This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: September 11th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 11 Sep 2026 17:42:40 -0000

September 11, 1943
8th AF: VIII Air Support Command Mission 56: Two locations in France are targeted: 1. 20 B-26's are dispatched to the Rouen power station; 19 hit the secondary target, the shipyard at Le Trait at 1704 hours, when the primary target is obscured by clouds; 14 B-26's are damaged; casualties are 1 WIA. 2. 35 B-26's are dispatched to Beaumont le Roger Airfield; 32 hit the target at 1756 hours; 1 B-26 is damaged beyond repair; casualties are 4 KIA. HQ 92nd Bombardment Group (Heavy) transfers from Alconbury to Podington, England. The group will remain at this station until Jun 45.

September 11, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 240
Target: Synthetic Oil Plant at Lutzkendorf, near Halle, Ger.
Crews Dispatched: 26
Length of Mission: 7 hours, 32 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb G.P. M43 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 27,900 & 26,800 ft
Ammo Fired: 31,155 rounds

September 11, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Two missions are flown. Mission 623: 1,131 bombers and 440 fighters are dispatched to hit synthetic oil plants and refineries in Germany; AAF encounters an estimated 525 Luftwaffe fighters; 40 bombers and 17 fighters are lost; AAF claim 115-7-23 aircraft in the air and 42-0-43 on the ground: 1. 384 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil refineries at Bohlen (75), Chemnitz (75), Brux (39) and Ruhland (22); the Chemnitz force is an Operation FRANTIC force that along with 64 P-51s, continues on and lands in the USSR; targets of opportunity are a tire plant at Fulda (66), a marshalling yard at Fulda (40) and 16 others; they claim 12-16-1 aircraft; 16 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 94 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 4 WIA and 153 MIA. Escort is provided by 252 of 275 P-51s; they claim 57-2-12 aircraft in the air and 26-0-25 on the ground; 4 P-51s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged; 4 pilots are MIA. 2. 351 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil refineries at Merseburg (111) and Lutzkendorf (96); targets of opportunity hit are Eisennach (71), Labejum (12), Rossla (6) and 25 others; they claim 1-1-2 aircraft; 13 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 106 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 21 WIA and 120 MIA. Escort is provided by 247 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 13-0-1 aircraft in the air and 4-0-2 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 2 P-47s and 4 P-51s damaged; 3 pilots are MIA. 3. 396 B-24s are dispatched to hit an engine factory at Hannover (88), oil refineries at Misburg (87) and Magdeburg (33) and an ordinance depot at Magdeburg (27); targets of opportunity hit are Magdeburg (70), Stendal (45), Diepholz (9) and 3 others; they claim 4-8-1 aircraft; 10 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 179 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 13 WIA and 102 MIA. Escort is provided by 164 P-38s and P-51s; they claim 45-5-10 aircraft in the air and 12-0-16 on the ground; 10 P-51s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 7 damaged; 14 pilots are MIA. Mission 625: 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets on France and Germany during the night. 38 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.