hit Beaumont sur Oise Airfield; they claim 0-2-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 19 damaged; casualties are 10 MIA. 3. 243 B-24s are dispatched to hit the airfield and aviation industry targets; in Belgium, 151 hit the airfield and aviation industry at Bourges; in France, 28 hit Orleans/Bricy Airfield, 21 hit Romarantin Airfield and 15 hit V-weapon sites at Marquise/Mimoyecques; they claim 6-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-24 is lost and 3 damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 10 MIA. Escort is provided by 51 P-38s, 295 P-47s and 150 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s: P-38s haveno claims or losses; P-47s claim 12-0-7 Luftwaffe aircraft, 1 P-47 is lost and 4 damaged, 1 pilot is MIA; P-51s claim 40-0-16 aircraft, 1 P-51 is lost and 1 damaged, 1 pilot is MIA. Mission 296: Three forces are dispatched on fighter-bomber missions; all include P-38 Droopsnoot aircraft: 1. 39 P-38s are dispatched to attack Florennes/Juzaine Airfield, Belgium; no losses or claims. 2. 51 P-38s and 7 P-47s are dispatched to attack St Dizier, France; the primary is cloud covered and 16 P-38s attack Coulommiers Airfield, France; 2 P-38s are lost and 1 damaged; 2 pilots are MIA; the P-47s claim 2-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground. 3. 28 P-38s and 46 P-47s are dispatched to bomb Gutersloh, Germany; 1 P-38 is lost, the pilot is MIA. Mission 297: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 2 million leaflets on Lille, Le Mans, Chartres, Reims and Orleans, France at 2212-2258 hours local without loss. 23 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER operations.

April 10, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 357
Target: Ordnance and Equipment Depot - Oranienburg, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Crews Lost: 2Lt. Murray - 8 KIA, 1 POW
Length of Mission: 8 hours, 19 minutes
Bomb Load: 8 x 500 lb S.A.P. & 4 x 500 lb M-17 Incendiary bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 25,000, 24,000 & 26,000 feet

April 10, 1945
303rd BG: Colonel William C. Sipes, Jr. was appointed 303rd BG(H) Commanding Officer.

April 10, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 3 missions are flown. Mission 938: 1,315 bombers and 905 fighters are dispatched to attack airfields known or suspected to be used by jet aircraft; about 60 jets and a few conventional fighters attack the formations; 19 bombers and 8 fighters are lost; the AAF claims 328-4-249 Luftwaffe aircraft: 1. 442 B-17s are sent to hit the Army HQ munitions depot (278) and airfield (139) at Oranienburg; 11 hit Rechlin Airfield, the secondary; they claim 7-1-8 aircraft; 9 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 50 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 84 MIA. Escorting are 273 of 289 P-51s; they claim 11.5-0-8 aircraft in the air and 56-0-32 on the ground; 4 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 132 of 144 B-17s hit Neuruppin Airfield; 9 others hit the marshalling yard at Stendal, the secondary; 1 B-17 is lost and 44 damaged. The escort is 112 of 117 P-51s claiming 128-0-94 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 372 B-17s are sent to hit the Briest Airfield at Brandenburg (138), and Zerbst (75) and Burg-Bei-Magdeburg (147) Airfields; they claim 10-3-4 aircraft; 8 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 160 damaged; total losses for forces 2. and 3. are 1 KIA, 7 WIA and 80 MIA. 172 of 175 P-51s escort; they claim 6-0-2 aircraft in the air and 84-0-43 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 357 B-24s hit Rechlin Airfield (159), Larz Airfield at Rechlin (103) and Parchim Airfield (32); 9 others hit the marshalling yard at Wittenberge, a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost; 4 airmen are WIA and 11 MIA. The escort is 207 of 220 P-51s; they claim 1-0-1 aircraft in the air and 20-0-21 on the ground. 5. 59 of 62 P-47s fly a freelance mission for the bombers; they claim 2-0-2 aircraft in the air and 41-0-66 on the ground. 6. 15 P-51s escort 20 of 21 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 7. 30 P-51s fly a scouting mission; 1 is lost (pilot MIA). Mission 939: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during the night. Mission 940: 13 of 14 B-24s bomb the Dessau rail depot by PFF methods during the night.