This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History
June 11, 1942
ETO 8th AF: Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 31st Fighter Group at Atcham; 10th and 11th Transport Squadron, 60th Transport Group, at Chelveston; 307th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, at Atcham (first mission is 17 Aug); and 340th and 414th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy) at Polebrook with B-17s (first mission is 17 Aug).
June 11, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 41
Target: Submarine Slips & Docks, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 25
Crews Lost: Lt. Haines - 4 KIA, 6 POW, 5 Wounded
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 10 minutes
Bomb Load: 5 x 1000 M-44 G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 24,600 ft & 25,700 ft
Ammo Fired: 107,601 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 10 Destroyed, 5 Probables, 3 Damaged
View Mission Report
June 11, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 62: 252 B-17's are dispatched against the U-boat yard at Wilhelmshaven, Germany and the port area at Cuxhaven, Germany; 218 hit the targets; we claim 85-20-24 Luftwaffe aircraft; we lose 8 and 62 are damaged. Casualties are 3 KIA, 20 WIA and 80 MIA. The raid on Wilhelmshaven demonstrates the difficulty of operating beyond range of fighters escort as enemy fighters attacks prevent accurate bombing of the target. HQ 388th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and its 560th, 561st, 562nd and 563rd Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) arrive at Knettishall, England from the US with B-17's. The group will fly its first combat mission on 17 Jul 43. HQ 389th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and its 564th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) arrive at Hethel, England from the US with B-24's. The group will fly its first mission on 9 July. The 416th Night Fighter Squadron, VIII Fighter Command transfers with Beaufighters from Honiley, England to Acklington, England.
June 11, 1943
The US 8th Air Force raids the German naval base at Wilhelmshaven (200 B-17s), while the RAF attacks Munster and Dusseldorf.
June 11, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 405: Weather prevents operations against priority targets in Germany so the bombers attack targets in France; 1,055 bombers and 914 fighter sorties are flown; over 400 bombers abort or fail to bomb due to clouds and absence or malfunction of Pathfinders; 3 bombers and 8 fighters are lost: 1. 471 B-17s are dispatched to airfields at Beaumont-le-Roger (38 bomb), Bernay/St Martin (50 bomb) and Dinard/Pluertuit (37 bomb), and Toucquet-Paris-Plage (27 bomb), Merlimont Plage (34 bomb), Pontaubault Bridge (50 bomb) and Berck (36 bomb); 33 others hit Conches Airfield and 4 hit targets of opportunity; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 11 damaged; 20 airmen are MIA. 2. 584 B-24s are dispatched to airfields at Cormeilles-en-Vexin (34 bomb), Beauvais/Nivelliers (27 bomb), Beaumont-sur-Oise (36 bomb) and Creil (19 bomb) and Vicomte-sur-Rance (19 bomb), Montford Bridge (18 bomb) and Blois/St Denis (41 bomb); 12 others hit Beauvais/Tille Airfield, 7 hit Poix Airfield, 32 hit Montauban marshalling yard and 52 hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost and 14 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 3 WIA and 4 MIA. 87 P-47s and 144 P-51s provide escort for the bombers without loss. Other fighter missions are: 1. 143 P-38s patrol the beachhead and claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft without loss. 2. 77 P-38s, 195 P-47s and 268 P-51s fly fighter-bomber missions against communications targets in NW France; the P-38s claim 3-2-5 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 0-0-1 on the ground; 3 P-38s, 1 P-47 and 4 P-51s are lost; 7 of the 8 pilots are MIA. Mission 406: During the night, 5 B-17s drop leaflets on France and the Low Countries without loss.
June 11, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: The 857th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 492nd Bombardment Group (Heavy) (attached to 1st Air Division), moves from Bassingbourne to Alconbury, England with B-24s.
June 10
June 12
