This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: June 28th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 28 Jun 2026 13:06:44 -0000

June 28, 1942
ETO Lieutenant General Dwight D Eisenhower assumes command of ETOUSA, succeeding Major General James E Chaney.

June 28, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 46
Ammo Dump west of Beaumont-Le Roger Airfield, France
Crews Dispatched: 18
Length of Mission: 4 hours, 40 minutes
Bomb Load: 15 x 300 lb H.E. M31 bombs
Bombing Altitude: 22,450 ft
Ammo Fired: 2,066 rounds

June 28, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 69: 191 B-17's are dispatched against the locks and submarine pens at Saint-Nazaire, France; 158 hit the target between 1655 and 1713 hours local; we claim 28-6-8 Luftwaffe aircraft; we lose 8 B-17's and 57 others are damaged; casualties are 3 KIA, 14 WIA and 50 MIA. 50 other B-17's are dispatched against Beaumont-le-Roger Airfield; 43 bomb the target between 1736 and 1740 hours local; 6 B-17's are damaged.

June 28, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 193
Target: Airdrome at Juvincourt, France
Crews Dispatched: 26
Crews Lost: Lt. Wardowski, 3 KIA, 4 POW, 2 EVD
Crew Members Lost or Wounded: 2 WIA
Length of Mission: 5 hours, 30 minutes
Bomb Load: 38 x 100 lb G.P. M30 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: Group A - 26,000 ft; Group B - 24,400 ft

June 28, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 445: 992 bombers and 638 fighters are dispatched to targets in France, Germany and Belgium; 2 bombers and 2 fighters are lost. 485 B-17s attack targets in France: 72 hit Laon/Couvron Airfield, 64 hit Juvincourt Airfield, 60 hit Laon/Athies Airfield, 36 hit Fismes bridge, 28 hit Denain/Prouvy Airfield, 24 hit targets of opportunity, 20 hit Anizy le Chateau bridge, 19 hit Le Bourget Airfield and 18 hit the Dugny oil depot; 1 B-17s is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 99 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA and 9 MIA. Of 378 B-24s, 331 hit Saarbrucken marshalling yards, 11 hit Florennes/Juzaine Airfield and 1 hits Givet Bridge; 1 B-24 is lost and 125 damaged; 8 airmen are WIA and 10 MIA. Escort is provided by 188 P-38s, 169 P-47s and 231 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost (pilots are MIA) and 2 P-51s damaged beyond repair. About one-third of the escorting fighters afterward bomb and strafe transport targets, claiming 3 locomotives and an armored vehicle destroyed. 30 of 50 P-47s fly a fighter-bomber mission against La Perthe Airfield without loss. 18 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions in France.