This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: February 16th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 16 Feb 2026 06:30:28 -0000

February 16, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 16
Target: Port Area, St. Nazaire, France
Crews Dispatched: 14
Crews Lost: Two - Lt. Dunnica & Capt. Breed
Length of Mission: 5 1/4 to 5 1/2 hours
Bomb Load: 500 & 1000 lbs Demolition bombs
Bombing Altitude: 25,000 to 26,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 30,119 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 4 Destroyed, 1 Probable, 1 Damaged

February 16, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 36: 71 B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Wing and 18 B-24s of the 2nd Bombardment Wing are dispatched against the locks and U-boat base at Saint-Nazaire, France; 59 B-17s and 6 B-24s drop 160 tons of bombs between 1052 and 1055 hours local. We claim 20 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed, 12 probably destroyed and 2 damaged; we lose 6 B-17s and 2 B-24s with 28 B-17s and 2 B-24s damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 7 WIA and 81 MIA. Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 34 uneventful sorties on fighter patrols. The 13th Photographic Squadron (Light), 3rd Photographic Group with F-5s and L-4s transfers from Podington to Mount Farm, England.

February 16, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 316
Target: Synthetic Oil Plant at Langendreer, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Crews Lost: Lt. Wertz, 3 KIA, 6 POW
Crew Members Lost or Wounded: 1 WIA
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 20 minutes
Bomb Load: 18 x 250 lb H.E. M57 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 28,400, 28,300
Ammo Fired: 1,761 rounds

February 16, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 833: 1,042 bombers and 197 fighters attack benzol plants, oil refineries and marshalling yards in C Germany; 8 bombers are lost: 1. 223 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Hamm (208); targets of opportunity are Osnabruck (1), Meppen (1) and Rheine (1); bombing is by H2X, Micro H and some visual; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 95 damaged; 7 airmen are WIA and 11 MIA. Escorting are 44 of 45 P-51s. 2. 375 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Harpenerweg oil refinery at Dortmund (78) and oil refineries at Nordstern (104) and Minsterstein (112); 30 hit the marshalling yard at Munster, a secondary target; targets of opportunity are Langendreer (23) and other (2); bombing is by Gee-H with some visual; 5 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 170 damaged; 8 airmen are WIA and 46 MIA. 38 of 39 P-51s escort. 3. 362 B-24s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Osnabruck (174) and Rheine (94) and the Salzbergen oil refinery (46); 31 hit Burgsteinfurt, a target of opportunity; H2X and Gee-H are used; 1 B-24 is lost and 26 damaged; 10 airmen are MIA. 50 P-51s escort the B-24s. 4. 63 of 76 B-17s hit the rail bridge at Wesel visually; 13 hit the marshalling yard at Rheine, a target of opportunity, with H2X. Escorting are 45 of 51 P-51s. 5. 6 B-24s fly a screening mission without loss. 6. 4 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 7. 4 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany. 8. 4 P-51s escort a B-17 on a "special sortie."