This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: May 4th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 04 May 2026 17:54:38 -0000

May 4, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 33
Target: General Motor & Ford Motor Co. Plants,
Antwerp, Belgium
Crews Dispatched: 27
Crews Wounded: 2 Crew Members had slight wounds
Length of Mission: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Bomb Load: 5 x 1,000 lb. General Purpose bombs
Bombing Altitude: 23,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 21,907 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 5 Destroyed, 1 Probable
Clark Gable flew his first 8th AF combat missions
with the 303rd BG(H) on this date.

May 4, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission No. 54: 79 B-17's are dispatched against the former Ford and General Motors plants at Antwerp, Belgium; 65 aircraft hit the target between 1839 and 1843 hours local. We claim 10-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 16 B-17's are damaged. Casualties are 3 WIA. The B-17's are escorted by 117 P-47C's up to 175 miles (280 km) from base. A diversion is flown by 20 B-17's and 13 B-24's towards the French coast arousing more than 100 German fighters (about half of the total number in the region) and keeping many of them airborne long enough to prevent their attacking the main effort. None of the 33 diversionary aircraft are damaged or lost.

May 4, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 150
Target: Zwischenahn, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 36
Length of Mission: 4 hours, 45 minutes
Bomb Load: 2 x 1000 G.P. bombs plus 4 x M17 Incendiary Clusters
Bombing Altitude: No Bombs Dropped
Ammo Fired: 210 rounds

May 4, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 338: 591 bombers and 516 fighters are dispatched to Berlin, Brunswick and targets in C Germany; the mission is recalled due to cloud cover but 40 B-17s bomb Bergen/Alkmaar Airfield, The Netherlands; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 15 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA and 1 WIA. Escort is provided by 50 P-38s, 179 P-47s and 287 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; the P-47s claim 8-2-5 Luftwaffe aircraft and the P-51s claim 1-0-1; 2 P-47s and 1 P-51 are lost, 3 P-47s and 2 P-51s are damaged beyond repair and 1 P-38 and 8 P-47s are damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 3 MIA. HQ 95th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) moves from Ketteringham to Halesworth, England.

May 4, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 978: 1 B-17s and 8 B-24s are dispatched on a leaflet mission during the night of 4/5 May; 7 aircraft drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany.