This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History
January 2, 1943
303rd BG: Word was received that Capt Harold Fulghum, 359th navigator who bailed out over St. Nazaire on 23 November, was a wounded POW.
January 2, 1943
8th AF: Four radar-equipped B-24s of the 329th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) fly a "moling" or intruder, mission aimed at harassing the enemy in weather unsuitable for large missions by alerting air-raid crews in the area north of the Ruhr. The 329th has been in training for these operations since 14 Dec. This mission and two subsequent missions in Janauary are foiled by clear weather over the target area. Twenty Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group are dispatched on fighter patrols. HQ 2nd Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) with B-24s is established at St. Eval, England upon arrival from the U.S.
January 2, 1944
303rd BG: An RAF pilot gave a demonstration of a captured ME-109. Two RAF Lancasters landed at Molesworth after bombing Berlin and were interrogated by 303rd BG officers.
January 2, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 295A
Target: Communications Center at Prum, Germany &
Railroad Marshalling Yard at Gerolstein, Germany
The 303rd BG (H) furnished three PFF aircraft and crews to the 1st CBW.
View Mission Report
January 2, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 776: 1,011 bombers and 503 fighters are dispatched to attack communications and tactical targets in W Germany visually and using Gee-H; 4 bombers and 3 fighters are lost: 1. 299 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Gerolstein marshalling yard (74) and communications centers are Mayen (68), Prum (34), Daun (34), Kyllburg (37) and Bitburg (36); 3 others hit a target of opportunity; 70 B-17s are damaged. Escorting are 128 of 130 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 2. 296 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Lutzel (65) and Guls (59) rail bridges at Koblenz plus rail bridges at Irlich (59), Remagen (56) and Engers (43); 3 others hit a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 26 damaged. The escort is 215 P-47s and P-51s without loss. 3. 410 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Bad Kreuznach (73) and Ehrang (66), a rail junction at Bad Kreuznach (67), a rail bridge at Kaiserslautern (34) and tank concentrations at Lebach (128); targets of opportunity are marshalling yards at St Wendel (11) and Trier (3) and other (3); 4 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 36 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 37 MIA. Escort is provided by 125 of 127 P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 6 of 6 B-17s fly a screening force mission. 5. 23 P-51s escort 6 F-5s and a Spitfire on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany. Mission 777: 2 B-17s and 6 B-24s drop leaflets in France and Germany during the night. HQ VIII Air Force Services Command (Advanced) is established in Brussels, Belgium, along with a "Far Shore" staff division; through this HQ, the Commanding General Air Force Services Command can administer his command and closely communicate with other commands operating on the Continent; this arrangement functions until 29 Apr 45 when it is relieved by the 5th Strategic Air Depot at Merville, France.
January 1
January 3
