This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History
January 1, 1943
303rd BG: The New Year began with very bad weather, which cancelled all flying.
January 1, 1944
303rd BG: No missions were scheduled for New Year's Day. RAF pilots gave a demonstration over the field with captured German aircraft - a JU-88, an FW-190 and an ME-110. The weather was cold, but several transition flights took place.
January 1, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: The Operational Research Section, organized at Hq VIII Bomber Command in Oct 43, is made a special staff section, accountable directly to the US Chiefs of Staff (CoS). It is composed mostly of civilian specialists trained in statistical analysis and other disciplines pertinent to studying operations of a strategic bombing force. The section subsequently proves of great value in improving the effectiveness of strategic bombing. HQ 491st and its 852nd, 853rd, 854th and 855th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) transfer without personnel and equipment from the US to England. They will be equipped with B-24's and fly their first mission on 2 Jun. The 856th, 857th, 858th and 859th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 492nd Bombardment Group (Heavy) transfer from the US to North Pickenham, England with B-24's. They will fly their first mission on 11 May. HQ 493rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) and its 860th, 861st, 862nd and 863rd Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) transfer without personnel and equipment from the US to England; they will fly their first mission with B-24's on 6 Jun.
US STRATEGIC AIR FORCES IN EUROPE (USSAFE): USSAFE is established for operational control of the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces.
January 1, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 295
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yard at Kassel, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 8 hours, 52 minutes
Bomb Load: 5 x 1,000 lb H.E. M44 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 24,300, 23,200 & 24,400 ft
Ammo Fired: 2,020
View Mission Report
January 1, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 774: 845 bombers and 725 fighters are dispatched to hit oil installations and rail bridges and junctions in W Germany visually and by PFF; they claim 23-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft including a jet fighter; 8 bombers and 2 fighters are lost: 1. 451 B-17s are sent to hit an oil refinery at Magdeburg (11); secondary targets are the Henschel marshalling yard at Kassel (292) and the Gottingen marshalling yard (26); targets of opportunity are Hadamar (12), Wetzlar (12), Dillenburg (15), Koblenz (11), Wetter (12), Limburg (8), Kirchbunden (7) and other (22); 2 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 71 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 18 MIA. Escorting are 327 of 374 P-51s; they claim 17-1-1 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 2. 109 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil industry targets at Dollbergen (54) and Ehmen (24); targets of opportunity are the Koblenz marshalling yard (12), Limburg (4) and other (5); 3 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 43 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA. Escort is provided by 199 P-47s and P-51s without loss. 3. 273 B-24s hit the Lutzel (56) and Guls (30) rail bridges at Koblens, the Irlich rail bridge (57) and the Remagen rail bridge (6); targets of opportunity are Andernach (26), Engers rail bridge (9), Trier (1) and others (6); 1 B-24 is lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 63 damaged; 20 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 10 MIA. The escort is 66 of 70 P-51s without loss. 4. 12 of 12 B-17s fly a screening force mission; they are 8 minutes late for their escort and are attacked by Fw 190s when 50 miles (80 km) ahead of the bombers; they claim 6-0-2 aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost and 1 damaged beyond repair; 45 airmen are MIA. Escort is supposed to be 23 of 26 P-51s. 5. 2 of 5 B-17s fly an APHRODITE mission against Oldenburg without loss. 6. 11 of 11 P-51s escort 9 F-5s and 1 Spitfire on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany without loss. 7. 25 P-47s and P-51s escort 3 of 4 Mosquitoes on a special operations mission without loss. Mission 775: 5 B-24s and 3 B-17s drop leaflet on Belgium and Germany during the night without loss. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Bombardment Divisions are redesignated 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions.
January 1, 1945
The three Bombardment Divisions were redesignated as Air Divisions.
December 31
January 2
