This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History
October 14, 1942
8th AF: HQ 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) and the 322nd, 323rd, 324th and 401st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) move from Kimbolton to Bassingbourn, England with B-17s (first mission is 7 Nov).
October 14, 1943
BLACK THURSDAY
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 78
Target: V.K.F. Ball Bearing Plant, Schweinfurt, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 20
Crews Lost: 1 crew 1Lt. R.C. Sanders, 2 KIA, 9 POW
Length of Mission 7 hours, 15 minutes
Bomb Load: 3 x 1000 lb G.P. bombs plus 5 M47A1 Incendiaries
Bombing Altitude: 24,050 ft
Ammo Fired: 99,930 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 24 Destroyed, 15 Probable, 3 Damaged
View Mission Report
October 14, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 115: 229 of 291 B-17's hit the city area and ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt, Germany in 2 group; the first group bombs at 1439-1445 hours, the second group at 1451-1457 hours; they claim 186-27-89 Luftwaffe aircraft; 60 B-17's are lost, 7 damaged beyond repair and 138 damaged; casualties are 5 KIA, 40 WIA and 594 MIA. The attack, which causes great damage and interference with production, results in German reorganization of the bearing industry. Fierce opposition of great numbers of fighters, many of them firing rockets, accounts for the 60 US aircraft shot down. As a result of these heavy losses, daylight bombing against strategic targets deep in Germany is discontinued for a short period. Only 29 of 60 B-24's are able to form up in poor weather; they abandoned their planned mission and fly a diversion towards Emden, Germany.
October 14, 1943
The US 8th Air Force delivers a heavy attack against the ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt. However, of the original force of 291 B-17s, 198 are either shot down or damaged beyond repair, while the Luftwaffe had lost only about 40 fighter planes.
October 14, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 256
Target: Marshalling Yard at Saarbrucken, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 26
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 32 minutes
Bomb Load: 14 x 250 lb H.E. M57 & 4 x 500 lb M17 Incendiary
Bombing Altitudes: 24,900 & 24,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 200 rounds
View Mission Report
October 14, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 676: 211 bombers and 258 fighters make GH attacks on 2 targets in Germany: 1 fighter is lost: 1. 90 of 94 B-17s hit a marshalling yard at Saarbrucken; 8 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 105 of 107 P-51s; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair. 2. 117 of 117 B-24s hit Kaiserslautern; 8 B-24s are damaged. Escort is provided by 148 of 151 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). Mission 677: 1,040 bombers and 491 fighters are dispatched to make PFF attacks on Cologne, Germany; 5 bombers are lost: 1. 434 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Gereon marshalling yard (326); 1 hits a target of opportunity; 2 B-17s are lost and 93 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 20 MIA. Escort is provided by 141 of 153 P-51s; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair. 2. 318 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Gremberg (127) and Eifelter (121) marshalling yards; 9 others hit Euskirchen; 3 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 137 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 2 WIA and 20 MIA. Escort is provided by 177 of 184 P-47s and P-51s without loss. 3. 314 of 379 B-17s hit the secondary target, the Gereon marshalling yard; 1 other hits a target of opportunity; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 123 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 3 WIA. Escort is provided by 151 of 154 P-47s and P-51s without loss.
October 13
October 15
