This Day in . . .
303rd Bomb Group (H) History
November 25, 1942
ETO 8th AF: The 107th Observation Squadron, 67th Observation Group, moves from Membury to Aldermaston, England with A-20s, L-4s and Spitfires (first mission is 20 Dec 43).
November 25, 1943
303rd BG: T/Sgt Victor J. Cozza, 359BS Radio Repairman, tripped over a homelite generator and fell into the propeller of Knockout Dropper. He was killed instantly.
November 25, 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: In France, bombing by P-47's is inaugurated by the VIII Fighter Command in an attack on Saint-Omer airfield by the 56th and 353rd Fighter Groups; two other fighter groups, the 55th (P-38's) and 352nd (P-47's), carry out offensive sweeps in the Lille area; the fighters, including 2 escorting groups, fly over 330 offensive sorties. The 401st Bombardment Group (Heavy) reaches operational status, making 22 heavy bomber groups now operational in the 8th AF. The 712th and 713th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 448th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Seething, England from the US with B-24's. They will fly their first mission on 22 Dec.
November 25, 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS 8th AF: 2 missions are flown. Mission 723: 1,043 bombers and 965 fighters are dispatched to hit the synthetic oil plant at Merseburg, Germany using H2X and a marshalling yard; 8 bombers and 6 fighters are lost: 1. 671 of 766 hit the Leuna oil plant at Merseburg and 9 hit targets of opportunity; 8 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 197 damaged; 7 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 64 MIA. Escort is 716 of 800 P-51s; they claim 9-0-8 aircraft on the ground; 6 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 2. 254 of 271 B-24s hit the Bingen marshalling yard; 43 B-24s are damaged; 1 airman is WIA. Escort is 129 of 130 P-47s. Mission 724: 7 B-17s and 6 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night.
November 24
November 26
