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

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 22 Jun 2026 01:58:04 -0000

June 22, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 43
Target: Synthetic Rubber Plant, Huls, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 28
Crews Lost: Lt. Jess - 6 KIA, 4 POW, 1 WIA
Length of Mission: 5 hours, 55 minutes / 5 hours, 25 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 26,450 ft & 27,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 45,169 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 1 Damaged

June 22, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 65: In the first large-scale daylight raid on the Ruhr, 235 B-17's are dispatched to hit the chemical works and synthetic rubber plant at Huls in the main attack; 183 bomb the target; we claim 46-21-35 Luftwaffe aircraft; we lose 16 and 75 others are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 16 WIA and 151 MIA; this plant, representing a large percentage of the country's producing capacity, is severely damaged. 11 YB-40's accompany the Huls raid; 1 is lost. In a second raid, 42 B-17's are dispatched to bomb the former Ford and General Motors plants at Antwerp; 39 hit the target; they claim 1-2-9 Luftwaffe aircraft; we lose 4, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 17 others are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 3 WIA and 40 MIA. An additional 21 B-17's fly an uneventful diversion.

June 22, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 189
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yard at Lille, France
Crews Dispatched: 26
Crews Lost: Lt. D.M. Fisher, 9 KIA, 1 EVD
Length of Mission: 4 hours, 45 minutes
Bomb Load: 12 x 500 lb G.P. M64 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: Group A - 26,000 ft; Group B - 25,800 ft

June 22, 1944
303rd BH (H) Combat Mission No. 188
Target: Military Installations at Wizernes, France
Crews Dispatched: 14
Crews Lost: Lt. Erickson
Length of Mission: 4 hours, 25 minutes
Bomb Load: 2 x 2,000 lb G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitude: 24,000 ft

June 22, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Because of the attack on B-17s at Poltava, USSR, on yesterday's shuttle mission, the B-17s at Mirgorod and P-51s at Piryatin are moved farther E; they are to be returned to Mirgorod and Piryatin to be dispatched to bases in Italy as soon as the weather permits; the move is fortunate as German bombers strike both Piryatin and Mirgorod during the night of 22/23 Jun. Mission 431: In a morning mission 85 of 108 B-17s and 132 of 194 B-24s attack 12 CROSSBOW (V-weapon) installations in the Pas de Calais area; 1 B-17s is lost; 64 B-17s and 59 B-24s are damaged; 10 airmen are MIA. Escort is provided by 165 P-47s and 97 P-51s; some of the support fighters strafe coastal defenses; 1 P-51 is lost and 2 P-47s are damaged beyond repair; 1 pilot is KIA and 1 MIA. Mission 432: During the afternoon 797 bombers are dispatched to attack 22 targets in France and Belgium; 9 bombers are lost: 1. Of 319 B-17s dispatched, 76 hit Lille/Fimes marshalling yard, 69 hit Ghent/Maritime marshalling yard, 35 hit Rouen oil depot, 13 hit La Vaubaliers, 13 hit Furnes Airfield, 13 hit Tingry, 12 hit Abbeville, 12 hit a tank area N of Rouen, 12 hit Douai railroad, 11 hit Mazingarbe, 10 hit Pont a Vendin, 1 hits Douai railroad; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 81 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 29 MIA. Escort is provided by 108 P-47s; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft. 2. Of 149 B-24s, 46 hit Guyancourt/Caudron Airfield, 43 hit St Cyr Airfield, 36 hit Buc Airfield, 13 hit targets of opportunity and 5 hit Tours/La Riche bridge; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 67 B-24s are damaged; 1 airmen is KIA and 3 MIA. Escort is provided by 187 of 200 P-38s and 36 of 46 P-47s; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 P-38s are lost (pilots are MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 3. Of 216 B-17s, 70 hit Nucourt V-weapon site, 38 hit Brie-Comte-Robert Sug, 33 hit Etampes Airfield, 11 hit Lieusant railroad, 11 hit Melun bridge and 11 hit Melun marshalling yard; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 187 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA and 30 MIA. Of 113 B-24s, 101 hit an oil dump at Paris and 1 hits Dreux Airfield; 2 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 37 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 2 WIA and 23 MIA. Escort is provided by 78 of 86 P-51s; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA). 4. 9 of 10 B-24s use Azon glide bombs against the Samur Bridge; escort is provided by 41 of 43 P-51s. Mission 433: 1 B-17 flies a daylight leaflet mission to La Glacrie, France. Mission 434: 9 of 9 B-17s drop leaflets in France and the Low Countries during the night. 10 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions in France during the night.

June 22, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Unit moves from England: HQ 2nd Air Division begins a movement from Ketteringham Hall to the US; HQ 384th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 544th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) from Grafton Underwood to Istres, France with B-17s to move US soldiers to Casablanca, French Morocco for return to the US; 322nd, 323rd and 401st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy), from Bassingbourn with B-17s.