This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: February 14th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 14 Feb 2026 08:59:27 -0000

February 14, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 15
Target: Industrial Targets, Hamm, Germany
(Aborted)
Crews Dispatched: 19
Length of Mission: 3 1/2 to 4 1/4 hours
Bomb Load: 5 x 1000 lbs M44 H.E. & 10 x 500 H.E. M43 bombs
Bombing Altitude: 22,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 8,748 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 1 Destroyed, 1 Damaged

February 14, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 34: The 1st Bombardment Wing dispatches 74 B-17s against the Hamm, Germany marshalling yards. The mission is cancelled due to weather and the aircraft are recalled before they pass the European coast. We claim 1 enemy aircraft destroyed; 1 B-17 is damaged. Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 18 uneventful sorties on shipping patrols.

February 14, 1944
General Dwight D Eisenhower establishes HQ Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). Chief of Staff, Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC) comes under control of SHAEF.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 222: 48 P-47s are dispatched to Eindhoven Airfield in the Netherlands; the primary target is overcast and 46 of 48 hit Gilze-Rijen Airfield without loss. 22nd Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) based at Mount Farm, England, sends a detachment to operate from Attlebridge, England with F-5s.

February 14, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 314
Target: Military Objectives at Dresden, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 9 hours, 5 minutes
Bomb Load: 6 x 500 lb H.E. M43 & 4 x 500 lb M17 Incendiaries
Bombing Altitudes: 27,900, 26,600, & 28,300 ft
Ammo Fired: 1,750 rounds
View Mission Report

February 14, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 830: 1,377 bombers and 962 fighters are dispatched to hit oil and rail targets in Germany; bombing of most targets is by H2X radar; they claim 11-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 bombers and 7 fighters are lost: 1. 461 B-17s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Dresden (311); targets of opportunity are Prague (62), Brux (25) and Pilsen (12) in Czechoslovakia and other (25); they claim 1-0-0 aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 54 damaged; 4 airmen are KIA, 15 WIA and 49 MIA. Escorting are 281 of 316 P-51s; 3 are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 2. 457 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Chemnitz (294); targets of opportunity are Eger Airfield (38), Bamberg (33), Sonneberg (23), Tachau (24), Hof marshalling yard (12) and other (17); 1 B-17 is lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 103 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 4 WIA and 14 MIA. The escort is 224 of 238 P-51s; 2 are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 3. 375 B-24s are sent to hit an oil refinery at Magdeburg but are unable to attack due to weather; 340 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Magdeburg; targets of opportunity are Emlicheim (1), Meppen (1), Bodenteich (1) and other (1); 1 B-24 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 16 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. 253 of 273 P-51s escort; they claim 10-0-3 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 84 B-17s are sent to hit the Wesel road bridge (37); 35 hit the secondary, the Dulmen oil depot and 1 hits Ahaus, a target of opportunity; 15 B-17s are damaged. 26 of 30 P-51s escort the bombers. 5. 44 of 49 P-47s fly a sweep of the Magdeburg area without loss. 6. 24 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany. 7. 29 of 32 P-51s fly a scouting mission. Mission 831: 10 B-24s drop leaflet in the Netherlands and Germany during the night.