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

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 05 Oct 2026 03:47:46 -0000

October 5, 1942
8th AF: HQ 82nd Fighter Group and the 96th and 97th Fighter Squadrons arrive at Eglington, Co Derry, Ireland from the US with P-38s.

October 5, 1943
8th AF: HQ 356th Fighter Group transfers from Goxhill to Martlesham, England.

October 5, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 251
Target: Ford Motor Plant at Cologne, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 38
Length of Mission: 7 hours, 8 minutes
Bomb Load: 12 x 500 lb H.E. M43 & RDX bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 28,000, 27,700 & 27,100 ft
Ammo Fired: 1,480 rounds

October 5, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: General Order 507 implements the decision of 15 Sep to assign staff officers of HQ VIII Fighter Command to HQ Eighth AF to represent units in administrative functions, thus eliminating the administrative and operational control from HQ VIII Fighter Command and placing it under HQ Eighth AF; this is necessitated by the transfer of fighter groups to Bombardment Divisions. 2 missions are flown: Mission 665: 1,090 bombers and 733 fighters are dispatched to hit industrial targets, airfields and railways in W Germany; 9 bombers and 5 fighters are lost: 1. 348 B-17s dispatched hit targets of opportunity at Cologne (248), Brechten (27), Dortmund (14) and Coblenz (11) using GH and H2X; 3 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 156 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 16 MIA. Escort is provided by 181 of 193 P-51s; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 360 B-24s are dispatched to hit Lippstadt Airfield (175), Rheine marshalling yard (107) and Paderborn Airfield (28) visually; targets of opportunity hit are Herford marshalling yard (8) and Lipperode Airfield (2); 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 7 damaged. Escort is provided by 260 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 15-0-7 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 3 P-47s and 1 P-51 damaged. 3. 382 B-17s are dispatched to hit Munster/Loddenheide Airfield (235) and Munster/Handorf Airfield (68) using PFF means; targets of opportunity hit are the Rheine marshalling yard (10) and other (2); 6 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 190 damaged; 6 airmen are WIA and 55 MIA. Escort is provided by 234 P-47s and P-51s without loss. Mission 666: 8 of 10 bombers drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night.