This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History
January 23, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 11
Target: Lorient Port Area & Brest U-boat Pens, France
Crews Dispatched: 21
Crews Lost: O'Connor, Haas, Robey, Reber, Sanderson
Crew Members Lost: S/Sgt. B.L. Staner, S/Sgt. J.L. Markiewicz
Length of Mission: 5 hours, 43 minutes
Bomb Load:2-SQ-5 x 1000 lbs, 2-SQ-10 x 500 lbs
Bombing Altitude: 23,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 26,817 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 3 Destroyed, 5 Probables, 3 Damaged
View Mission Report
January 23, 1943
303rd BG: Colonel Wallace, 303rd BG Commander, was hospitalized due to illness. LtCol Charles E. Marion assumed command in his absence.
January 23, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 30: The 1st Bombardment Wing dispatches 73 B-17s against the port area of Lorient, France; 35 aircraft hit the primary target between 1348 and 1351 hours local and drop 86 tons on the target. We claim 7 enemy aircraft destroyed, 5 probably destroyed and 4 damaged; five B-17s are lost and one aircraft is declared damaged beyond repair upon returning to England; human casualties are 1 KIA, 19 WIA and 50 MIA. Nineteen B-17s hit the secondary target, the U-Boat base at Brest at 1413 hours; they drop 45.25 tons of bombs on the target and claim one enemy aircraft damaged; no B-17s are lost and only two are WIA. The 2nd Bombardment Wing dispatches 17 B-24s on a diversionary raid. Four Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly uneventful ship protection patrols.
January 23, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 232: 5 B-17's drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Rennes, Le Mans, Chartres, Lille and Orleans, France at 2136-2232 hours without loss.
January 23, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 307
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yard at Neuss, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 13
Length of Mission: 5 hours, 15 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb H.E. M43 & 2 x 500 lb M17 Incendiaries
Bombing Altitude: 23,650 ft
View Mission Report
January 23, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 807: 209 B-17s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Neuss, Germany (169); 12 others hit the Neuss Bridge; the attacks are made using Gee-H and Micro H; 1 B-17 is lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 95 damaged; 5 airmen are KIA, 6 WIA and 10 MIA. Escort is provided by 74 of 79 P-51s; 1 is damaged beyond repair. Other operations are: 1. 68 of 75 P-51s fly a sweep over the Neuss area; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft without loss. 2. 16 of 17 P-51s fly a scouting mission without loss. Mission 808: 5 B-24s drop leaflet in the Netherlands during the night.
January 22
January 24
