This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: February 27th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 27 Feb 2026 02:12:03 -0000

February 27, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 18
Target: U-Boat Pens, Brest, France
Crews Dispatched: 16
Length of Mission: 5 hours 22 minutes
Bomb Load: 5 x 1000 lb H.E. M44 bombs
Bombing Altitude: 21,600 ft
Ammo Fired: 9,440 rounds

February 27, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 38: 63 B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Wing and 15 B-24s of the 2nd Bombardment Wing are dispatched against the U-boat pens, port and naval facilities at Brest, France; 46 B-17s and 14 B-24s drop 155 tons of bombs on the target between 1455 and 1500 hours local; 2 B-24s are damaged; there are no casualties. Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 40 uneventful sorties; 16 on shipping patrols and 24 as part of an escort for RAF Venturas bombing Dunkirk, France.

February 27, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 325
Target: Marshalling Yard at Leipzig, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 8 hours, 45 minutes
Bomb Load: 6 x 500 lb H.E. M43 & 4 x 500 lb M17 Incendiaries
Bombing Altitudes: 26,500, 26,300 & 26,800 ft
Ammo Fired: 640 rounds

February 27, 1945
303rd BG: The 427th BS held a large "Jamboree Party" at the Red Cross Aero Club. Among the activities was a dance, featuring "The Rhythm Pilots."

February 27, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 851: 1,107 bombers and 745 fighters are dispatched to hit road and rail communications at Halle and Leipzig using H2X radar; they claim 83-0-19 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-24s and 2 P-51s are lost: 1. 314 of 351 B-24s hit the marshalling yard at Halle; targets of opportunity are Bitterfeld (21) and other (3); 2 B-24s are lost and 4 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 18 MIA. Escorting are 196 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 45-0-3 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 717 of 756 B-17s hit the rail center at Leipzig; 7 others hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA. The escort is 453 of 489 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 36-0-16 on the ground without loss. 3. 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission without loss. 4. 13 P-51s escort 2 F-5s and 2 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over C and E Germany. Mission 852: During the night of 27/28 Feb, 23 of 26 B-24s bomb Wilhelmshafen oil storage by PFF without loss and 1 B-17 and 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany.