This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: August 5th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 05 Aug 2026 01:32:44 -0000

August 5, 1942
ETO 8th AF: VIII Fighter Command dispatches its first mission-11 Spitfire Mk Vs of the 31st Fighter Group on a practice run over France.

August 5, 1943
303rd BG: Col Kermit D. Stevens was appointed 303rd BG(H) Commanding Officer. He would become the longest serving 303rd CO.

August 5, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: The 351st Fighter Squadron, 353rd Fighter Group, transfers from Goxhill to Metfield, England with P-47's. The squadron will fly its first mission on Monday and remain at this station until Apr 44.

August 5, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 220
Target: Flers, Cousbronne, Flefs, Fleury, Crepieul, Fressin,
and Coxyde, France - "No Ball" Targets
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 3 hours, 40 minutes
Bomb Load: 20 x 250 lb G.P. M57 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 21,000 & 25,200 ft

August 5, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 519: In the morning, 1,171 bombers and 646 fighters are dispatched to attack strategic targets in the Magdeburg-Brunswick-Hannover region of Germany including oil refineries and tank and aircraft production; 13 bombers and 4 fighters are lost: 1. Of 215 B-17s, 93 hit Magdeburg/Neustadt, 87 hit Magdeburg/Krupp, 14 hit Helmstedt Airfield and 6 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 3-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-17s are lost and 189 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 28 MIA. Escort is provided by 174 P-38s and P-51s; they claim 19-1-7 aircraft in the air and 1-0-2 on the ground; 1 P-38 and 3 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA) and 1 P-38 and 5 P-51s are damaged; 1 pilot is KIA and 1 WIA. 2. 70 of 78 B-24s hit Halberstadt Airfield and 1 hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost and 7 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. Escort is provided by 41 of 47 P-47s; they claim 4-0-1 aircraft. 3. Of 452 B-24s, 98 hit Brunswick Aero-Engineering, 85 hit Fallerslaben, 69 hit Brunswick/Wilhelmitor, 65 hit Brunswick/Me 110 Assembly Plant, 44 hit Brunswick/Bussing, 30 hit Brunswick aircraft components factory, 9 hit Goslar Airfield and 8 hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 147 damaged; 13 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 55 MIA. Escort is provided by 172 of 188 P-51s; they claim 5-0-1 in the air and 3-0-3 on the ground; 1 P-51 is damaged. 4. Of 426 B-17s, 176 hit Nienburg, 143 hit Hannover/Langenhagen Airfield, 72 hit Dollbergen and 3 hit targets of opportunity; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 130 are damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 15 MIA. Escort is provided by 186 of 197 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 6 damaged; 2 pilots are MIA. Mission 520: 38 of 39 B-17s hit 6 V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais; 19 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 10 of 12 P-51s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft on the ground. Mission 522: 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and France during the night. 19 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night. In England, HQ 492nd Bombardment Group (Heavy) moves from North Pickenham to Harrington; and the 406th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), VIII Air Force Composite Command [attached to 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional)], moves from Harrington to Cheddington with B-24s.

August 5, 1945
8th AF: HQ 333rd Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and 435th, 460th and 507th Bombardment Squadrons (Very Heavy) arrive at Kadena, Okinawa from the US with B-29s. VIII Fighter Command: HQ 96th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) begins a movement from Ketteringham, England to the US; the 653rd Bombardment Squadron (Light, Weather Reconnaissance), 25th Bombardment Group (Reconnaissance), moves from Watton to Chalgrove, England with Mosquito XVIs; the 728th, 729th, 730th and 731st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 452nd Bombardment Group (Heavy), begin a movement from Deopham Green, England to the US with B-17s. VIII Fighter Command: Unit movements from England to the US: HQ 13th and HQ 20th Bombardment Wings (Heavy) from Horham and Snetterton Heath; HQ 385th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 548th, 549th, 550th and 551st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) from Great Ashfield with B-17s; HQ 388th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 560th, 561st, 562nd and 563rd Bombardment Squadrons from Knettishall with B-17s; HQ 452nd Bombardment Group (Heavy) from Deopham Green; HQ 493rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 860th, 861st, 862nd and 863rd Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) from Debach with B-17s; 334th, 335th, 336th and 412th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 95th Bombardment Group (Heavy), from Horham with B-17s; 406th and 857th Bombardment Squadrons (Very Heavy), 492nd Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), from Harrington and Alconbury respectively; the 568th, 569th, 570th and 571st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy), from Framlingham with B-17s.