This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: February 3rd

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 03 Feb 2026 01:53:53 -0000

February 3, 1942
303rd BG: The 303rd BG (H) was activated at Pendleton Field, Pendleton, Oregon. LtCol Ford J. Lauer was Commanding Officer.

February 3, 1943
303rd BG: First Birthday of the 303rd BG (H),

February 3, 1943
8th AF: VIII Fighter Command Circus 258 (a Circus was a large force of fighters escorting a small force of bombers to entice the Luftwaffe up to fight): 22 Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group escort 12 Venturas on an uneventful Circus 258. The 4th Fighter Group also flies 25 sorties on uneventful offensive missions.

February 3, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 103
Target: U-Boat Facilities at Wilhelmshaven, Germany (PFF)
Crews Dispatched: 39
Crews Lost: Capt. G.A. White, 10 KIA
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 20 minutes
Bomb Load: 6 & 12 x 500 lb G.P. bombs (6 w/bomb bay tanks)
Bombing Altitudes: 28,000 ft and 28,300 ft
Ammo Fired: 5,450 rounds

February 3, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 206: 553 of 671 B-17s hit the port area at Wilhelmshaven, Germany; another 56 hit the Emden area; and 1 hits Oldenburg; 1.8 million leaflets are dropped by B-17s; 193 B-24s are dispatched but they abort the mission over the Zuider Zee due to clouds; 0-1-0 Luftwaffe aircraft are claimed; 4 B-17s are lost, 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 47 B-17s are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 9 WIA and 42 MIA. Escort is provided by 74 P-38s, 508 P-47s of the Eighth and Ninth Air Force and 50 Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 8-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 P-47s and 1 P-51 are lost, 3 P-47s are damaged beyond repair and 13 P-47s are damaged; casualties are 9 MIA. Mission 207: 7 of 7 B-17s drop 420 bundles of leaflets on Paris, Rouen, Amiens, Reims, Orleans and Rennes, France at 2110-2146 hours; no losses.

February 3, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 311
Target: Military Objectives at Berlin, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 8 hours, 15 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb H.E. M43 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 24,200, 23,000 & 25,100 ft
Ammo Fired: 1,755 rounds

February 3, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 817: 1,437 bombers and 948 fighters are dispatched in a major strike on Berlin by B-17s while B-24s hit the synthetic oil industry at Magdeburg; they claim 38-1-18 Luftwaffe aircraft; 25 bombers and 8 fighters are lost: 1. 1,003 B-17s are sent to hit the Tempelhof marshalling yard in Berlin (937); targets of opportunity are Bad Zwischenahn (1), Bromsche (1), Gatow (13), Luneburg (2), Sogel (1) and other (1); 23 B-17s are lost, 6 damaged beyond repair and 339 damaged; 18 airmen are KIA, 11 WIA and 189 MIA. Escort is provided by 575 of 613 P-51s; they claim 12-1-0 aircraft in the air and 17-0-11 on the ground; 7 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 2 damaged beyond repair. 2. 434 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Rothensee oil plant at Magdeburg (116); 246 hit a target of last resort, the marshalling yard at Magdeburg; targets of opportunity are Wesermunde (17), Mockern (12), Cuxhaven (9), Yechta Airfield (2) and other (3); 2 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 58 damaged; 19 airmen are MIA. Escorting are 210 of 232 P-51s without loss. 3. 41 of 44 P-47s fly a sweep over Friedersdorf Airfield; they claim 9-0-6 aircraft in the air; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 35 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 5. 24 P-51s escort 9 F-5s and 7 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany. Mission 818: 1 B-17 and 10 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and W Germany during the night.

February 3, 1945
The US 8th Air Force, with 937 bombers and 613 fighters, carries out the heaviest attack to date against Berlin.