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

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 30 Oct 2026 11:15:00 -0000

October 30, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 264
Target: Marshalling Yard at Hamm, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 5 hours, 48 minutes
Bomb Load: 18 x 250 lb H.E. M57 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 27,300, 26,750, & 24,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 1,170 rounds

October 30, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 3 missions are flown. Mission 693: 1,279 bombers and 978 fighters fly a major mission against German oil production facilities; 2 bombers and 5 fighters are lost: 1. 357 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Harburg oil refinery (72) and Rhenania oil refinery (67) at Hamburg; targets of opportunity are Hamburg (28), Cuxhaven (25), Wesermunde (21), Uetersen (9), Bremen (1) and other (1); 2 B-24s are lost and 30 damaged; 19 airmen are MIA. Escort is provided by 293 P-47s and P-51s; 4 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 463 B-17s dispatched hit secondary targets, the marshalling yards at Hamm (209) and Munster (192); targets of opportunity are Osnabruck (12), Enschede (2) and other (4); 17 B-17s are damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 2 MIA. Escort is provided by 123 of 135 P-47s; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 459 B-17s dispatched to hit the Leuna oil refinery at Merseburg are recalled due to deteriorating weather; 2 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 482 of 508 P-51s without loss. Mission 693A: 2 of 5 B-17s make an APHRODITE attack on Heligoland Island, Germany; escort is provided by 7 of 7 P-47s. 26 of 27 B-17s, escorted by 8 of 8 P-47s, fly a cover mission to Heligoland without loss. Mission 694: 2 B-17s and 7 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night.

October 30, 1944
Last use of gas chambers at Auschwitz.