This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: January 31st

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 31 Jan 2026 02:30:48 -0000

January 31, 1943
303rd BG: Mission to Hamm, Germany Railroad Marshalling Yards was scrubbed due to bad weather.

January 31, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 203: 74 of 74 B-24's hit V-weapon site construction at St. Pol/Siracourt, France; 2 aircraft are damaged beyond repair; no losses. The B-24's are escorted by 114 P-47's. Mission 204: 70 of 75 P-47 fighter-bombers, escorted by 47 P-38's and 87 P-47's bomb Gilze-Rijen Airfield, The Netherlands; they claim 13-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 P-38's are lost, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair and 2 P-47's damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 6 MIA. Transfers in England: HQ 357th Fighter Group and 362nd Fighter Squadron from Raydon to Leiston with P-51's (first mission is 11 Feb); HQ 358th Fighter Group and 367th Fighter Squadron from Leiston to Raydon with P-47's and is reassigned to the Ninth Air Force on 1 Feb.

January 31, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 813: 291 B-24s, 112 B-17s and 186 P-51s are recalled from a mission against targets in Germany because of expected bad weather at UK bases and heavy clouds; 1 B-17 and 3 B-24s are damaged beyond repair; 6 airmen are KIA and 8 WIA.