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

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 21 Sep 2026 09:23:18 -0000

September 21, 1943
8th AF: VIII Air Support Command Mission 65: 44 of 73 B-26's hit the Beauvais/Tille Airfield in France at 0937-0938 hours; bad weather causes 20+ to abort; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-26 is lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 12 damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 4 WIA and 7 MIA.

September 21, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 245
Target: Marshalling Yard at Mainz, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 30
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 8 minutes
Bomb Load: 6 x 500 lb G.P. M43 & 6 x 500 lb M17 Cluster bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 25,500, 26,600 & 27,300 ft
Ammo Fired: 7,220 rounds

September 21, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 644: 486 bombers are dispatched to hit targets in W Germany using PFF methods; 2 bombers are lost: 1. 154 B-17s are dispatched to hit the synthetic oil plant at Ludwigshafen/Opau (147); 2 others hit targets of opportunity; 54 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 39 P-38s and P-51s; 1 fighter is lost. 2. 153 B-17s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Mainz (141); 52 B-17s are damaged; 2 airmen are WIA. Escort is provided by 34 of 35 P-51s without loss. 3. 179 B-24s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Koblenz (144); 12 others hit targets of opportunity; 2 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 83 damaged; 15 airmen are KIA, 3 WIA and 18 MIA. Escort is provided by 44 of 46 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 90 P-47s and P-51s support the First Allied Airborne Army C-47s dropping supplies and paratroops of the Polish 1st Brigade near Driel, the Netherlands; they encounter about 50 Luftwaffe fighters, claiming 20-0-2; 3 P-47s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged; 3 pilots are MIA.