This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History
May 11, 1942
ETO 8th AF: The transport SS ANDES docks in the UK, carrying about 1,800 personnel for various 8th AF units. This is the first large shipment of AAF troops to the UK.
May 11, 1943
8th AF: HQ 94th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and its 331st, 332nd, 333rd and 410th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) with B-17F's, arrive at Earls Colne, England from the US. The group will fly its first combat mission on Thursday. The 334th, 335th, 336th and 412th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 95th Bombardment Group (Heavy), with B-17F's, arrive at Framlingham, England from the US. The squadrons will fly their first combat mission on Thursday.
May 11, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 151
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards at Saabrucken & Volkingen, Ger.
Crews Dispatched: 37
Crews Lost: Lt. John Long - 11 crewmen MIA
Crew Members Lost or Wounded: 11 wounded by flak.
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 25 minutes
Bomb Load: 1000 lb. M-44 G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitudes: Group A - 22,000 ft; Group B - 21,200 ft
Ammo Fired: 1,070 rounds
View Mission Report
May 11, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 350: 364 B-24s and 536 fighters are dispatched to bomb marshalling yards in France; 8 B-24s and 5 fighters are lost: 1. 144 are dispatched to hit Mulhouse; 94 bomb the primary, 19 hit Belfort, 13 bomb Orleans/Bricy Airfield and 2 hit Mezidon/Pithiviers; 1 B-24 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 17 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 7 WIA and 40 MIA. 2. 74 are dispatched to Belfort; 33 bomb the primary and 24 hit Chaumont; 1 B-24 is lost. 3. 76 are dispatched to Epinal; 68 hit the primary and 1 bombs Caen Airfield; 3 B-24s are lost. 4. 70 are dispatched to Chaumont but none bomb; 3 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 30 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 31 MIA. Escort is provided by 147 P-38s, 188 P-47s and 201 P-51s; the P-38s claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground, the P-47s claim 3-0-2 in the air and 2-0-6 on the ground and the P-51s claim 3-0-0 on the ground; 2 P-4s and 3 P-51s are lost, 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair and 2 P-38s, 6 P-47s and 2 P-51s are damaged; 5 pilots are MIA. Mission 351: In the afternoon, 609 B-17s and 471 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards in Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg; 8 B-17s and 4 fighters are lost; primary targets are Brussels/Midi (55 bomb), Brussels (49 bomb) and Liege, Belgium (119 bomb, 2 lost); Saarbrucken (58 bomb, 5 lost), Kons Karthaus (55 bomb) and Ehrang (60 bomb, 1 lost), Germany; and Luxembourg (53 bomb); 12 hit the secondary target at Thionville, France; and 16 hit Volkingen, Germany; 19 hit Bettembourg, Luxembourg and 51 hit other targets of opportunity; 8 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 172 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 23 WIA and 83 MIA. Escort is provided by 99 P-38s, 182 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 190 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; the P-51s claim 11-0-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 P-51s are lost, the pilots are MIA. Mission 352: 4 of 5 B-17s drop 2.4 million leaflets over Denmark; 2 airmen are KIA and 3 WIA. 4 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER missions. 850th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), VIII Air Force Composite Command attached to 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional), moves from Eye to Cheddington, England with B-24s; the squadron is flying CARPETBAGGER missions.
May 11, 1945
303rd BG: Col Lewis E. Lyle was appointed Commanding Officer of the 41st CBW, replacing B/Gen Maurice A. Preston.
May 10
May 12
