This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: April 22nd

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 22 Apr 2026 03:36:20 -0000

April 22, 1942
303rd BG: The 427th BS was activated, replacing the 38th Reconnaissance Squadron.

April 22, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 139
Target: Marshalling Yards, Hamm, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 30
Crews Lost: Lt. Seddon & Lt. Larson
Crew Members Lost or Wounded: 1 crewman injured
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 25 minutes
Bomb Load: 12 x 500 lb M-64 G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitudes: Group A 22,000 ft; Group B 23,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 550 rounds

April 22, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 311: 803 bombers and 859 fighters are dispatched to hit a marshalling yard at Hamm, Germany; the bombers claim 20-6-8 Luftwaffe aircraft and the fighters claim 40-2-16; 15 bombers and 13 fighters are lost: 1. 459 of 526 B-17s bomb the primary, 20 hit Bonn, 19 hit Soest, 15 hit Hamm City and 1 hits a target of opportunity; 8 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 138 are damaged; casualties are 7 WIA and 89 MIA. 2. 179 of 277 B-24s hit the primary, 50 hit Koblenz and 36 hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-24s are lost, 14 damaged beyond repair and 59 damaged; casualties are 46 KIA, 28 WIA and 64 MIA. Escort is 132 P-38s, 485 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 242 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; 2 P-38s, 5 P-47s and 6 P-51s are lost, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair and 22 aircraft are damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 12 MIA. Mission 312: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 1.44 million leaflets on Orleans, Tours, Paris, Nantes, Lille, Reims, Chartres and Rouen, France at 2251-2344 hours without loss. Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 398th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 600th, 601st, 602nd and 603rd Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Nuthampstead with B-17s (first mission is 6 May); 844th, 845th, 846th and 847th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 489th Bombardment Group (Heavy), at Halesworth with B-24s (first mission is 30 May).

April 22, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 965: During the night of 22/23 Apr, 10 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany. 4 of 12 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions to Norway. The 27th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), moves from Prouvy Airfield, Denain, France to Chalgrove, England with F-5s.