This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: September 22nd

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 22 Sep 2026 12:30:40 -0000

September 22, 1942
303rd BG: Pre-combat lectures continued at Molesworth. Lectures on briefing combat crews were given to Intelligence Officers. All personnel look forward to the arrival of the air echelon.

September 22, 1943
8th AF: VIII Air Support Command Mission 66: 2 airfields in France are targeted: 1. 72 B-26's are dispatched to Beauvais/Tille Airfield but abort due to bad weather. 2. 70 of 72 B-26's hit Evreux/Fauville Airfield at 1612 & 1614 hours; no losses or casualties. 240 P-27's sweep over NE France and Belgium and claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is lost and 1 damaged beyond repair; casualties are 1 MIA; and 155 P-47's sweep over N Belgium and Dutch Islands. VIII Bomber Command Mission 99: 5 B-17's of the 422nd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), join the RAF in a night attack on Hannover, Germany at 2143-2209 hours; there are no losses or casualties.

September 22, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 645: 661 bombers are dispatched to hit armoured vehicle and votor vehicle factories at Kassel/Henschel, Germany bombing by PFF; 453 B-17s are dispatched; 410 hit the primary, 10 hit Wetzlar and 7 hit targets of opportunity; 3 B-17s are lost and 104 damaged; 7 airmen are WIA and 27 MIA; 208 of 208 B-24s hit the primary; 3 bombers are damaged. Escort is provided by 268 of 286 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. The last Operations FRANTIC missions ends as 84 B-17s and 51 P-51s return to the UK from Italy; the remaining aircraft return on 8 Oct. 77 of 79 P-47s patrol the Arnhem, the Netherlands area; 1 P-47 is lost and 1 damaged beyond repair. 108 B-24s fly fuel to France.