This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: May 12th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 12 May 2026 15:03:24 -0000

May 12, 1942
ETO 8th AF: 39 officers and 348 enlisted men of HQ and the bomber, interceptor and service commands arrive at High Wycombe, England where the VIII Interceptor Command sets up HQ.

May 12, 1942
The 8th Air Force arrived in England with Maj Gen Ira Eaker as the VIII Bomber Command Commanding Officer.

May 12, 1943
8th AF: HQ 95th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrives at Framlingham, England from the US. HQ 323rd Bombardment Group (Medium) and its 453rd and 455th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) with B-26C's arrive at Horham, England from the US. The group will fly its first combat mission on Friday. The 14th Photographic Squadron (Light), 3rd Photographic Group, with F-5A's, arrives at Mount Farm, England from the US. The 337th, 338th, 339th and 413th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 96th Bombardment Group (Heavy) with B-17F's, arrive at Great Saling, England from the US. The squadrons will fly their first combat mission tomorrow. The 417th Night Fighter Squadron, VIII Fighter Command arrives at Ayr, Scotland from the US. and begins training with Beaufighters. The 508, 509th 510th and 511th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 351st Bombardment Group (Heavy), with B-17F's, arrive at Polebrook, England from the US. They will fly their first combat mission on Friday.

May 12, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 152
Target: Launa Synthetic Oil Plant at Merseburg, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 17
Length of Mission: 8 hours, 10 minutes
Bomb Load: 16 x 300 lb M-31 G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitude: 26,000 ft.
Ammo Fired: 570 rounds
"Miss Satan - The Queen of Hell" became the last B-17F flown on a 303rd
BG(H) combat mission.

May 12, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 353: 886 bombers and 735 fighters are dispatched to hit oil production facilities in Germany and Czechoslovakia; there is strong Luftwaffe fighter reaction and 46 bombers and 7 fighters are lost: 1. 326 B-17s are dispatched to Mersenburg (224 bomb) and Lutzkendorf (87 bomb); 1 hits Hedrongen and 1 bombs Bullstadt; 2 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 189 damaged; 4 airmen are KIA, 6 WIA and 20 MIA. 2. 295 B-17s are dispatched to Brux, Czechoslovakia (140 bomb) and Zwickau (74 bomb); 11 hit Chemnitz, 14 hit Gera marshalling yard, 15 hit Hof and 4 hit targets of opportunity; 41 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 162 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 377 MIA. 3. 265 B-24s are dispatched to Zeitz (116 bomb) and Bohlen (99 bomb); 14 hit Mersenburg, 1 hits Ostend Airfield, Belgium and 12 hit targets of opportunity; 3 B-24s are lost, 5 damaged beyond repair and 61 damaged; 7 airmen are WIA and 33 MIA. Escort is provided by 153 P-38s, 201 P-47s and 381 P-51s; P-38s claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft, P-47s claim 26-0-8 and P-51s claim 33-0-3 in the air and 5-0-2 on the ground; 4 P-47s and 3 P-51s are lost and 4 P-47s and 9 P-51s are damaged; 7 pilots are MIA. Mission 354: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 1.74 million leaflets on Denmark; 1 aircraft is damaged; 2 airmen are KIA and 3 WIA.

May 12, 1944
800 bombers of the US 8th Air Force carry out attacks against the synthetic fuel plants at Leuna-Merseburg, Lutzkendorf, Zeitz and Brux.