This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: February 23rd

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 23 Feb 2026 03:48:38 -0000

February 23, 1942
MajGen Ira Eaker arrived in England as Commander of Headquarters VIII Bomber Command.

February 23, 1943
303rd BG: Lts Eaves and Johnson, 56th FG pilots, gave a demonstration of the P-47.

February 23, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 232: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Rennes, Le Mans, Chartres, Lille and Orleans, France at 2136-2232 hours without loss.

February 23, 1945
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 321
Target: Marshalling Yards at Kitzingen, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Length of Mission: 9 hours, 36 minutes
Bomb Load: 12 x 500 lb RDX M64 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 11,500, 11,200 & 12,450 ft
Ammo Fired: 1,520 rounds

February 23, 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 843: As a follow-up to the yesterday's attacks on transportation facilities as part of Operation CLARION, 1,274 bombers and 705 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards in Germany; they claim 15-0-16 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-24 and 6 P-51s are lost: 1. 446 B-17s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Treuchtlingen (61), Crailsheim (52), Neumarkt (74), Ansbach (109) and Kitzingen (95); targets of opportunity are Nordlingen (2), Schwabisch Hall (24), Winterhausen (7) and other (2); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 34 damaged; 1 airman is WIA. Escorting are 194 of 203 P-51s; they claim 5-0-2 aircraft on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 460 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Plauen (110); targets of opportunity are Meiningen (49), Adelsberg (12), Hildburghausen (12), Kitzingen (88), Lichtenfels (13), Schweinfurt (12), Ellingen (25), Ottingen (48), Wurzburg (37), Crailsheim (38), and Zwolle (1); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 16 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. 193 of 208 P-51s escort and claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air; 3 P-51s are lost; 1 pilot is KIA and 3 MIA. 3. 368 B-24s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Weimar (57), Fulda (10) and Gera (46); targets of opportunity are Paderborn (104), Osnabruck (50), Jena (25), Schluchtern (20), Fritzlar (9), Reichenbach (9), Steinau (9), and other (1); 1 B-24 is lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 6 damaged; 21 airmen are KIA and 4 WIA. The escort is 105 of 110 P-51s. 4. 141 P-47s and P-51s make a sweep of Neuburg, Landsberg and Leipheim Airfields claiming 9-0-14 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 5. 4 P-51s escort 10 F-5s on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany. 6. 30 P-51s fly a scouting mission. Mission 844: 24 of 27 B-24s make a PFF attack on the Neuss marshalling yard during the night without loss.