This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: April 9th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 09 Apr 2026 16:46:41 -0000

April 9, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 132
Target: Focke-Wolf Aircraft Factory & Airdrome,
Marienburg, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 40
Crews Lost: Lt. McGarry, Jr., 6 KIA, 4 wounded
Length of Mission: 11 hours, 38 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb M64 G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitude: A - 15,000 ft; B - 17,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 21,940 rounds

April 9, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 293: 542 bombers and 719 fighters are dispatched to aircraft factories and airfields in Germany and Poland; the bombers claim 45-8-14 Luftwaffe aircraft; 32 bombers and 10 fighters are lost; 10 bombers are damaged beyond repair. Details are: 1. 145 B-17s are dispatched to aviation industry at Rahmel, Poland and Marienburg, Germany; 96 hit Marienburg, 41 hit Rahmel and 3 hit targets of opportunity; 6 B-17s are lost and 44 damaged; casualties are 8 KIA, 9 WIA and 60 MIA. 2. 151 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Focke-Wulf plant at Poznan, Poland and the Heinkel plant at Warnemunde, Germany; 85 hit Warnemunde, 33 hit Poznan and 18 hit Marienehe Airfield; 12 B-17s are lost and 93 damaged; casualties are 6 WIA and 120 MIA. 3. 246 B-24s are dispatched to hit an assembly plant at Tutow, Germany; 106 hit the primary, 14 hit Parchim, Germany and 6 hit targets of opportunity; 14 B-24s are lost and 30 damaged; casualties are 17 KIA, 6 WIA and 140 MIA. Escort is provided by 119 P-38s, 387 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 213 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; the fighters claim 20-1-6 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 19-0-8 on the ground; no fighter support is available over the targets because of bad weather or distance: 2 P-38s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 9 damaged, casualties are 1 KIA and 2 MIA; 4 P-47s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged, casualties are 2 KIA, 2 WIA and 3 MIA; 4 P-51s are lost and 1 damaged beyond repair, 1 pilot is MIA. Mission 294: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 2.752 million leaflets on Rouen, Paris, Amiens and Caen, France at 2224-2338 hours without loss. 23 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER operations.

April 9, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 356
Target: Munitions Factory at Wolfratshausen, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 38
Length of Mission: 8 hours, 31 minutes
Bomb Load: 4 x 500 lb G.P., 6 x 150 lb G.P. &
2 x 500 lb M17 Incendiary bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 24,000, 23,800 & 24,600 feet

April 9, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 3 missions are flown. Mission 935: 1,252 bombers and 846 fighters are dispatched to visually attack underground oil storage, an ammunition plant and 10 jet airfields; they claim 85-1-60 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 bombers and 5 fighters are lost: 1. 333 B-17s are sent to hit a munitons plant at Wolfratshausen (76) and Oberpfaffenhofen (107) and Furstenfeldbruck (139) Airfields; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 12 damaged; 1 airman is WIA. Escorting are 137 of 146 P-51s; they claim 4-0-10 aircraft on the ground. 2. 289 B-17s are sent to attack an oil depot (89) and airfield (66) at Neuburg and Schleissheim Airfield (128); 3 B-17s are lost and 42 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 56 MIA. The escort is 193 of 203 P-51s; they claim 1-0-3 aircraft in the air and 70-0-37 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 3. 228 B-17s are dispatched to hit Riem Airfield at Munich (212); 10 others hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Ingolstadt; 3 B-17sa re lost. 149 of 151 P-51s escort; they claim 6-0-4 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 402 B-24s are sent to hit airfields at Lechfeld (109), Memmingen (96), Leipheim (88) and Landsberg (62) and Landsberg E landing ground (33); 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 7 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 9 MIA. 193 of 205 P-51s escort claiming 4-0-5 aircraft on the ground. 5. 58 P-47s fly a freelance mission in support of the bombers. 6. 58 P-51s escort 32 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 7. 24 of 25 P-51s fly scouting missions; 1 is lost (pilot MIA). Mission 936: 10 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and France during the night. Mission 937: 14 B-24s bomb Stade Airfield during the night using PFF methods; 5 Mosquito's escort the bombers. HQ 361st Fighter Group moves from Chievres, Belgium to Little Walden, England.