This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: August 4th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 04 Aug 2026 10:08:35 -0000

August 4, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 56A
Crew Loss
B-17F #42-3124 (No Name), piloted by 1Lt. James N. Pratt, crashed
on the summit of Arenig Fahr, a 2,800 ft mountain in Snowdonia, Wales
(six miles due east of Bala), while on a night cross-country flight. Little is
known about why they were flying in this area or about the purpose of the
flight. Eight men in the makeshift 427BS crew were killed.

August 4, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: VIII Air Support Command Mission 14: 36 B-26's are dispatched to shipyards at Le Trait, France; 33 hit the target at 1926 hours without loss or casualties.
The 416th Night Fighter Squadron, VIII Fighter Command, begins moving from Acklington, England to Algiers, Algeria with Beaufighters.

August 4, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 218
Target: G.A.F. Experimental V-Rocket Station, Peenemunde, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 8 hours, 50 minutes
Bomb Load: 5 x 1,000 lb G.P. M43 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 23,000, 22,000 & 21,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 4,010 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 1 Destroyed

August 4, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 219
Target: Railroad bridge & canal locks at Graveline, France
Crews Dispatched: 11
Length of Mission: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Bomb Load: 20 x 250 lb G.P. M57 bombs
Bombing Altitude: 25,000 ft

August 4, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 3 missions are flown: Mission 514: 1,307 bombers and 746 fighters are dispatched to strategic targets in Germany; 15 bombers are lost: 1. Of 358 B-17s, 181 hit Hamburg oil refineries, 50 hit Bremen oil refineries, 23 hit Nordhof Airfield, 22 hit Ostend, Belgium coastal defenses, 14 hit Einswarden and 7 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 0-4-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-17s are lost, 8 damaged beyond repair and 196 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 63 MIA. Escort is provided by 234 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 38-1-5 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 9-0-1 on the ground; 2 P-47s and 3 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA) and 2 P-47s and 2 P-51s are damaged. 2. Of 425 B-27s, 221 hit Peenemunde, 110 hit Anklam Airfield and 70 hit Anklam aircraft factories; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 94 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 40 MIA. Escort is provided by 223 of 250 P-51s; they claim 4-0-4 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 9 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA) and 1 is damaged beyond repair; 1 pilot is KIA. 3. Of 446 B-24s, 148 hit Rostock aviation factories, 89 hit Kiel, 88 hit Schwerin aviation factories, 71 hit Wismar aviation factories, 12 hit Schlutup, 11 hit Warien and 1 hits a target of opportunity; 4 B-24s are lost and 114 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 40 MIA. Escort is provided by 209 P-38s and P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost and 1 P-38 is damaged; 1 pilot is KIA. 4. Of 78 B-24s, 39 hit Husum Airfield and 29 hit Hemmingstedt/Heide oil refinery without loss. Mission 515: The first APHRODITE mission is flown using 4 radio-controlled war weary B-17s as flying bombs; targets are Mimoyecques, Siracourt, Watten, and Wizernes V-weapon sites but none are hit; 1 drone B-17 crashes killing 1 crew. Escort is provided by 16 P-47s and 16 P-51s. Mission 516: In France, 154 B-17s and 36 fighters are dispatched to hit V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais and coastal defenses at Middelkerke and Gravelines: 1. Of 95 B-24s, 24 hit the Pas de Calais, 12 hit Achiet Airfield, 11 hit Gravelines, 11 hit Middelkerke, 6 hit Lens marshalling yard and 6 hit Villy/Montigne marshalling yard; 17 B-24s are damaged. 2. Of 59 B-17s, 13 hit targets of opportunity, 12 hit Lille/Vendeville Airfield and 11 hit a bridge at Gravelines; 12 B-17s are damaged. Escort for the two groups above is provided by 35 P-47s and P-51s. 67 of 69 P-47s fly a fighter-bomber mission against Plantlunne Airfield; they claim 30-0-5 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot is MIA), 1 is damaged beyond repair and 8 damaged.

August 4, 1945
VIII Fighter Command: Units beginning a movement from England to the US: HQ 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy) from Framlingham; 856th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 492nd Bombardment Group (Heavy), from Harrington with B-24s.