This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History
July 28, 1942
ETO 8th AF: HQ VIII Fighter Command opens at Bushey Hall, England following move from temporary HQ at High Wycombe. Brigadier General Frank O'D Hunter, designated Commanding General VIII Fighter Command on 14 May in the US, assumes command in England. HQ VIII Ground Air Support Command, Brigadier General Robert C Candee, Commanding General, arrives at Bushy Park, England from the US. General Candee announces staff assignments and begins the organization of his command in the UK.
July 28, 1943
8th AF STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 78: The aviation industry in Germany is targetted but bad weather hampers the raids. The targets are: 1. 182 B-17's are dispatched against the Fieseler Works at Kassel, Germany; 58 hit the target at 1027-1054 hours; they claim 27-15-22 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 B-17's are lost, 4 are damaged beyond repair and 54 damaged; casualties are 15 WIA and 71 MIA. 2. 120 B-17's are dispatched to the Fw 190 plant at Oschersleben, Germany; 37 hit the target; they claim 56-19-41 Luftwaffe aircraft; 15 B-17's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 64 damaged; casualties are 11 WIA and 134 MIA. This is the deepest US bomber penetration into Germany to date. The raid achieves good results however, 22 B-17's are lost as fighters score first effective results with rockets. 105 P-47's, equipped with jettison-able belly tanks for the first time on a mission, escort the B-17's into Germany; other P-47's, going more than 30 miles (48 km) deeper into Germany than they have penetrated before, meet the returning bombers. They surprise about 60 German fighters and destroy 9 of them; 1 P-47 is lost. VIII Air Support Command Mission Numbers 6 and 7: The primary targets are in Belgium and France, i.e.: 1. 18 B-26B's are dispatched against the coke ovens at Zeebrugge, Belgium; 17 hit the target at 1105 hours; 3 B-26's are damaged. 2. 18 B-26B's are dispatched against Tricqueville Airfield, France but the mission is recalled when the accompanying fighters do not join up.
July 28, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 213
Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant, Merseburg, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 37
Length of Mission: 7 hours, 50 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb M43 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 26,200, 25,200 & 24,200 ft
View Mission Report
July 28, 1944
303rd BG: The Enlisted Personnel were pleased with the opening of a new Enlisted Men?s Club Bar.
July 28, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 501: 1,057 bombers and 753 fighters are dispatched to bomb targets in Belgium, France and Germany; 7 bombers and 2 fighters are lost: 1. 291 B-24s in 2 forces are dispatched to hit signal depots, fuel dumps and V-weapon supply sites and a bridge in Belgium and France but the forces are recalled because of cloud cover over the targets; the first force of 180 B-24s is dispatched to NW France V-weapon sites, fuel dumps and a railroad bridge; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 8 are damaged; 10 airmen are KIA; escort is provided by 235 P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-47 and 2 P-51s are damaged (pilots are MIA). The second force of 111 B-24s is dispatched to hit Brussels and Vilvorde fuel and supply depots; 8 B-24s are damaged; escort is provided by 40 of 53 P-51s. 2. 766 B-17s are dispatched to bomb the synthetic oil plant at Merseburg, Germany; 652 hit the primary while 36 hit Leipzig/Taucha oil refinery, 18 hit the Wiesbaden marshalling yards and 8 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 1-2-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 B-17s are lost and 217 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 7 WIA and 67 MIA. Escort is provided by 386 P-38s and P-51s; they claim 4-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost and 3 are damaged; 3 pilots are MIA. Mission 502: 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night.
July 27
July 29
