This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: September 8th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 08 Sep 2026 17:14:01 -0000

September 8, 1942
ETO 8th AF: The "Joint British American Directive on Day Bomber Operations Involving Fighter Cooperation" is issued; worked out between Major General Carl Spaatz and the RAF, it consigns night bombing to the RAF and day bombing to the 8th AF; the purpose is to achieve continuity in the bombing offensive and secure RAF fighter support for US bombers; General Spaatz orders all tactical operations to give way to activity in support of Operation TORCH (plan for Allied landings in N and NW Africa in Nov 42); processing of units of the newly created Twelfth Air Force destined for N Africa takes priority over combat operations for the present. In England, HQ 3rd Photographic Group arrives at Membury from the US; 342nd and 414th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy), move from Grafton Underwood to Polebrook with B-17s.

September 8, 1943
8th AF: The 44th and 93rd Bombard-ment Groups (Heavy) resume operations in the UK after detached service in Africa; the 389th Bombardment Group (Heavy), previously diverted to Africa, becomes operational in the UK. VIII Air Support Command Missions 53 and 54. 1. 71 B-26's are dispatched to Lille/Nord Airfield in France; 68 hit the target at 0922 hours; 3 B-26's are damaged; no casualties. 2. 72 B-26's are dispatched to Lille/Vendeville Airfield in France; 68 hit the target at 1011-1013 hours; 1 B-26 is lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 21 are damaged; casualties are 1 MIA. 3. 72 B-26's are dispatched to Boulogne coastal defenses; 68 hit the target at 1756-1818 hours; 26 B-26's are damaged.

September 8, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 237
Target: I.G. Farben Plant at Ludwigshafen, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 7 hours, 50 minutes
Bomb Load: 6 x 1,000 lb G.P. XM44 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 28,200, 28,000 & 27,600 ft
Ammo Fired: 200 rounds

September 8, 1944
ETO: The first V-2 fired in combat explodes in a Paris suburb; the second strikes a London suburb a few hours later.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 611: 1,070 bombers and 349 fighters are dispatched to hit industrial targets in the Mainz and Ludwigshafen, Germany area; attacks were visual at the primary targets; 10 bombers are lost: 1. 348 of 384 B-17s attack the Ludwigshafen/Opau oil refinery; 5 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 185 damaged; 11 airmen are KIA, 15 WIA and 45 MIA. Escort is provided by 88 of 95 P-51s without loss. 2. 247 of 300 B-24s hit Karlsruhe marshalling yard; 1 hits a secondary target at Ludwigshafen; 4 B-24s are lost and 92 damaged; 7 airmen are KIA, 9 WIA and 29 MIA. Escort is provided by 82 of 93 P-51s; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair. 3. 386 B-17s are dispatched to hit an armored vehicle factory at Gustavsburg (167) and oil depot at Kassel (166); 23 others hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 132 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 9 MIA. Escort is provided by 144 of 161 P-51s without loss. Mission 615: 7 of 8 B-17s drop leaflets in the Low Countries, France and Germany during the night. VIII Fighter Command fighter missions: 1. 160 P-38s strafe and bomb rail transportation E of the Rhine River; they claim 7-0-1 aircraft on the ground. 2. 194 P-47s and P-51s strafe targets in the Heidelberg-Darmstadt-Wurzburg and Frankfurt/Main-Koblenz areas; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost and 9 P-47s and 4 P-51s are damaged; 1 pilot is WIA and 2 MIA. A C-47 flies a CARPETBAGGER mission in France. 110 B-24s fly TRUCKIN' mission to Orleans/Bricy Airfield, France.

September 8, 1944
The first German V-2 Bomb landed in Paris. A second V-2 exploded in London.