This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: February 1st

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 01 Feb 2026 08:25:01 -0000

February 1, 1943
8th AF: The 4th Fighter Group dispatches 20 Spitfire Mk Vs on uneventful defensive and fighter patrols.

February 1, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Transfers in England: 363rd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group from Raydon to Leiston with P-51s (first mission is 11 Feb); 752nd, 753, 754th and 755th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy, 458th Bombardment Group (Heavy) from US to Horsham St Faith with B-24s (first mission is 24 Feb). Transfers in England during Feb 44: HQ 95th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) from Attlebridge to Ketteringham; HQ 491st Bombardment Group (Heavy) to North Pickenham.

February 1, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 310
Target: Railroad bridge at Mannheim, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 7 hours, 35 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb RDX M43 & 2 x 500 lb M17 Incendiaries
Bombing Altitudes; 26,000, 25,000 & 26,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 1,050 rounds

February 1, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 814: 699 B-17s and 328 P-51s are dispatched to hit rail targets and bridges in W Germany using Micro-H and H2X radar; no losses: 1. 463 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yards at Mannheim (74) and Ludwigshafen (70); 270 hit the secondary target, the highway and rail bridge at Mannheim; targets of opportunity are Pforzheim (11) and other (3); 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 24 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. Escorting are 142 of 151 P-51s. 2. 236 B-17s are send to hit the rail bridge at Wesel (139); 36 hit the marshalling yard at Krefeld, the secondary target; and 13 hit Barth, a target of opportunity; 2 B-17s are damaged. 49 of 53 P-51s escort. 3. 20 of 22 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 4. 87 of 102 P-51s fly a freelance sweep in support of the bombers. Mission 815: 6 of 9 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during the night. HQ 361st Fighter Group and the 374th, 375th and 376th Fighter Squadrons move from Little Walden, England to Chievres, Belgium with P-51s (the squadrons have been operating from St-Dizier, France since 23 Dec 44).