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

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 10 Aug 2026 07:44:32 -0000

August 10, 1944
303rd BG: Capt Arnold S. Litman (P) and 2Lt George L. Conley (CP) were on a local transition flight in #42-97298 "The Floose" with a six man crew. The co-pilot was practicing landings and made a hard tail-first landing. Capt Litman immediately applied full power and went around for another approach. The tail wheel was inspected and was found to be damaged. Capt Litman then made a wheels-first landing. The tail wheel collapsed when it made runway contact. The tail was dragged long enough to clear the runway.

August 10, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 45 P-51s in Italy during an Operation FRANTIC mission are dispatched with Fifteenth Air Force aircraft to escort a troop carrier evacuation mission. Mission 537: 175 B-24 and 249 fighters are dispatched against fuel dumps and bridges SE of Paris; 38 hit Clamecy Bridge, 31 hit Joigny, 31 hit Pacy-sur-Armencon, 26 hit Sens, 23 hit St Florentin and 13 hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 19 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 1 MIA. Escort is provided by 238 of 249 P-51s; they claim 8-0-0 aircraft; 3 P-51s are lost. Mission 538: 138 fighters are dispatched to hit rail targets in C and E France; 5 fighters are lost. Mission 539: 1 of 1 B-17s drops leaflets on Brest, France. Mission 540: 4 of 4 B-17s drop leaflets in France and Norway during the night. 583 fighters are dispatched to hit rail targets in France; they claim 19-0-8 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-38s and 4 P-51s are lost. In England, the 788th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 467th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Harrington to Rackheath with B-24s; and the 856th, 857th, 858th and 859th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 492nd Bombardment Group (Heavy) move from North Pickenham to Harrington with B-24s (the squadrons fly CARPETBAGGER missions until Apr 45).