This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: November 29th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 29 Nov 2025 05:00:54 -0000

November 29, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 84
Target: City of Bremen, Germany (PFF Bombing)
Crews Dispatched: 20
Crews Lost: 1Lt. C.J. Fyler, 4 KIA, 6 POW, 1 Rep;
2Lt. F.A. Brumbeloe, 4 KIA, 6 POW;
6 members of Lt. P.C. Brinkley crew injured;
2 others seriously injured and 12 slightly injured
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 10 minutes
Bomb Load: 8 x 500 lb G.P. & 20 x M47A1 Incendiaries
Bombing Altitude: 27,700 ft
Ammo Fired: 9,470 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 3 Destroyed, 1 Probable, 2 Damaged

November 29, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 140. 154 of 360 B-17's hit the port of Bremen, Germany and targets of opportunity in the area at 1429-1450 hours; unfavorable cloud conditions and malfunction of blindbombing equipment cause 200+ B-17's to abort; they claim 15-11-10 Luftwaffe aircraft; 13 B-17's are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 43 damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 13 WIA and 131 MIA. The B-17's are escorted by 38 P-38's and 314 P-47's; they claim 15-4-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 P-38's and 9 P-47's are lost; 1 P-47 is damage beyond repair and another damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 16 MIA. VIII Bomber Command Mission 141: 8 B-17's drop 1.6 million leaflets over Paris, Reims, Le Mans, Orleans, Chartres, Amiens and Rouen, France; no casualties. VIII Bomber Command Mission 142: 1 B-17 drops two 2,000 pound (907 kg) bombs and 1 photoflash on Emmerich, Germany at 2108 hours; no casualties. HQ 358th Fighter Group transfers from Goxhill to Leiston, England. HQ 447th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrives at Rattlesden, England from the US. The 714th and 715th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 448th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrive at Seething, England from the US with B-24's. They will fly their first mission on 22 Dec.

November 29, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 279
Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery at Merseburg, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 7 hours, 25 minutes
Bomb Load: 12 x 500 lb G.P. M43 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 25,000, 23,600 & 25,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 6,540

November 29, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 729: 1,077 bombers and 946 fighters are dispatched to make PFF attacks on viaduct rail targets and oil refineries in Germany; 1 bomber is lost: 1. 445 B-17s are sent to hit the oil refinery at Misburg (391); targets of opportunity are Osnabrcuk (36) and others (5); 6 B-17s are damaged. Escorting are 419 P-47s and P-51s without loss. 2. 307 B-24s are sent to hit the Schildesche rail viaduct at Bielefeld (152) and the Altenbeken rail viaduct (144); 2 others hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost and 9 damaged; 10 airmen are MIA. Escorting are 261 P-47s and P-51s without loss. 3. 312 B-17s are sent to hit the Hamm marshalling yard (294); 4 others hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 87 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. Escorting are 112 of 120 P-51s without loss. 4. 12 of 13 B-17s fly a screen mission and hit a target of opportunity. Escorting are 26 of 32 P-47s without loss. 5. 31 of 34 P-51s fly a scouting mission. Mission 730: 6 B-17s and 7 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night. HQ 489th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and the 844th, 846th and 847th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) depart Halesworth, England for the US; this B-24 group will become a B-29s outfit that is destined for the Pacific.