This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: February 2nd

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 02 Feb 2026 05:06:44 -0000

February 2, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 13
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards, Hamm, Germany
(Mission Aborted)
Crews Dispatched: 12
Length of Mission: 3 hours
Bomb Load: 5 x 1000 lbs, 10 x 500 lbs,
5 x 300 lbs M31 Incendiary bombs
Bombing Altitude: 20,500 ft
Ammo Fired: none

February 2, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 32: 61 B-17s and 22 B-24s are dispatched against the Hamm, Germany marshalling yards. The formation encounters bad weather over the North Sea and returns to base. VIII Fighter Command Circus 257 (a Circus was a heavy fighter escort of a small force of attack or bomber aircraft to entice the Luftwaffe up): 25 Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group escort 12 Venturas on an uneventful Circus. Nine other Spitfires of the 4th Fighter Group fly an uneventful ship patrol.

February 2, 1944
Marshall Josef V Stalin agrees to provide 6 bases for US aircraft in the USSR. STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 205: 95 of 110 B-24s hit V-weapon construction sites at St Pol/Siracourt and Watten, France; 2 B-24s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged; casualties are 10 KIA and 19 MIA. 183 P-47s escort the B-24s without loss. 364th Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, transfers from Raydon to Leiston, England with P-51s; first mission is 11 Feb.

February 2, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 22 of 24 P-51s fly an uneventful sweep in the Koblenz-Wetzlar-Siegen-Siegburg, Germany area. Mission 816: During the night of 2/3 Feb, 1 B-17 and 8 B-24s drop leaflets in W Germany.