This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: September 28th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 28 Sep 2026 15:12:25 -0000

September 28, 1943
An Air-Sea Rescue search was conducted by 10 B-17s of the 358th and 427th Bomb Squadrons. Four areas were searched at an altitude of 300 to 500 feet. The wing of an RAF fighter and a tethered balloon were found.

September 28, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 248
Target: Krupp Grusonwerke A.G., Magdeburg, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 30
Crews Lost: Howard (1 KIA,8 POW), Hahn (6 KIA,3 POW),
Matheson (5 KIA,4 POW), Railing (9 KIA), Shields (7 KIA,2 POW),
Miller (6 KIA,3 POW), Gillespie (9 KIA), Lay (8 KIA,1 POW),
Glasgow (8 KIA,1 POW), Michaelis (8 KIA,1 POW), Mayer (1 KIA,8 RTD)
Length of Mission: 7 hours, 50 minutes
Bomb Load: 5 x 1,000 lb G.P. M44 & 10 x 500 M17 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 25,700, 25,600 & 27,100 ft
Ammo Fired: 13,100 rounds

September 28, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 652: 1,049 bombers and 724 fighters are dispatched to hit oil and military vehicle factories in C Germany using PFF means; they claim 37-8-18 Luftwaffe aircraft; 34 bombers and 7 fighters are lost: 1. 445 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Magdeburg/Rothensee oil refinery (23); 359 hit the secondary at Magdeburg and 35 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 10-7-5 aircraft; 23 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 126 damaged; 8 airmen are WIA and 208 MIA. Escort is provided by 263 P-38s and P-51s; they claim 24-0-13 aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground; 5 P-51s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 4 damaged; 5 pilots are MIA. 2. 342 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Merseburg/Leuna oil refinery (301); 10 others hit targets of opportunity; 10 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 251 damaged; 4 airmen are KIA, 15 WIA and 92 MIA. Escort is provided by 212 of 231 P-51s; they claim 2-1-0 aircraft in the air; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 262 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Kassel/Henschel motor transport plant (243); 1 hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost and 86 damaged; 10 airmen are MIA. Escort is provided by 171 of 195 P-47s; 1 P-47s is lost and 3 damaged; 1 pilot is MIA. Mission 653: 4 B-24s and 6 B-17s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night. 194 B-24s fly a TRUCKIN' mission to France with fuel. The 374th, 375th and 376th Fighter Squadrons, 361st Fighter Group, move from Bottisham to Little Walden, England with P-51s.