This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: January 13th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 13 Jan 2026 07:26:48 -0000

January 13, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 10
Target: Lille Fives Company Locomotive Works
Crews Dispatched: 19
Lost: One crewman, S/Sgt P.D. Ferguson
Length of Mission: 3 hours, 6 minutes
Bomb Load: 5 x 1000 lbs M44 H.E. Demolition bombs
Bombing Altitude: 23,000 ft
Ammo Fired:11,667 rounds

January 13, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 29: The primary targets are the steel and locomotive works and marshaling yard at Lille, France. The 1st Bombardment Wing dispatches 72 B-17s; 64 drop 125 tons of bombs on the targets between 1427 and 1430 hours local. Locomotive construction and repair work is seriously imparied.

January 13, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 301
Target: Railroad Bridge at Mannheim, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Crews Lost: Lt. Eisenhart, 9 KIA; Lt. Rose, 9 POW;
Lt. McGinnis, 3 KIA, 6 POW
Crew Members Lost: 1Lt. E.H. Katz, KIA; Sgt. G.H. Craven, KIA
Length of Mission: 8 hours
Bomb Load: 6 x 1,000 lb H.E. M44 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 24,350, 24,100 & 24,800 ft

January 13, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 791: 958 bombers and 469 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards and Rhine rail bridges mostly by PFF methods; they claim 6-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 bombers and 2 fighters are lost: 1. 367 B-17s are sent to hit the Mainz rail bridge (31), the Gustavsburg rail bridge at Mainz (95) and the Bischofsheim marshalling yard (119); 74 hit the secondary target, the Mainz marshalling yard; targets of opportunity are Euskirchen (13) and other (7); most attacks are made using Micro H but some formations bomb visually; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 126 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 4 WIA and 19 MIA. Escorting are 79 of 80 P-51s; 3 are damaged beyond repair. 2. 276 B-24s are dispatched to hit rail bridges at Worms (86) and Rudesheim (89) and the Kaiserslautern marshalling yard (87); 1 hits a target of opportunity; most attacks are made using Gee-H but some formations bomb visually; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 39 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA and 10 MIA. The escort is 114 of 118 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost and 1 damaged beyond repair. 3. 315 B-17s are sent to hit rail bridges at Germersheim (71, using Gee-H) and Maximiliansau (159) and rail and highway bridges at Mannheim (76) visually; 1 hits a target of opportunity; 5 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 9 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 7 WIA and 42 MIA. Escorting are 77 of 82 P-51s; 2 are damaged beyond repair. 4. 102 P-47s and P-51s fly a freelance fighter sweep supporting the bombers; they claim 3-0-0 aircraft in the air and 3-0-1 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost and 1 damaged beyond repair. 5. 45 of 45 P-51s fly a fighter-bomber mission against Mannheim, Trier, etc without loss. 6. 20 of 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission without loss. 7. 4 of 4 P-51s escort an F-5 on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.