This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: May 30th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 30 May 2026 10:27:30 -0000

May 30, 1942
ETO During conferences with Air Chief Marshall Sir Charles F Portal, Lieutenant General Henry H "Hap" Arnold presents "Programme of Arrival of US Army Air Forces in the United Kingdom" providing for 66 combat groups, exclusive of observation squadrons, by Mar 43.

May 30, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 165
Target: Junkers Aircraft Plant & Airfield at Halberstadt, Ger.
Crews Dispatched: 39
Crews Lost: Lt. Van Weelden - 4 KIA, 5 POW
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 30 minutes
Bomb Load: 8 x 500 lb G.P. M43 and 500 lb. RDX bombs
Bombing Altitudes: Group A - 23,000 ft; Group B - 22,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 1,205 rounds

May 30, 1944
Loading of assault forces for Operation OVERLORD (invasion of Normandy) begins. STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 380: 928 bombers and 672 fighters in 6 forces are dispatched to hit aircraft industry targets in Germany and marshalling yards in France and Belgium; they claim 65-8-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 12 bombers and 9 fighters are lost: 1. 268 B-17s are dispatched to attack aviation industry targets at Dessau (83 bomb), Halberstadt (107 bomb) and Oschersleben (51 bomb); 5 other hit targets of opportunity; they claim 8-5-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 9 B-17s are lost and 81 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA and 86 MIA. 2. 369 B-24s are dispatched to hit aviation depots at Oldenburg (135 bomb), Rotenburg (147 bomb) and Zwischenahn (71 bomb); 1 other hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 36 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 2 WIA and 9 MIA. 3. 46 of 91 B-24s hit Munster/Handorf Airfield and 36 others hit Diepholz Airfield; 2 B-24s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 36 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 6 WIA and 9 MIA. 4. 122 of 126 B-17s hit French marshalling yards; 62 hit Reims and 60 hit Troyes; 24 B-17s are damaged. 5. 39 of 40 B-17s hit Brussels/Schaerbeck marshalling yard, Belgium; 12 B-17s are damaged. 6. 76 of 84 B-17s hit V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais, France; 12 B-17s are damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 10 MIA. Escort is provided by 186 P-38s, 184 P-47s and 302 P-51s; 3 P-38s are damaged; P-47s claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft with 1 loss (pilot is MIA); P-51s claim 48-3-2 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 7-0-3 on the ground with the loss of 8 P-51s (pilots are MIA), 2 damaged beyond repair and 4 damaged; 637 Ninth Air Force fighters support the mission; they claim 8-0-2 aircraft in the air and 0-0-4 on the ground for the loss of 3. 100 P-47s are dispatched to bomb 4 rail bridges in NW France; 37 hit Longueil bridge, 26 hit Beaumont-sur-Oise bridge, 23 hit Canly-le-Jouque bridge and 12 hit the Creil bridge; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot is MIA).

May 30, 1945
303rd BG: The 303rd BG (H) was redeployed to the North African Division Air Transport Command at Casablanca, French Morocco.

May 30, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Units beginning a movement from England to the US: HQ 389th Bombardment Group (Heavy) from Hethel; 700th, 701st, 702nd and 703rd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 445th Bombardment Group (Heavy), from Tibenham with B-24s.