This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: December 13th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 13 Dec 2025 15:47:00 -0000

December 13, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 88
Target: City area, Bremen, Germany (PFF Bombing)
Crews Dispatched: 40 plus 3 spares
Crew Member Lost: T/Sgt. J.J. Barrett
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 30 minutes
Bomb Load: 42 x M47A1 incendiaries
Bombing Altitude: 28,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 7,905 rounds

December 13, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 154; the port area at Bremen and Kiel, Germany are hit; 5 aircraft are lost. This is the first mission where more than 600 aircraft are dispatched. 1. 171 of 182 B-17's dispatched to Bremen hit the target at 1159-1206 hours; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 30 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 3 WIA. 2. 367 of 403 B-17's, 93 of 107 B-24's, 12 of 12 B-17 PFF and 6 of 6 B-24 PFF aircraft are dispatched to Kiel; heavy frosting and poor visibility disrupts the formation and 78 B-17's hit targets of opportunity in Hamburg at 1300-1305 hours; the remaining aircraft hit Kiel at 1245-1317 hours; 7-3-17 Luftwaffe aircraft are claimed; 4 B-17's and 1 B-24 are lost; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 136 B-17's and 4 B-24's are lost; casualties are 4 KIA, 16 WIA and 50 MIA. These missions are escorted by 31 P-38's, 322 P-47's and 41 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 1-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost, 1 P-38 and 1 P-47 are damaged beyond repair and 1 P-38 is damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 1 MIA. P-51's escorting the heavy bombers reach the limit of their escort range for the first time. VIII Bomber Command Mission 155: 5 B-17's drop 1 million leaflets on Le Mans, Rennes, Tours, Nantes and Chartres, France at 2138-2155 hours; no losses.

December 13, 1944
303rd BG: Major Benjamin B. Ramsey, Group S-4 Engineering Officer, was made CO of te 444th Sub Depot. He replaced LtCol Horrace G. Cotton. Capt Quentin W. Hargrove became the new Group S-4 Officer, replacing Major Ramsey.