This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: December 26th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 26 Dec 2024 13:33:07 -0000

December 26, 1942
303rd BG: Weather closed in and no flying was possible. All personnel who had been overseas for three months were granted four-day furloughs.

December 26, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 762: Poor weather inhibits operations but 151 bombers and 336 fighters are dispatched to hit rail targets behind the Bulge; they claim 11-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 fighters are lost: 1. 74 B-17s are sent to hit the railroad bridge at Neuwied (23) and the Andernach marshalling yard (9); secondary targets hit are the marshalling yard at Neuwied (12) and communications center at Sinzig (12); 1 B-17 hits a target of opportunity, the communication center at Mayen; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft; 30 B-17s are damaged. 2. 77 B-24s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Niederlahnstein (36) and the rail bridge at Sinzig (35) without loss. 3. The bombers are escorted by 249 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 11-0-0 aircraft without loss. 4. 70 of 73 P-51s make a sweep in the Bonn area to support the bombers; they claim 3-0-0 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 5. 2 of 2 P-51s fly a scouting mission without loss. Mission 763: 3 B-17s and 6 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night.