This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: August 2nd

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 02 Aug 2026 08:54:05 -0000

August 2, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: VIII Air Support Command Missions 12A and 12B: Two airfields in France are targetted.
1. 34 B-26's are dispatched to Merville Airfield; 31 hit the target at 0810 hours; 1 aircraft is damaged beyond repair and 15 are damaged.
2. 21 B-26's are dispatched to the St. Omer/Ft. Rouge Airfield; 18 hit the target at 0900 hours; 13 aircraft are damaged.
Total casualties for both missions are 6 WIA.
VIII Air Support Command Missions 13A and 13B: An attack Woensdrecht Airfield, The Netherlands is cancelled; Mission 13B is a diversion.

August 2, 1943
The 8th AF used the first eleven days of August to recover from the devastation of "Blitz Week."

August 2, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Two missions are flown today. Mission 510: 319 bombers and 158 fighters are dispatched to attack oil and supply dumps and bridges in the Paris area (number in parenthesis indicates number of bombers attacking); 2 bombers and 2 fighters are lost: 1. Targets for 156 B-17s are Paris/Gennevilliers (51), Paris/Dugny (38), Mery-sur-Oise (37), Bernay marshalling yard (12), Courtalain rail junction (7) and targets of opportunity (4); 2 B-17s are lost and 47 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 2 WIA and 18 MIA. 2. Targets for 163 B-24s are bridges at Neuvy-sur-Loire (36), Nogent-sur-Seine (31), Mantereau (28); 26 hit Sens oil depot; airfields at St Dizier (12) and Creton (3); and Pacy-sur-Armancon (10); 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 23 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA. The two forces above are escorted by 132 of 158 P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost and 1 damaged; 1 pilot is KIA and 2 MIA. Mission 511: 517 bombers and 249 fighters are dispatched to attack CROSSBOW (V-weapon) sites and bridges in France; 3 bombers and 5 fighters are lost: 1. Of 195 B-17s, 77 hit V-weapon sites, and rail bridges at Jussy (31), Aulnoye (21), Beautor (21) and Crocal de St Quentin (11); 3 B-17s are lost and 45 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 28 MIA. 2. Of 322 B-24s, 182 hit V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area, 22 hit Thennes Bridge, 12 hit Peronne Rail Bridge, 11 hit Achiet Airfield and 8 hit targets of opportunity; 5 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 78 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA. Escort for the 2 forces above is provided by 236 of 249 P-51s; 5 are lost and 1 is damaged beyond repair; 5 pilots are MIA. 49 P-38s, 183 P-47s and 51 P-51s fly fighter-bomber missions against rail and road transport in the Paris-Amiens-Brussels-St Quentin area; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair and 6 P-47s and 2 P-51s are damaged; 2 pilots are MIA. 42 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.