Bremen. The early interception ensured 11 aircraft were shot down—all Pathfinders. The loss of so many pathfinders prevented the bombers from accurate bombing the city and little damage was done. Near Saint-Dizier at 20:00 intercepted a Lancaster and shot it down. The United States Army Air Force (USAAF) daylight raids were also resisted by the Nachtjagd. On 30 January 1944, Greiner intercepted a B-17 Flying Fortress near Osnabrück. At 13:00 he claimed it shot down. Greiner followed this up with another at the same location at 12:25 on 10 February. It was the only claim filed by a night fighter pilot on this date. Greiner's 17th claim came on 25 February when he claimed a Lancaster over Saint-Dizier at 22:59. Greiner recorded the location as "Beacon Leopold". Greiner achieved another daylight victory on 6 March 1944. By this time the P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt with long-range drop-tanks appeared and it quickly became apparent the zestörer and night fighters could not be committed to day operations without sustaining heavy losses. Greiner's Geschwader was committed to battle nonetheless. The United States Eighth Air Force (US8AF) operated against Berlin on 6 March. Greiner was not scrambled but undertook a flight test to ready his Bf 110G for action. As he took off he observed a B-17 fly over the aerodrome at low-level and gave chase. As he closed he noticed no obvious signs of damage. The B-17 pilot did not alter course or speed. Greiner stayed out of range of the bomber's 13 M2 Browning machine guns and fired. The aircraft—B-17 42-38118 from the 91st Bomb Group—crash-landed. Pilot Second Lieutenant Ben Fourmay was captured but two of his crew were killed. At 13:53 the same day, Greiner accounted for a Consolidated B-24 Liberator over Münsterbrück. Greiner's two day victories were two of the six claims submitted by night fighter crews—four others were credited with a single victory one of which was from Greiner's Geschwader. Eight of the B-24's ten-man crew survived. The bomber, B-24H 42-52306 of 458th Bombardment Group, USAAF flown by Second Lieutenant J. McManus, crash-landed at Münsterlager an Ueltzen. The daylight operation cost the Americans 69 bombers and 11 fighters. The Luftwaffe lost 64 fighters with eight crew killed and 36 missing. On 19 March 1944 Hermann Greiner was awarded the German Cross in Gold () for 15 night and four day victories. Greiner was transferred to command 11./NJG 1