This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: March 4th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 04 Mar 2026 04:46:08 -0000

March 4, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 19
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Crews Dispatched: 18
Length of Mission: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Bomb Load: 2 x 1000 lb H.E. M44 bombs
Bombing Altitude: 21,500 ft
Ammo Fired: 13,621 rounds

March 4, 1943
303rd BG: A captured German HE-111E and an ME-110 were on display at Molesworth. An RAF Spitfire was also displayed. RAF pilots did some maneuvers over the field with the "German Circus."

March 4, 1943
8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 39: 71 B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Wing are dispatched against the marshalling yard at Hamm, Germany; 16 drop 40 tons of bombs on the target at 1043 hours; we claim 13 enemy aircraft destroyed, 3 probably destroyed and 4 damaged. We lose 4 B-17s and 9 others are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 7 WIA and 33 MIA. Another 28 B-17s hit the shipyards at Rotterdam, The Netherlands dropping 70 tons between 1020 and 1021 hours. We claim 3 enemy aircraft destroyed; we lose 1 B-17 while 15 others are damaged; casualties are 9 MIA. This is the first 8th AF attack on a Ruhr industrial target. To divert the enemy, 14 B-24s of the 2nd Bombardment Wing fly a diversion without a loss. The Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 26 uneventful sorties, 24 on fighter patrols and 2 on offensive patrols over the Ostend/Dunkirk, France area.

March 4, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 117
Target: Bonn and Köln, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 27
Crew Members Lost or Wounded: 6 crewmen were frostbitten
Length of Mission: 5 hours, 40 minutes
Bomb Load: "A" - 10 x 500 G.P.; "B" - M47A1 Incendiaries
Bombing Altitudes: "A" - 26,700 ft; "B" - 24,800 ft
Ammo Fired: 1,070 rounds

March 4, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 247: 502 B-17s are dispatched to hit industrial areas in the suburbs of Berlin; bad weather forces aircraft to either turn back or hit targets of opportunity and only 1 wing attacks the primary target and a total of 249 bomb. 15 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 120 damaged; casualties are 3 KIA, 11 WIA and 141 MIA. Targets: 100 hit Bonn, 35 hit Cologne, 33 hit Dusseldorf, 30 hit Berlin/Klein Machnow, 7 hit Frankfurt and 33 hit other targets of opportunity. B-24s were also dispatched but abort because of the weather. Escort is provided by 86 P-38s, 563 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 121 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; 24 fighters were lost. Details are: 1. P-38s: 4 lost, 2 damaged beyond repair, 1 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 4 MIA. 2. P-47s claim 3-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground; 4 P-47s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged; casualties are 3 MIA. 3. P-51s claim 5-2-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 16 P-51s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 16 MIA. CARPETBAGGER operations are flown during the night of 4/5 Mar.

March 4, 1944
The USAAF launch, but then cancel the first daylight
heavy bomber raid on Berlin. However 29 aircraft fail to receive
the counter-order and bomb the capital.

March 4, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 330
Target: Ordnance Depot at Ulm, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 7 hours, 15 minutes
Bomb Load: 4 x 500 lb H.E. M43 & 8 x 500 lb M17 Incendiaries
Bombing Altitudes; 23,000, 23,000, & 23,600 ft

March 4, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 863: 1,028 bombers and 522 fighters are dispatched to bomb targets in SW Germany; bad weather causes 300+ aborts; 1 B-24 and 1 P-51 are lost: 1. 373 B-17s are sent to hit the jet aircraft plant at Schwabmunchen (69) and military vehicle plant and ordnance depot at Ulm (223); 59 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Ulm; targets of opportunity are Reutlingen (12) and other (1); bombing is by Gee-H; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 9 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. Escorting are 150 of 156 P-51s; 1 is damaged beyond repair. 2. 274 B-24s are dispatched but weather prevents them hitting the primaries; targets of opportunity are Aschaffenburg (18), Tuttlingen (11), Astadtaach (10), Pforzheim (8), the marshalling yard at Stuttgart (11), the railroad at Sonaueschingen (10), Stuttgart (50) and other (36); bombing is by H2X radar with some visual bombing; 1 B-24 is lost and 19 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA. 139 P-47s and P-51s escort without loss. 3. 376 B-17s are dispatched but weather prevents them attacking the primaries; secondary targets hit are the marshalling yards at Ingolstadt (69) and Ulm (75); targets of opportunity are Ausbuch (1) and other (3); H2X radar is used for bombing; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 7 damaged; 17 airmen are KIA. The escort is 172 of 186 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 4. 5 B-17s fly a scouting mission. 5. 21 of 22 P-51s fly a scouting mission. Mission 864: 1 B-17 and 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss.