This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: September 10th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 10 Sep 2026 14:01:40 -0000

September 10, 1942
8th AF: The 364th and 365th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Grafton Underwood, England from the US with B-17s.

September 10, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 239
Target: Marshalling Yard at Stuttgart, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 26
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 38 minutes
Bomb Load: 12 x 500 lb G.P. M17 Incendiary bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 24,100 & 23,100 ft
Ammo Fired: 1,200 rounds

September 10, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 4 missions are flown. Mission 619: 1,144 bombers and 570 fighters are dispatched to targets in the Stuttgart, Germany area; 7 bombers are lost mostly to flak and 5 fighters are lost: 1. 388 B-24s are dispatched and hit secondary targets, the marshalling yards at Ulm (247) and Heilbronn (100); 2 others bomb targets of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 65 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 2 WIA and 10 MIA. Escort is provided by 153 P-38s and P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 1 P-38 and 3 P-51s damaged; 1 pilot is KIA and 2 MIA. 2. 385 B-17s are dispatched to hit a tank factory at Nurnberg (173), Giebelstadt Airfield (112) and an aircraft components plant at Furth (60); 8 others hit targets of opportunity; 3 B-17s are lost and 147 damaged; 7 airmen are WIA and 28 MIA. Escort is provided by 221 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 38-0-44 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost and 2 damaged; 3 pilots are MIA. 3. 372 B-17s are dispatched to attack a motor vehicle factory at Gaggenau (140), a jet-propulsion units plant at Zuffenhausen (116) and an engine factory at Sindelfingen (73); 19 others hit targets of opportunity; 3 B-17s are lost, 5 damaged beyond repair and 169 damaged; 9 airmen are WIA and 27 MIA. Escort is provided by 135 of 153 P-51s; they claim 1-1-0 aircraft in the air and 29-0-1 on the ground without loss. Mission 620: 1 B-17 flies a mission to trial the GB-4 radio/visual control bomb against Duren, Germany Mission 621: 3 of 3 B-17s fly a radar and photo reconnaissance mission over Germany; leaflets are also dropped. 6 of 7 B-17s drop leaflets on France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night. 121 of 135 P-47s strafe airfields and ground and rail traffic in a sweep over the Cologne, Frankfurt/Main, and Kassel areas; they claim 10-0-21 aircraft on the ground; 8 P-47s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 4 damaged; 8 pilots are MIA. 35 B-24s and C-47s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.