This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History
November 4, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: HQ 445th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrives at Tibenham, England from the U.S. HQ 446th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and its 704th, 705th, 706th and 707th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) arrive at Flixton, England with B-24's. They will fly their first mission on 16 Dec. The 27th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group, arrives at Mount Farm, England from the U.S. with F-5's. The 614th and 615th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 401st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), arrive at Deenethorpe, England from the U.S. with B-17's. They will fly their first mission on 26 Nov.
November 4, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 267
Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery at Bottrup, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 15 minutes
Bomb Load: 20 x 250 lb H.E. M57 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 27,500 & 26,400 ft
Ammo Fired: 1,420 rounds
View Mission Report
November 4, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 700: 1,160 bombers and 890 fighters are dispatched in 6 forces to make PFF attacks on the oil industry in W Germany; 5 bombers and 2 fighters are lost: 1. 228 B-17s are dispatched to hit the oil plant at Neunkirchen (151); secondary targets hit are the marshalling yards at Saarbrucken (35) and Neunkirchen (13); 5 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 76 of 77 P-47s and 50 Ninth AF P-51s without loss. 2. 210 of 222 B-24s hit the Misburg oil plant at Hannover; 3 B-24s are lost and 93 damaged; 28 airmen are MIA. Escort is provided by 371 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 257 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Harburg oil plant at Hamburg (238); targets of opportunity are the aviation industry at Nordholz (9) and other (2); 9 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 124 of 139 P-51s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 4. 186 of 193 B-17s hit the Rhenania oil plant at Hamburg; 2 others hit targets of opportunity; 2 B-17s are lost and 61 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 18 MIA. Escort is provided by 110 P-51s without loss. 5. 91 of 119 B-17s hit the Welhun oil plant at Bottrop; 26 others hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Hamm; 24 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 37 of 40 P-51s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost. 6. 133 of 141 B-24s hit Gelsenkirchen/Nordstern without loss. Escort is provided by 50 of 54 P-47s. Mission 701: 3 B-17s and 6 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night.
November 3
November 5
