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

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 31 Aug 2026 14:59:34 -0000

August 31, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 65
Target: Amiens-Gilsy Airdrome, Amiens, France
Crews Dispatched: 20
Crews Lost: Lt. W.J. Monahan, 1 KIA, 5 POW, 4 EVD
Length of Mission: 4 hours, 15 minutes
Bomb Load: 500 lb M-43 G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitude: 23,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 7,259 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 1 Destroyed, 2 Probable

August 31, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 88: Two aviation locations in France are targetted: 1. 170 B-17's are dispatched to Amiens/Glisy Airfield; 105 hit the target at 1807-1824 hours; they claim 5-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-17's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 35 damaged; casualties are 5 KIA, 8 WIA and 33 MIA. 2. 149 B-17's are dispatched to the aircraft plant at Meulan; the plant is cloud covered and 1 B-17 hits a railway NE of Rouen; 19 B-17s are damaged; casualties are 1 WIA. These missions are escorted by 160 P-47's which claim 2-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-47's are lost and both pilots are listed as MIA. VIII Air Support Command Missions 41 and 42: 216 B-26's are dispatched to Rouen and Mazingarbe power stations; Poix/Nord and Lille/Nord Airfields; and the Hesdin fuel dump; 104 hit the targets; 1 B-26 is lost and 13 damaged; casualties are 5 WIA and 6 MIA.

August 31, 1944
303rd BG: The Hell?s Angels baseball team defeated Station 121 by a score of 6 to 3 to win the First Division League Championship.

August 31, 1945
VIII Fighter Command: The 369th and 423rd Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy), based at Thurleigh, England with B-17s, send detachments to operate from Istres, France to photo-map Europe and Africa.