This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: November 11th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 11 Nov 2026 14:27:22 -0000

November 11, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 127: Two areas in Germany are targetted. 1. 57 of 167 B-17's hit the marshalling yard at Munster at 1408 hours; 1 B-17 hits Cleve; the rest abort the mission because of bad weather that hinders assembly; they claim 10-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17's are lost and 27 damaged; casualties are 4 WIA and 40 MIA. 2. 180 B-17's, including 5 PFF aircraft, dispatched to Wesel, abort the mission over the English Channel due to assembly difficulties and the presence of heavy frontal cloud; 1 B-17 is damaged; no casualties. The two missions above are escorted to 59 P-38's and 342 P-47's; the P-47's claim 8-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-47's are lost and 1 is damaged; casualties are 2 MIA. VIII Bomber Command Mission 128: 1 PFF B-17 is dispatched to Emmerich, Germany but hits Rees at 2057 hours in an Oboe test. VIII Bomber Command Mission 129: 1 PFF B-17 hits Emmerich at 2115 in an Oboe test. The 406th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 1st Bombardment Division, transfers to Alconbury, England with B-24's. The squadron will begin flying CARPETBAGGER missions on 5 Jan 44.

November 11, 1944
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 272
Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant at Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Crews Dispatched: 39
Crews Lost: Lt. Stephan, 7 KIA
Length of Mission: 6 hours, 5 minutes
Bomb Load: 18 x 250 lb H.E. M57 bombs
Bombing Altitudes: 27,600, 26,800 & 28,900
Ammo Fired: 8,260 rounds

November 11, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 712: 482 bombers and 367 fighters make PFF attacks on oil refineries and marshalling yards in W Germany; 1 bomber and 1 fighter are lost: 1. 197 B-17s are sent to hit the Oberlahnstein marshalling yard (146); 24 hit the secondary, the Koblenz marshalling yard; 2 hit a target of opportunity; 1 B-17s is damaged beyond repair and 31 damaged; 1 airman is KIA. Escorting are 170 P-47s and P-51s without loss. 2. 129 B-17s are sent to hit the Buer oil refinery at Gelsenkirchen (100); 23 hit the secondary, the Rheine marshalling yard; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 7 airmen are KIA. Escorting are 52 P-51s; 1 is lost. 3. 143 B-24s are sent to hit the Bottrop oil refinery (124); 1 hit Recklinghausen, a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost and 39 damaged; 10 airmen are MIA. Escorting are 98 P-47s and P-51s. 12 of 13 B-17s fly a screening mission. 31 P-51s fly a scouting mission.