This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: July 7th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 07 Jul 2026 00:28:04 -0000

July 7, 1943
8th AF: HQ 7th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group arrives at Mount Farm, England from the US. HQ 352nd Fighter Group and its 328th, 486th and 487th Fighter Squadrons with P-47D's arrive at Bodney, England from the US. The group will fly its first combat mission on 9 Sep 43.

July 7, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 198
Target: Leipzig (Mockau), Germany
Crews Dispatched: 38
Length of Mission: 8 hours
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb G.P. & 10 x 500 lb Incendiary bombs
Bombing Altitudes: Group A - 24,000 ft; Group B - 23,000 ft

July 7, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 458: 1,129 bombers and 756 fighters are dispatched to attack synthetic oil plants, aircraft assembly plants and engine works, airfields and an equipment depot, marshalling yards railway station and railway repair shops in Germany; 37 bombers and 6 fighters are lost: 1. Of 373 B-24s, 102 hit Lutzkendorf and 64 hit Halle oil plants, 90 hit Bernburg and 73 hit Aschersleben aircraft plants and 8 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 39-5-10 Luftwaffe aircraft; 28 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 126 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 11 WIA and 274 MIA. Escort is provided by 224 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s; they claim 46-1-16 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38 and 3 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA). 2. Of 303 B-17s, 64 hit Bohlen and 51 hit Merseburg oil plants, 67 hit Kolleda and 32 hit Lutzkendorf Airfields, 22 hit targets of opportunity and 16 hit Gottingen marshalling yard; 2 B-17s are lost and 112 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 20 MIA. Escort is provided by 185 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s; they claim 9-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 3-0-1 on the ground; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost (pilots are MIA). 3. Of 453 B-17s, 114 hit Leipzig/Taucha, 79 hit Leipzig/Mockau, 35 hit Leipzig/Heiterblick and 15 hit Leipzig/Abtnaundorf oil plants, 46 hit Leipzig bearing industry, 35 hit Kolleda Airfield, 19 hit Leipzig Station and 7 hit Nordhausen; 7 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 152 damaged; 15 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 50 MIA. Escort is provided by 247 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 20-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair (pilot is WIA). Mission 459: 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets in France and Belgium during the night. 19 B-24s participate in CARPETBAGGER operations during the night.