This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History
December 16, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 89
Target: City area, Bremen, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 20
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 40 minutes
Bomb Load: 8 x 500 lb G.P. and 20 x M47A1 Incendiary bombs
Bombing Altitude: 26,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 3,680 rounds
View Mission Report
December 16, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 156: the port area at Bremen, Germany is the target. 402 of 479 B-17's, 133 of 141 B-24's and 10 of 11 PFF aircraft hit the target at 1309-1322 hours; they claim 18-11-11 Luftwaffe aircraft; 10 B-17's are lost; 2 B-17's and 2 B-24's are damaged beyond repair; 128 B-17's, 22 B-24's and 5 PFF aircraft are damaged; casualties are 6 KIA, 8 WIA and 104 MIA. The mission is escorted by 31 P-38's, 131 P-47's and 39 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is lost, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair and 1 P-38 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 1 MIA. VIII Bomber Command Mission 157: 4 B-17's drop 1.952 million leaflets over Hannover, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; and Lille, France at 1903-1943 hours; no losses or casualties.
December 16, 1943
B/Gen Robert F. Travis, Commanding General of the 41st Combat Bombardment Wing, issued a Commendation to Colonel Stevens and the members of the 303rd BG for the outstanding record by the 41st CBW and the 303rd BG on the 13 December 1943 mission to Bremen.
December 16, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission - Recalled
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yard at Ulm, Germany
View Mission Report
December 16, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 752: 236 B-17s are dispatched to attack rail targets at Stuttgart, Germany but extremely poor weather conditions result in many aborts; primary targets are the marshalling yard at Stuttgart (81) and Bietingheim (33); 1 other B-17 hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-17s is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 9 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA and 9 MIA. Escorting are 106 of 114 P-51s without loss. 10 P-51s fly a scouting mission.
December 16, 1944
Germans attack through Ardennes. The Battle of the Bulge begins.
December 15
December 17
