This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History
June 2, 1943
8th AF: HQ 13th Bombardment Wing (Medium) arrives at Marks Hall, England from the US. HQ 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and its 350th, 351st and 418th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) with B-17's arrives at Thorpe Abbots, England from the US. They will fly their first combat mission on 25 Jun 43. HQ 381st Bombardment Group (Heavy) and its 532nd, 533rd, 534th and 535th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) with B-17's arrive at Ridgewell, England from the US. They will fly their first combat mission on 22 Jun 43.
June 2, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 167
Target: Gun Emplacements at Dannes, France
Crews Dispatched: 22
Length of Mission: 4 hours, 5 minutes
Bomb Load: 12 X 500 lb G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitude: 19,000 ft
View Mission Report
June 2, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 168
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards at Juvisy, France
Crews Dispatched: 14
Length of Mission: 5 hours, 15 minutes
Bomb Load: 6 x 1,000 lb G.P. M-44 bombs
Bombing Altitude: 18,700 ft
Ammo Fired: 250 rounds
View Mission Report
June 2, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: The role of the heavy bombers from 2-5 Jun in preparation for the invasion of Normandy on 6 Jun includes continuation of attacks against transportation and airfield targets in N France and the institution of a series of blows against coastal defenses, mainly located in the Pas de Calais coastal area, to deceive the enemy as to the sector to be invaded (Operation COVER). Mission 384: In the morning, 521 of 633 B-17s and 284 of 293 B-24s hit V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area; 11 B-17s are damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 1 WIA and 1 MIA. Mission 385: In the afternoon, 242 B-17s are dispatched to railroad targets in the Paris area; 163 hit the primaries, 49 hit Conches Airfield, 12 hit Beaumont-sur-Oise Airfield and 1 hits Caen/Carpiquet Airfield; 77 B-24s are dispatched to Bretigny Airfield in France; 13 hit the primary target, 47 hit Creil Airfield and 14 hit Villeneuve Airfield; 2 B-17s and 5 B-24s are lost, 2 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 90 B-17s and 37 B-24s damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 4 WIA and 68 MIA. 3 of 7 P-38s hit the Ostend Bridge, Belgium without loss. 3 B-17s fly weather reconnaissance over the Atlantic. During the evening, 5 B-17s drop leaflets on targets in Belgium and France; and 18 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER operations.
June 1
June 3
