This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: June 20th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 20 Jun 2026 11:23:46 -0000

June 20, 1942
ETO 8th AF: General George C Marshall's letter of instruction to Brigadier General Dwight D Eisenhower reveals plan to integrate all US air units in the UK into the 8th AF. The broad objective of the AAF in the ETO is to attain "air supremacy over Western Continental Europe" in preparation for a future invasion of the Continent.

June 20, 1943
303rd BG: Maj Lewis E. Lyle, 360BS CO, became Deputy CO of the 303rd BG(H).

June 20, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 186
Target: Oil Installations at Hamburg, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Crews Lost: Lt. J.T. Parker
Crew Members Lost or Wounded: 3 wounded
Length of Mission: 7 hours
Bomb Load: 12 x 500 lb G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitude: 26,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 50 rounds

June 20, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 425: In the morning 1,548 bombers are dispatched to attack 14 strategic targets in N Germany and V-weapon sites in France; 49 bombers are lost: 1. 126 of 146 B-24s bomb V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 83 damaged; 4 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 24 MIA. Escort is provided by 44 P-47s; they claim 3-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot is MIA). 2. Of 341 B-17s dispatched, 137 hit Fallersleben, 95 hit Magdeburg/Rothensee and 52 hit Konigsberg; they claim 2-0-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 116 damaged; 11 airmen are WIA and 60 MIA. Of 191 B-24s, 169 hit Hannover/Misburg and 3 hit a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 89 damaged; 4 airmen are KIA, 6 WIA and 9 MIA. Escort is provided by 98 P-38s, 86 P-47s and 38 P-51s and 81 Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 10-1-10 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 8-0-3 on the ground; 1 P-38, 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost (2 pilots MIA). 3. Of 512 B-17s dispatched, 107 hit Hamburg/Eurotank oil refinery, 60 hit Harburg/Ebano oil refinery, 54 hit Hamburg/Schliemanns oil refinery, 53 hit Harburg/Rhenania oil refinery, 53 hit Hamburg/Deut.Petr.AG, 50 hit Hamburg/Rhenania-Ossag oil refinery, 26 hit Hamburg/Schindler oil refinery, 12 hit Brunsbuttel canal lock and 2 hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-17s are lost and 349 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 13 WIA and 63 MIA. Escort is provided by 96 P-38s and 48 P-47s without claims or loss. 4. Of 358 B-24s, 245 hit Politz, 71 bomb Ostermoor and 12 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 10-3-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 34 B-24s are lost and 205 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 6 WIA and 343 MIA. Escort is provided by 50 P-38s and 221 P-51s; they claim 28-1-9 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 5-0-9 on the ground; 3 P-38s are lost. Mission 426: In the afternoon, 33 of 37 B-17s and 196 of 380 B-24s attack 10 V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area; 1 B-24 is lost and 96 damaged. Escort is provided by 72 P-47s and 40 P-51s without loss. Mission 427: 5 of 5 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night. 25 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions in France.

June 20, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: HQ 401st Bombardment Group (Heavy) and the 612th, 613th, 614th and 615th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) begin a movement from Deenethorpe, England to the US with B-17s.