This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History
October 9, 1942
ETO 8th AF: Mission 14: 108 bombers are dispatched to bomb the steel and engineering works of the Compagnie de Fives at Lille, France and the locomotive and freight car works of Ateliers d'Hellemmes at Lille; 59 B-17s and 10 B-24s hit the primary targets; 2 B-17s hit the secondary target, Courtrai Airfield; other targets hit are Longuenesse Airfield (6) and Roubaix (2); the bombers claim 25-38-44 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 bombers are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 46 damaged; 10 airmen are WIA and 29 MIA.
October 9, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 76
Target: Aircraft Component Plant, Anklam, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 20
Crews Lost: 2Lt B.J. Clifford - 10 KIA
Length of Mission: 7 hours, 55 minutes
Bomb Load: 3 x 1000 lb H.E. M-44 plus 5 x M47A1 incendiaries
Bombing Altitude: 13,600 ft
Ammo Fired: 52,280 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 3 Destroyed, 7 Probable, 2 Damaged
View Mission Report
October 9, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 113. 2 targets in Germany and 2 in Poland are hit; 26 B-17's and 2 B-24's are lost. 1. 106 of 115 B-17's hit the industrial area in Anklam, Germany at 1142-1146 hours; they claim 65-19-47 Luftwaffe aircraft, 18 B-17's are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 51 damaged; casualties are 25 WIA and 185 MIA. 2. 96 of 100 B-17's hit the industrial area in Marienburg, Germany at 1253-1302 hours; they claim 9-2-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17's are lost and 13 damaged; casualties are 3 WIA and 21 MIA. 3. 41 of 51 B-24's hit the U-boat yards at Danzig and the port area at Gdynia, Poland at 1305 hours; they claim 7-3-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-24's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 19 damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 21 MIA. 4. 109 of 112 B-17's hit the port area at Gdynia, Poland at 1304-1324 hours; they claim 41-5-10 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 B-17's are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 62 damaged; casualties are 6 WIA and 60 MIA. VIII Air Support Command Mission 81: 66 of 72 B-26's bomb the Woensdrecht Airfield in the Netherlands at 1516-1526 hours; 26 B-26's are damaged. This is the final 8th AF B-26 operation; the B-26's will be transfered to the Ninth Air Force.
October 9, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 254
Target: Ball Bearing Plant & Cycle and Clutch Works
at Schweinfurt, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 37
Length of Mission: 8 hours, 20 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb H.E. M43 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 27,800, 27,400 & 27,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 2,110 rounds
View Mission Report
October 9, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 670: 1,110 bombers and 878 fighters are dispatched to make PFF attacks on industrial targets in S and C Germany; 1 bomber is lost: 1. 329 of 345 B-17s hit the secondary target, ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt; 1 other hit a target of opportunity; 15 B-17s are damaged. Escort is proivded by 338 of 364 P-51s; 3 P-51s are damaged beyond repair; 1 pilot is WIA. 2. 381 B-17s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Mainz (210) and aircraft engine plant at Gustavsburg (148); 84 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 202 Ninth AF P-38s and P-47s; 2 P-38s are damaged. 3. 360 of 384 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Koblenz; 1 hit a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 17 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 10 MIA. Escort is provided by 271 of 295 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground. Mission 671: 2 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands during the night. HQ 12th Bombardment Wing is inactivated at Marks Hall, England.
October 8
October 10
