This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: February 21st

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 21 Feb 2026 08:33:28 -0000

February 21, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 110
Target: German Airdrome, Diepholz, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 36
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 10 minutes
Bomb Load: 12 x 500 lb G.P. bombs plus 1 A/C w/ 3000 lbs nickles
Bombing Altitude: 21,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 5,510 rounds

February 21, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 228: "Big Week" continues with 3 areas in Germany targetted with the loss of 16 bombers and 5 fighters: 1. 336 B-17s are dispatched to the Gutersioh, Lippstadt and Werl Airfields; because of thick overcast, 285 hit Achmer, Hopsten, Rheine, Diepholz, Quakenbruck and Bramsche Airfields and the marshalling yards at Coevorden and Lingen; they claim 12-5-8 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 63 damaged; casualties are 4 KIA, 13 WIA and 75 MIA. 2. 281 B-17s are dispatched to Diepholz Airfield and Brunswick; 175 hit the primaries and 88 hit Alhorn and Verden Airfields and Hannover; they claim 2-5-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 36 damaged; casualties are 20 KIA, 4 WIA and 57 MIA. 3. 244 B-24s are dispatched to Achmer and Handorf Airfields; 11 hit Achmer Airfield and 203 hit Diepholz, Verden and Hesepe Airfields and Lingen; they claim 5-6-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 6 damaged; casualties are 3 WIA and 31 MIA. Escort for Mission 228 is provided by 69 P-38s, 542 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 68 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; the P-38s claim 0-1-0 Luftwaffe aircraft, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair; the P-47s claim 19-3-14 Luftwaffe aircraft, 2 P-47s are lost, 2 are damaged beyond repair, 3 are damaged and 2 pilots are MIA; the P-51s claim 14-1-4 Luftwaffe aircraft, 3 P-51s are lost and the pilots are MIA. Mission 229: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Rouen, Caen, Paris and Amiens, France at 2215-2327 hours without loss.

February 21, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 319
Target: Marshalling Yard at Nurnberg, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 38
Length of Mission: 8 hours, 30 minutes
Bomb Load: 5 x 500 lb H.E. M43 & 5 x 500 lb M17 Incendiaries
Bombing Altitudes: 23,800, 23,900 & 25,250 ft
Ammo Fired: 480 rounds

February 21, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 839: 1,262 bombers and 792 fighters are dispatched to again attack the tank plant, main railroad station, marshalling yards and locomotive shops at Nurnberg, Germany using H2X radar; they claim 4-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 7 fighters are lost: 1. 830 of 867 B-17s hit the marshalling yard; 11 others hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 298 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 6 WIA. Escorting are 373 of 391 P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 375 of 395 B-24s hit the station and marshalling yard; targets of opportunity are Speyer (1) and other (2); 63 B-24s are damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 3 WIA. The escort is 175 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 3. 45 of 46 P-51s make a sweep of the Meiningen-Coburg-Nurnberg area; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 98 of 101 P-51s escort Ninth AF B-26s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft. 5. 23 of 31 P-51s fly a scouting mission; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 6. 29 of 30 P-51s escort 10 F-5s and 7 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany. Mission 840: During the night of 21/22 Feb, 25 of 29 B-24s attack the Duisburg power and gas stations using PFF; 2 B-24s are lost.

February 21, 1945
The US 8th Air Force launches another heavy attack (over 1,000 bombers) against Nurnberg.