This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: June 25th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 25 Jun 2026 05:58:56 -0000

June 25, 1942
ETO 8th AF: HQ 8th AF moves from London to Bushy Park, a London suburb.

June 25, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 44
Target: Shipyards/Submarine Buildings at Hamburg, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 25
Crews Lost: Lt. Palmer - 7 KIA, 4 POW; Lt. Mack - 1 KIA, 9 POW;
Lt. Stallings - 1 KIA, 5 WIA
Crew Members Lost or Wounded: 1 WIA
Length of Mission: 5 hours, 15 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb H.E. M43 bombs
Bombing Altitude: 19,000 ft
Ammo Fired: 41,841 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 17 Destroyed, 7 Probable, 4 Damaged

June 25, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 67: 275 B-17's make scattered attacks on targets of opportunity in NW Germany when primary targets at Bremen and Hamburg are obscured by clouds; 167 bomb targets and claim 62-11-40 Luftwaffe aircraft; we lose 18 B-17's, 1 is damaged beyond repair and another 61 are damaged; casualties are 3 KIA, 14 WIA and 172 MIA. Of 7 YB-40 escort bombers dispatched only 4 are able to accompany formations to the target area. HQ 387th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrives at Chipping Ongar, England from the US.

June 25, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 191
Target: Airdrome at Toulouse/Francazal, France
Crew Dispatched: 13
Length of Mission: 10 hours, 20 minutes
Bomb Load: 65 lb M47A1 Incendiary bombs
Bombing Altitude: 25,500 ft

June 25, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 192
Target: Bridges at Sens & Coulanges-sur-Yonne, France
Crews Dispatched: 21
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 35 minutes
Bomb Load: 2 x 2,000 lb G.P. bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 20,700 & 18,000 ft

June 25, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 441: During the morning 658 bombers are dispatched to hit targets in France; 7 bombers are lost: 1. Of 263 B-17s, 104 hit Toulouse/Francazal Airfield, 72 hit Toulouse/Blangnac Airfield and 64 hit Montbartier oil depot; 5 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 114 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 45 MIA. Escort is provided by 46 P-38s, 36 P-47s and 146 P-51s; they claim 10-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot is MIA). 2. Of 258 B-24s, 43 hit targets of opportunity, 23 hit Beuvry, 18 hit Mazingarbe, 12 hit Aube-sur-Risle, 12 hit Doullens, 12 hit La Vaupalier, 12 hit Peronne Airfield, 11 hit Amiens/St Maurice, 11 hit Calais, 11 hit Tingry, 10 hit Abbeville, 10 hit St Omer/Longuenesse, 8 hit Boulogne, 8 hit Holque, 7 hit Nunque, 7 hit Pont-a-Vendin, 2 hit Chocques; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 26 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 2 WIA. Escort is provided by 68 P-47s and 34 P-51s without loss. 3. Of 137 B-24s, 59 hit St Avord Airfield and 48 hit Bourge Airfield; 1 B-24 is lost; 10 airmen are MIA. Escort is provided by 102 P-38s and 44 P-47s; they claim 8-0-4 Luftwaffe aircraft without loss. Mission 442: During the midday 463 bombers are dispatched to targets in France; 6 bombers are lost; escort is provided by 127 P-38s, 35 P-47s and 181 P-51s; they claim 4-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot is MIA): 1. Of 274 B-24s, 63 hit Villacoublay air depot, 35 hit Bretigny Airfield and 11 hit Buc Airfield; 5 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 104 damaged; 11 airmen are KIA, 7 WIA and 59 MIA. 2. Of 189 B-17s, 70 hit Soigny Bridge, 38 hit Sens Bridge, 28 hit Clamecy, 21 hit Auxerre Bridge, 21 hit Nanteuil, 20 hit Nogent, 18 hit Orly Airfield, 13 hit Romilly-sur-Seine, 12 hit Folous, 12 hit Etampes/Mondesir Airfield and 3 hit Orly marshalling yard; 1 B-17 is lost and 20 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA and 19 MIA. 41 of 43 P-47s fly a flight-bomber mission against Evreux/Fauville landing ground. In the USSR, B-17s and P-51s are flown, at daybreak, from dispersal bases to Poltava and Mirgorod and loaded and fueled with intentions of bombing the oil refinery at Drohobycz, Poland and proceed to base in Italy. Bad weather cancels the mission until the tomorrow. The aircraft return to dispersal bases for the night as precaution against air attacks. 24 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER mission.

June 25, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Unit moves in England: HQ 381st Bombardment Group (Heavy) begins a movement from Ridgewell to the US; 546th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 384th Bombardment Group (Heavy), from Grafton Underwood to Istres, France with B-17s to transport personnel from France to N Africa.