MILITARY · HISTORICAL MARKER
"Hell's Angels" - "Might in Flight" 303rd Bombardment Group (H)
Military
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The 303rd Bombardment Group (H), known as "Hell's Angels" and "Might in Flight," included the 358th, 359th, 360th, and 427th Flight Squadrons and was supported by dedicated ground units. Constituted on 28 Jan 1942 at Savannah, Georgia, it served from 12 Sept to 11 June 1945 at AAF Station 107, Molesworth, Huntingdonshire, England, and was inactivated on 25 July 1945 at Casablanca, French Morocco. The group was one of the Eighth's pioneer bomb groups and flew the most combat missions of any 8th AF B-17 group, with 364, while ranking second in total sorties with 10,721 and second in bomb tonnage dropped with 26,346; it was also the first to fly 300 missions from the United Kingdom. Its B-17s suffered 210 combat losses, with 841 killed in action, 747 prisoners of war, 67 evadees, and 29 internees; against the enemy, they destroyed 378 aircraft, claimed 104 probables, and damaged 182. Two Medals of Honor went to Lt. Jack Mathis on 18 Mar 1943 and T/Sgt Forrest Vosler on 20 Dec 1943, and the group received a Distinguished Unit Citation on 11 Jan 1944 for Oschersleben, Germany. "Hell's Angels" was the first B-17 to fly 25 missions, and "Knockout Dropper" was the first B-17 to fly 50 and 75 missions. The combat team at Molesworth formed part of the 41st Combat Wing (H) and included the headquarters of the 303rd Bombardment Group (H) and its four bombardment squadrons, supported by the 3rd Station Complement Squadron, 8th Dental Unit, 18th Weather Squadron, 202nd Finance Section, 249th Medical Dispensary, 303rd Station Hospital, 328th Service Squadron, which became the 444th Sub Depot, 863rd Chemical Company, 1114th Quartermaster Company, 1199th Military Police Company, 1681 Ordnance S and M Company, 2097th Fire Fighting Platoon, and the 425th Air Service Group consisting of Headquarters and Base Service Squadron, 575th Air Material Squadron, and 851st Air Engineering Squadron.
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