This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: May 19th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 19 May 2026 05:17:01 -0000

May 19, 1942
ETO 8th AF: Detachment, HQ 8th AF under Major General Ira C Eaker, assumes control of all AAF organizations in the British Isles.

May 19, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 38
Target: Deutsch Werft, Kiel A.G. Shipbuilding Yards,
Kiel, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 27
Crew Members Wounded: 3 crewmen wounded, one serious
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 17 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb H.E. M43 bombs/+Incendiary bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 23,700 ft & 26,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 80,527 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 10 destroyed, 7 probable, 11 damaged

May 19, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 59: 123 B-17's are dispatched against the U-boat yards at Kiel, Germany; 103 bomb the target at 1329-1333 hours local; we claim 48-7-21 Luftwaffe aircraft; we lose 6 B-17's and 28 others are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 7 WIA and 60 MIA. A smaller force, 64 B-17's, is dispatched against the naval yards at Flensburg, Germany; 55 attack the target at 1325-1328 hours local; we claim 12-4-14 Luftwaffe aircraft; 9 B-17's are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA and 4 WIA. An uneventful diversion is flown by 24 B-17's.

May 19, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 155
Target: City Area, Berlin, Germany (PFF-H2X Bombing)
Crews Dispatched: 37
Crews Lost: Lt. Roth - 10 MIA
Length of Mission: 9 hours, 30 minutes
Bomb Load: Group A - 10 x 500 lb G.P.; Group B - 42 x 65 lb
M47A1 Incendiary bombs
Bombing Altitudes: Group A - 26,000 ft; Group B - 25,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 7,120 rounds

May 19, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 358: 888 bombers and 700 fighters are dispatched to hit targets in Germany; very heavy cloud cover forces the bombers to use H2X PFF methods; Luftwaffe resistance is heavy and 28 bombers and 19 fighters are lost; the fighters claim 77-0-33 Luftwaffe aircraft: 1. 588 B-17s are dispatched to Berlin; 495 hit the primary, 49 hit the port area at Kiel and 1 hits a target of opportunity; 16 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 289 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 16 WIA and 137 MIA. 2. 300 B-24s are dispatched to the industrial area at Brunswick; 272 hit the primary and 1 bombs a target of opportunity; 12 B-24s are lost and 64 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 8 WIA and 119 MIA. Escort is provided by 155 P-38s, 182 P-47s and 363 P-51s of the 8th AF and 264 Ninth Air Force aircraft; the P-38s claim 0-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground, the P-47s claim 29-0-16 in the air and 2-0-0 on the ground and the P-51s claim 41-0-5 in the air and 4-0-10 on the ground; 4 P-38s, 4 P-47s and 11 P-51s are lost; 2 P-38s are damaged beyond repair; 5 P-38s, 4 P-47s and 7 P-51s are damaged; 17 pilots are MIA.

May 19, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: HQ 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) begins a movement from Hardwick, England to the US.