This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History

November 18th    

November 18, 1942
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 2
Target: U-Boat Pens, St. Nazaire, France
Crews Dispatched: 21
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 36 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lbs H.E. M43 bombs
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 1 Destroyed, 4 Probables, 3 Damaged
Ammo Fired: 12,138 rounds
Bombing Altitude: 19,400 feet
View Mission Report

November 18, 1942
ETO 8th AF: Mission 21: 65 bombers are dispatched to hit targets against U-boat bases in France; 1 bomber is lost: 1. 13 of 13 B-24s hit Lorient; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 3 are damaged; 5 airmen are KIA and 8 WIA. 2. 19 of 21 B-17s hit St Nazaire; 15 B-17s are damaged and 3 airmen are WIA. 3. 21 of 34 B-17s hit La Pallice; 1 B-17s is lost and 9 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 3 WIA. 4. 20 B-17s and 6 B-24s fly diversions for the above missions.

November 18, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 132. 82 of 102 B-24's hit the Oslo/Kjeller Airfield in Norway; they claim 10-7-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; 9 B-24's are lost, 3 are damaged beyond repair and 10 damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 9 WIA and 91 MIA. VIII Bomber Command Mission 133: 5 B-17's drop 980,000 leaflets over Paris, Orleans, Chartres, Rennes and Le Mans, France between 2015 and 2041 hours; no losses or casualties.

November 18, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 716: 402 fighters (47 P-47s and 355 P-51s) are dispatched to strafe oil storage depots in the Hanau and Ulm areas, airfields at Leipheim and Lechfeld, and miscellaneous ground targets in Germany; 374 actually attack; about 70 Luftwaffe fighters are encountered and the AAF claims 26-2-6 in the air and 69-0-41 on the ground; 2 P-47s and 5 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 2 P-51s are damaged beyond repair. Mission 717: 4 B-24s and 6 B-17s drop leaflets in Belgium, the Netherlands and France during the night. HQ 92nd Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) moves from Sudbury to Bury St Edmunds, England.

8th AF history extracted from Jack McKillop's USAAF Combat Chronology

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