This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: September 23rd

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 23 Sep 2023 08:56:12 -0000

September 23, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 71
Target: Submarine Supply Ship in Loire River, Nantes, France
Crews Dispatched: 19
Length of Mission: 5 hours, 40 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb G. P. M-43 bombs
Bombing Altitude: 25,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 3,960 rounds

September 23, 1943
303rd BG: A practice mission was staged using the new Pathfinder (PFF) techniques, to determine the feasibility of "blind bombing."

September 23, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 100: 3 locations in France are targeted. 1. 46 of 117 B-17's hit the Nantes port area at 0813-0818 hours; they claim 22-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17's are damaged beyond repair and 41 are damaged; casualties are 13 KIA and 11 WIA. 2. 55 of 67 B-17's hit Vannes/Meucon Airfield at 0825-0826 hours; 7 B-17's are damaged. 3. 53 of 63 B-17's hit Kerlin/Bastard Airfield at 0814-0818 hours; they claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is lost and 10 damaged; casualties are 10 MIA. VIII Bomber Command Mission 101: 80 of 91 B-17's hit the port area at Nantes (61 aircraft) at 1810-1815 and Rennes/St Jacques Airfield (19 aircraft) at 1834 hours; 2 B-17's are lost, 12 damaged beyond repair and 6 damaged; casualties are 12 WIA and 20 MIA. VIII Bomber Command Mission 102: 4 of 5 B-17's of the 422nd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), hit Mannheim at 2211-2222 hours with the RAF in a night attack; 1 B-17 is damaged.

September 23, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 559 of 586 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s bomb and strafe flak positions and other ground targets in 2 landing zones in the Nijmegen, the Netherlands area, immediately preceding the arrival of the remainder of the US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and the Polish 1st Brigade; the P-38s are flown by Eighth and Ninth AF units; they engage 150+ Luftwaffe fighters; AAF claims 27-2-6 aircraft in the air; 4 P-47s and 10 P-51s are lost, 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are damaged beyond repair and 25 P-47s and 10 P-51s are damaged; 1 pilot is WIA and 14 MIA. 162 B-24s fly a TRUCKIN' mission to France delivering fuel.