April 17 became one of those never to be forgotten days in the history of the 306th Bomb Group as disaster stalked its two dozen planes on a bombing mission to the Focke-Wulf plant at Bremen, Germany.

Ten planes were slaughtered by the unrelenting fighter attack that seemed to concentrate on the 306th, almost to the exclusion of all other bomb groups. Not only did the 306th lose ten airplanes, and a hundred men, it lost a tremendous amount of battle experience. The first pilots lost were the core of the combat experienced pilots, and many of the crew members had more than ten missions to their credit.

As the toll exacted of the 306th became evident, the waiting officers and enlisted men at Thurleigh were stunned. With four crews lost on April 5, and now another ten on April 17, morale on the base was devastated. New crews had arrived this month, but it was the loss of old familiar faces which caused the deep, aching feeling.

The above was written by Russell Strong in his book, “First Over Germany”