This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: December 30th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 30 Dec 2025 10:08:49 -0000

December 30, 1942
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 8
Target: Cement-topped Submarine Pens, Lorient, France
Crews Dispatched: 16
Length of Mission: 5 hours, 35 minutes
Bomb Load: 2 x 2000 lb H.E. M34 bombs
Bombing Altitude: 22,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 8,525 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 4 Destroyed, 1 Probable

December 30, 1942
During Mission Number 27, 77 bombers are dispatched to the submarine base at Lorient, France; 40 aircraft attack with the loss of three B-17s to German fighters. The submarine base shows the cumulative effect of repeated bombardment.

December 30, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 93
Target: I.G. Farben Chemical Works, Ludwigshafen, Ger.
Crews Dispatched: 33 plus 3 spares
Crews Lost: 1 crew; Lt. W.C. Osborn, 3 KIA, 5 POW, 2 EVD
Length of Mission: 7 hours, 30 minutes
Bomb Load: 42 x 65 lb British Incendiaries
Bombing Altitudes: High Group - 23,700 ft; Low Group - 21,700 ft
Ammo Fired: 10,635 rounds

December 30, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 169: The port area and oil refinery at Ludwigshafen, Germany are hit at 1156-1300 hours. 502 of 530 B-17's 145 of 168 B-24's, and 11 of 12 PFF aircraft attack the target; they claim 12-4-9 Luftwaffe aircraft; 14 B-17's and 9 B-24's are lost, 4 B-17's and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair and 106 B-17's and 11 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 11 KIA, 19 WIA and 200 MIA. The mission is escorted by 79 P-38's, 463 P-47's and 41 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 8-3-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 11 P-47's and 2 P-51's are lost, 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair and 5 P-47's are damaged; casualties are 12 MIA. VIII Bomber Command Mission 170: 5 B-17's drop 1 million leaflets on Antwerp, Ghent, Lens, Belgium and Cambrai, France at 2319-2340 hours; no losses.

December 30, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 293
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yard at Kaiserslautern, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 40 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb H.E. M43 & 2 x 500 lb M17 Incendiaries
Bombing Altitudes: 25,350, 24,400 & 26,150 ft

December 30, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 770: 1,315 bombers and 572 fighters are sent to attack rail and communications targets in W Germany; 4 bombers and 2 fighters are lost: 1. 526 B-17s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Kassel (314) and Mannheim (181); 9 other hit a targets of opportunity; 3 B-17s are lost and 37 damaged; 24 airmen are MIA. Escorting are 301 of 325 P-51s; 2 are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 414 B-17s are sent to hit rail bridges at Bullay (72) and Kaiserslautern (72) and the marshalling yard at Bischoffsheim (35); secondary targets are the marshalling yards at Kaiserslautern (144) and Mainz (45); and 25 hit the city of Kassel; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 24 damaged; 12 airmen are KIA and 6 MIA. Escort is provided by 144 of 154 P-51s without loss. 3. 369 B-24s are sent to hit rail bridges at Altenahr (61), Auskirchen (91), and Irlich (58), the Irlich rail bridge (58), the Remagen Bridge (57) and the marshalling yard at Mechernich (87); 1 B-24 is damaged. The escort is 63 of 72 P-47s without loss. 4. 6 of 6 B-17s fly a screening mission. 5. 20 of 21 P-51s fly a scouting mission. Mission 771: 8 B-24s and 3 B-17s drop leaflet in the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany during the night.