This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: July 21st

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 21 Jul 2026 14:18:16 -0000

July 21, 1942
ETO 8th AF: Lieutenant General Dwight D Eisenhower assigns to the 8th AF the mission of carrying out, in collaboration with the RAF, the degree of air operations with the view of attaining air domination over W France by 1 Apr 43.

July 21, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 209
Target: Airdrome, Lachen, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 8 hours, 5 minutes
Bomb Load: 10 x 500 lb G.P. M43 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 27,400, 16,400 & 27,000 ft

July 21, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 486: 1,110 bombers and 795 fighters are dispatched in 4 forces to bomb targets in Germany, among them 4 aircraft plants and 2 ball bearing plants; 31 bombers and 8 fighters are lost: 1. Of 433 B-24s, 106 hit Munich, 93 hit Saarbrucken marshalling yards, 78 hit targets of opportunity, 54 hit Oberpfeffenhofen, 33 hit Neuabuing, 13 hit Bullay Bridge, and 9 hit Schorndorf; they claim 10-2-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 22 B-24s are lost, 3 are damaged beyond repair and 181 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 7 WIA and 205 MIA. Escort is provided by 262 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 2-0-1 aircraft in the air and 3-0-10 n the ground; 5 P-51s are lost. 2. Of 96 B-24s, 48 hit targets of opportunity, 17 hit Duren, 12 hit Walldrun marshalling yard and 9 hit Indenboden; 2 B-24s are lost and 12 damaged; 20 airmen are MIA. Escort is provided by 109 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft. 3. Of 241 B-17s, 90 hit Regensburg/Obertraubling, 44 hit Regensburg/Prufening, 40 hit Stuttgart and 18 hit targets of opportunity; 4 B-17s are lost and 88 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 38 MIA. Escort is provided by 148 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 3-0-0 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost. 4. Of 340 B-17s, 99 hit Schweinfurt, 70 hit Ebelsbach, 59 hit Ludwigshafen, 13 hit Bad Kreuznach, 13 hit Ebelsbach, 13 hit targets of opportunity, 12 hit Bad Munster, 12 hit Lachen, 12 hit Simmern marshalling yard, 8 hit Wurzburg, and 5 hit Neckargemund; 3 B-17s are lost and 81 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 3 WIA and 25 MIA. Escort is provided by 187 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-38 is lost. Mission 487: 8 of 8 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night; 1 B-17 is damaged.