This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: May 8th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 08 May 2026 20:59:45 -0000

May 8, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 147
Target: City area, Berlin, Germany (PFF)
Crews Dispatched: 18
Length of Mission: 8 hours, 10 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb M-43 G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitude: 26,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 590 rounds

May 8, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 148
Target: Crossbow "V" Weapon Target, Sottevast, France
Crew Dispatched: 19
Crew Members Lost or Wounded: 2 injured
Length of Mission: 4 hours
Bomb Load: 3 x 1600 lb Armor Piercing bombs
Bombing Altitude: 25,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 415 rounds

May 8, 1944
General Dwight D Eisenhower sets D-Day for the Normandy invasion as 5 Jun; the date subsequently will be changed to 6 Jun.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 344: In the morning, 807 bombers and 729 fighters are dispatched to hit targets in Germany in a PFF mission; the bombers claim 76-16-16 Luftwaffe fighters, the fighters claim 55-4-20; 36 bombers and 13 fighters are lost: 1. 500 B-17s are dispatched to bomb Berlin; 386 B-17s hit the primary, 42 bomb Brunswick, 17 bomb Brandenburg and 8 bomb Magderburg; 25 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 169 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 7 WIA and 261 MIA. 2. 307 B-24s are dispatched to Brunswick; 288 hit the primary and 1 hits a target of opportunity; 11 B-24s are lost, 7 are damaged beyond repair and 28 damaged; 7 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 112 MIA. Escort is provided by 152 P-38s, 295 P-47s and 282 P-51s; the P-38s claim 6-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft, the P-47s claim 9-1-5 and the P-51s claim 40-3-12; 4 P-38s, 4 P-47s and 5 P-51s are lost; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are damaged beyond repair; 3 P-47s and 1 P-51 are damaged; 1 pilot is WIA and 13 MIA. Mission 345: In the afternoon, 164 bombers and 97 fighters are dispatched against targets in France and Belgium; 5 bombers are lost: 1. 92 of 101 B-17s bomb V-weapon sites at Glacerie and Sottevast, France; 5 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 29 damaged; 28 airmen are MIA. 2. 57 of 63 B-24s hit Brussels/Schaerbeck marshalling yard, Belgium; 29 B-24s are damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 19 MIA. Escort is provided by 97 P-47s without loss. Mission 346: 3 of 4 B-17s drop 1.6 million leaflets on 10 towns in France without loss.

May 8, 1945
303rd BG: Major Robert J. Hullar was appointed 303rd BG Operations Officer, replacing Major Louis M. Schulstad. Major John R. Martin was appointed Deputy Commanding Officer, replacing LtCol Edgar E. Snyder, Jr.

May 8, 1945
303rd BG: VE-DAY celebration and parade were held at Molesworth.

May 8, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 986: 12 B-17s drop leaflets in Germany during the day.