This Day in 303rd Bomb Group History: August 16th

glm@303rdbg.com (Gary L. Moncur) — 16 Aug 2026 00:10:20 -0000

August 16, 1942
ETO 8th AF: HQ 6th Fighter Wing arrives at Bushey Hall, England from the US; the wing will train replacement pilot for fighter organizations until Sep 43.

August 16, 1943
303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 59
Target: LeBourget Airdrome, Paris, France
Crews Dispatched: 20
Crews Lost: 2 crewmen wounded, one seriously
Length of Mission: 4 hours, 40 minutes
Bomb Load: 16 x 300 lb H.E. M31 bombs
Bombing Altitude: 20,800 ft
Ammo Fired: 40,837 rounds
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 2 Destroyed, 2 Probable

August 16, 1943
303rd BG: Major Walter K. Shayler became Commanding Officer of the 360th BS, replacing Major Lewis E. Lyle.

August 16, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: VIII Bomber Command Mission 83: Luftwaffe facilities in France are targetted today. 1. 179 B-17's and 1 YB-40 are dispatched to Le Bourget air depot in the Paris area; 171 hit the target at 0929-0937 hours; they claim 29-3-11 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17's are lost and 46 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 4 WIA and 31 MIA; this mission is escorted all the way to the target by P-47's using drop tanks. 2. 66 B-17's are dispatched to Poix and Abbeville Airfields; all 66 hit the targets at 0911-0923 hours; 38 aircraft are damaged; no casualties. VIII Air Support Command Missions 21, 22A and 22B: Airfields in France are targetted today; no casualties. 1. 36 B-26's are dispatched to Bernay St Martin Airfield; 31 hit the target at 1117 hours; 2 aircraft are damaged. 2. 36 B-26's are dispatched to Beaumont Le Roger Airfield; 29 hit the target at 1700 hours and 3 hit Conches Airfield at 1703 hours; 3 aircraft are damaged. 3. A diversion is flown by B-26's of the 323rd Bombardment Group (Medium).

August 16, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: Mission 556: 1,090 bombers and 692 fighters are dispatched to make visual attacks on oil refineries and aircraft plants in C Germany; 23 bombers and 3 fighters are lost (number in parenthesis indicate number of bombers attacking): 1. 425 B-17s are dispatched to hit Delitzsch air depot (102), the aviation industry at Schkeuditz (92) and Halle (60) and the oil industry at Bohlen (88); other targets are Naumburg (15), Halberstadt Airfield (13) and targets of opportunity (9); they claim 6-4-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 10 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 234 damaged; 4 airmen are KIA, 9 WIA and 93 MIA. Escort is provided by 246 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 15-1-3 aircraft in the air and 0-0-3 on the ground; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair; 1 pilot is WIA. 2. 234 B-17s are dispatched to hit the oil industry at Rositz (105) and Zeitz (101); 3 others hit targets of opportunity; 6 B-17s are lost and 88 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 56 MIA. Escort is provided by 166 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 5-0-1 aircraft; 2 P-47s are lost (pilots are MIA). 3. 65 B-24s are dispatched to Halberstadt Airfield (51); 10 others hit Quedlinburg Airfield and 1 hits a targets of opportunity; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 8 damaged. Escort is provided by 42 of 46 P-38s without loss. 4. 366 B-24s are dispatched to hit the aviation industry at Dessau (99), Kothen (71) and Magdeburg/Neustadt (67) and the oil industry at Magdeburg/Rothensee; 2 others hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-24s are lost and 173 damaged; 5 airmen are WIA and 66 MIA. Escort is provided by 156 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 12-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot is MIA). Mission 557: 8 of 8 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night.