This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: July 8th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 08 Jul 2026 15:10:48 -0000

July 8, 1943
8th AF: HQ 479th Antisubmarine Group is activated at St Eval, England. The group is assigned to the AAF Antisubmarine Command and controls all Antisubmarine Squadrons in England. The 354th, 357th and 358th Fighter Squadrons, 355th Fighter Group, arrive at Steeple Morden, England from the US with P-47D's. They will fly their first combat mission on 14 Sep 43.

July 8, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 199
Target: Railroad Bridge at Etaples, France
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 4 hours, 15 minutes
Bomb Load: 2 x 2,000 lb G.P. M34 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 24,850, 24,500 & 23,500 ft

July 8, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 460: 1,029 bombers and 714 fighters, in four forces, are dispatched to hit bridges, tunnels, rail targets and NOBALL (V-weapon) sites in France; only 462 aircraft bomb due to bad weather; 9 bombers and 1 fighter are lost: 1. Of 331 B-24s, 14 hit Schore Bridge, 9 hit Welle Bridge, 1 hits Orsel Airfield and 1 hits a target of opportunity; 20 B-24s are damaged; escort is provided by 266 P-38s and P-51s; they claim 20-0-19 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot is MIA). 2. Of 304 B-17s, 61 hit Poix Airfield, 49 hit V-1 sites, 37 hit Etaples Bridge, 13 hit a road junction, 12 hit Abbeville Airfield and 11 hit Etaples choke point; 4 B-17s are lost, 2 are damaged beyond repair and 90 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 7 WIA and 32 MIA. Escort is provided by 36 of 39 P-47s. 3. Of 130 B-24s, 71 hit V-1 sites, 13 hit St Vallery en Caux Airfield and 11 hit Abbeville railroad junction; 3 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 27 are damaged. 4. Of 264 B-17s, 21 hit Jaigle, 20 hit Barenton and 10 hit Chandai rail junctions, 11 hit Nantes/Gassicourt Bridge, 11 hit Nantes railroad bridge, 9 hit railroad tracks at Yvetot, 11 hit Nogent and 6 hit Rouen marshalling yards, 24 hit Conches and 11 hit St Andre de l'Eure Airfields and 25 hit targets of opportunity; 5 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 98 damaged; 4 airmen are KIA, 16 WIA and 51 MIA. Forces 3 and 4 are escorted by 286 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s; they claim 0-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground. 86 of 91 P-47s bomb St Andre de l'Eure Airfield without loss. Mission 461: 4 of 5 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night. 17 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER missions.

July 8, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Units beginning a movement from England: HQ 357th Fighter Group from Leiston to Neubiberg, Germany; HQ 492nd Bombardment Group (Heavy) from Harrington to the US.