This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History
February 20, 1943
8th AF: Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 14 uneventful sorties during the day on shipping patrols.
February 20, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 109
Target: A Group - Junker Aircraft Works, Leipzig, Germany
B Group - Industrial Plants, Hettstedt, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 38
Crew Members Lost or Wounded: 2 minor wounds, 1 crash landing
Length of Mission: 9 hours, 10 minutes
Bomb Load: 12 x 500 lb G.P. & 42 x M-47 Incendiary bombs,
plus 3000 lbs of nickels
Bombing Altitude: A Group - 19,000 ft; B Group - 16,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 9,740 rounds
View Mission Report
February 20, 1944
303rd BG: The 359th BS Frederick L. Rowan Crew crash-landed their brand new B-17 after crossing the Atlantic Ocean in appalling weather. While en route, they ran into severe electrical storms and were hit by lightning. They ditched in sight of land and were able to reach the shore using only one life raft.
February 20, 1944
BIG WEEK starts with the largest ever daylight raid of the war by the USAAF on Germany as 970 bombers carry out attacks against Hamburg, Leipzig and Braunschweig. The RAF pounds Stuttgart with 2,000-tons of bombs.
February 20, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 226: The 8th AF begins "Big Week," attacks on German aircraft plants and airfields. For the first time, over 1,000 bombers are dispatched; 21 bombers and 4 fighters are lost hitting 3 areas in Germany, i.e.: 1. 417 B-17s are dispatched to Leipzig/Mockau Airfield, and aviation industry targets at Heiterblick and Abnaundorf; 239 hit the primary targets, 37 hit Bernburg, 44 hit Oschersleben and 20 hit other targets of opportunity; they claim 14-5-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 161 damaged; casualties are 7 KIA, 17 WIA and 72 MIA. 2. 314 B-17s are dispatched to the Tutow Airfield; 105 hit the primary and immediate area, 76 hit Rostock and 115 hit other targets of opportunity; they claim 15-15-10 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 37 damaged; casualties are 3 KIA and 60 MIA. 3. 272 B-24s are dispatched to aviation industry targets at Brunswick, Wilhelmtor and Neupetritor; 76 hit the primary, 87 hit Gotha, 13 hit Oschersleben, 58 hit Helmstedt and 10 hit other targets of opportunity; they claim 36-13-13 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 37 damaged; casualties are 10 KIA, 10 WIA and 77 MIA. Missions 1 and 3 above are escorted by 94 P-38s, 668 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 73 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 61-7-37 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38, 2 P-47s and 1 P-51 is lost, 2 P-47s are damaged beyond repair and 4 aircraft are damaged; casualties are 4 MIA. Mission 227: 4 of 5 B-17s drop 200 bundles of leaflets on Tours, Nantes, Brest and Lorient, France at 2123-2200 hours without loss.
February 20, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 318
Target: Marshalling Yard at Nurnberg, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 7 hours, 35 minutes
Bomb Load: 16 x 500 lb H.E. M43 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 26,000, 25,100, & 26,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 700 rounds
View Mission Report
February 20, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 3 missions are flown. Mission 836: 1,264 bombers and 726 fighters are dispatched to hit the main station and marshalling yard at Nurnberg, Germany; the target is bombed visually and using H2X radar; they claim 49-1-21 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-17s and 7 fighters are lost: 1. 360 B-24s dispatched abandon the mission over Belgium due to weather conditions; one B-24 hits Steig, a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair; 3 airmen are KIA and 2 WIA. Escorting are 123 of 141 P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 2. 831 of 904 B-17s hit the primary target; targets of opportunity are Schiltach (16) and other (12); 5 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 241 damaged; 9 airmen are KIA, 10 WIA and 47 MIA. The escort is 315 of 337 P-51s; they claim 8-0-2 aircraft on the ground; 5 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 3. 194 P-47s and P-51s strafe rail and road targets in the Nurnberg and Straubing areas; they claim 12-0-1 aircraft in the air and 35-1-20 on the ground; 7 fighters are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 28 of 29 P-51s fly a scouting mission without loss. 5. 10 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany. Mission 837: 10 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss. Mission 838: During the night of 20/21 Feb, 30 B-24s attack the Neustadt marshalling yard without loss and 6 of 7 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.
February 19
February 21
