Cutting off nazi oil production the incredibly costly. The authors could find, during 195961, no complete official roster of the approximately 1,733 men who took off for ploesti. It is the first raid, however, that is better rememberedas the bloodiest and most gruesomely fought bomber raid. Leon johnson became the group commander on 15 january 1943.
The 15th started the offensive on 5 april when it dispatched 235 b17s and b24s from italy to transportation targets in the vicinity of the ploesti oilfields in romania. The army air forces operations against ploesti and. The ploesti raid stood apart from the rest of the war in the air. Yep, the markings are a mess, and photos of the bird youre modeling are a real necessity. The two nose art sets together cover 28 liberators that attacked the oil refineries at ploesti, campina, and brazi, romania, on 1 august 1943.
Operation tidal wave ploesti medal grouping medals. Five oil refineries circled the cityploesti was the premier oil target of the continentthus one of europes most heavilydefended cities. The advisory council submitted the air attack on ploesti soapsuds bombardment plan. By lyndon shubert on august 1, 1943, a consolidated b24d liberator bomber named the vagabond king and its american crew took part in a massive bombing raid on the oil refinery complex at ploesti, romania. During the unescorted 1,000 mile flight from libya, clouds broke the formation. The ploiesti raid 1943 operation tidal wave youtube. Something thats been lacking in my reading of the bomber raids was on ploesti. My father would be more than happy to answer any questions as well, as he recalls the stories my grandfather told him about the ploesti.
As young boys back in the late 50s my friend told me many second hand stories that i always considered as half truths. We were on the first 1,000 bomber raid against targets in. The focus of this paper will be on the 1 august 1943 bombing raid on the ploesti oil field and refineries by an american task force composed of bombardment groups of the eighth and ninth air forces. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading daring world war ii raid on ploesti, the. Then there was the series of high level missions against ploesti in 1944 by the 15th af.
Jun 11, 2017 completing 450 missions after the first ploesti raid, halpro, the 1st pbg, and the 376th sustained the loss of 1479 officers and men. Operation tidalwave, the attack on the oil refineries at ploesti on 1 august 1943 was the most famous bombing mission performed by the consolidated b24 liberator. The great raid on hitlers romanian oil refineries air campaign book 12 kindle edition by steven j. Background paper on awards received by enlisted personnel. It was a strategic bombing mission and part of the oil campaign to deny petroleumbased fuel to the axis. Americas secret plan to confuse the ploesti defenses. Cutting off nazi oil production the incredibly costly ploiesti mission pictures.
There would be many raids on ploesti during ttre war, but none more famous or costly than the. This is a very big deal, and previously unknown or inaccurately reported. It was one of the largest producers in europe and ploiesti was a major part of that production. The name was being used frequently in the secure rooms in washington, london, berlin, moscow and cairo. Several years ago i was on a work related trip that took me to ploesti. In the end, the second campaign succeeded in pummeling the refineries to dust. Into the fire describes the 1943 raid on ploesti the low level attack, not the later raids. The exact locations of the nine freya radar sites ringing ploesti, and when they were activated. The great raid on hitlers romanian oil refineries 9781472831804 english literature overview a new study of one of the most famous, costly, and. By lyndon shubert on august 1, 1943, a consolidated b24d liberator bomber named the vagabond king and its american crew took part in a massive bombing raid on the oil refinery complex at ploesti. The exact locations of the nine freya radar sites ringing ploesti. A real campaign against ploesti was not mounted until the following year.
Mar 15, 2011 smart, the principle architect and planner for operation tidalwave, proposed, in complete antithesis of usaff bombing policy, a lowlevel massed raid on the nine most important ploesti refineries by five b24 bomb groups, two from north africa and three borrowed from eighth air force in england. Into the fire and fury limited edition print from the greenwich workshop fine art gallery featuring fine art prints, canvases, books, porcelains and gift ideas. To quickly jump to a page in the document click on. We talk of missions to ploesti, but actuality they were missions to different parts of the ploesti. The halpro ploesti raid was less effective a mission than it was a foreshadowing. Operation tidal wave was one of the boldest and most controversial air raids by the united states army air forces usaaf. On 5 april 1944, the target was the my and oil refineries at ploesti, roumania, the main purpose of this raid was to knock out the transportation system so badly needed fuel could not reach the german line to the east. Department of defense dod national geospatialintelligence agency nga format. Ploesti air raids on romania oil fields world war ii. The page numbers in this roster pertain to random house and brasseys printing. To further my knowledge on ploesti i decided to pick up mr. Awards received by enlisted personnel during ploesti raid. Army air forces b24 bombers clearing a target at ploiesti, romania.
The great raid on hitlers romanian oil refineries air campaign zaloga, steven j. B24 liberators on ploesti raid 1943 6 site statistics. The authors could find, during 195961, no complete official roster of the approximately 1,733 men who took off for ploesti on 1 august 1943. Superimposed on the bottom half of the map is a photograph of american bombers flying over the city. The battle over ploestis skies on august 1, 1943, lasted 27 minutes from the time the first bomb was dropped until the last one fell and the surviving planes turned south to head home. I will start with some background info on the raid for those who are not familiar. Onethird of the b24s were lost on this missionand the 98th bomb group lost onehalf of its crews and planes. He then produced a thick manual and spent a halfhour telling me all about my group, both. World war 2 truth if the allies did not destroy hitler. My intent is mainly to relate the stories of the individual aircraft and crews lost this day as well as those returning with dead or injured crewmembers. Raf began its famous raids on german urban and industrial centers. Tidalwave, the august 1943 raid on ploesti 60th anniversary 81.
Unlike previous books on ploesti, jay stout goes well beyond the famous big and bloody raid of august 1943 and depicts the entire 1944 strategic campaign of twentyplus missions that all but knocked ploesti. Ive always loved the wide variety seen on that mission, which of course is the source of joke title americas secret plan to confuse the ploesti. Jul 04, 2007 45 aircraft and 310 airmen lost in the polesti raids various shots of the members of the 9th usa air force being briefed prior to raid. The first american bombing raid over europe in world war ii a consolidated b24 liberator during world war ii. This new study examines the raid in detail, exploring the reasons why its dubious success came at such a high price. Losses were heavy and the refineries were rebuilt, but the ploesti raid stands as a magnificent example of a bold plan, wellexecuted by brave crews and their extraordinary aircraft. The raid was not part of any campaign, but stood alone as a singular blow to an important component of german warmaking capability. When one heads north out of bucharest by either road or rail, it takes a considerable amount of time for the city to fall away. Bombing raid on ploesti, 1943, eyewitness to history. Start reading ploesti 1943 on your kindle in under a minute. Bombing raid on ploesti, 1943 eyewitness to history.
Losses were heavy and the refineries were rebuilt, but the ploesti raid. Supported by maps, diagrams, and fullcolor artwork including battlescenes and birdseyeviews, this is the full story of the audacious ploesti raid. Operation tidal wave was an air attack by bombers of the united states army air forces. The ploesti raid was one of the most famous and difficult raids of world war ii and bill has depicted the fire and the fury that those b24 liberator pilots faced as they bombed the oil fields of ploesti. Our main planes were defiants and hampdens, but later was transferred to. The idea for it, and the unusual tactics employed, came from the top. The first american bombing raid over europe in world war ii. The august 1 raid on ploesti was codenamed tidal wave. Dragged through the mouth of hell at ploesti tidal wave. Aug 02, 2016 highly decorated wwii combat pilot robert sternfels provides a first hand account of piloting his b24 sandman bomber in a raid on oil refineries in ploesti that was one of the single most. B24 liberators on ploesti raid 1943 6 world war photos. This wellwritten fast paced account of the 1943 raid on the old field at ploesti, romania, is a classic example of how bad a military operation can be.
The article focuses on the combat mission of april 4, 1943 in which an inexperienced nineman crew set out in a new consolidated b24d on an illfated bombing mission across the mediterranean to naples, italy. Operation tidalwave, the low level attack on ploesti, 1. A usaaf b24 liberator flies over an oil refinery at ploesti. Nov 18, 2004 on 1 august 1943, when the second usaf air raid over ploesti took place, the german and romanian aaa consisted of 36 heavy flak batteries 164 88 mm guns and 16 light batteries 210 20 or 37 mm guns, which fired 3,552 88 mm shells and 56,271 20 mm shells that day. Operation tidal wave was an air attack by bombers of the united states army air forces usaaf based in libya and southern italy on nine oil refineries around ploie.
Fifteenth air force raid on ploesti wwii documentary ronald reagan 75212. Tidal wave recollectionstidal wave recollections digital illustration by mark riley this photo of old blister butt was taken later in 1943, after the ploesti raid. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Eyewitness to the raid on ploesti a pilots detailed firsthand account describes the mission to bomb romanias oil refineries in august 1943. Daring world war ii raid on ploesti, the kindle edition by bradle, william r download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Although the prose can get a little flowery at times, once the b24s approach the target, my heart rate quickened and breathing tightened as one plane after another is shredded by flak or fighters, struggles on, drops its bombs and then crashes, or limps home, or limps to. Contains a map of the city of ploesti, romania during world war ii. Close up of a map of the area around ploesti, rumania. The mission resulted in no curtailment of overall product output. A usaaf b24 liberator flies over an oil refinery at ploesti, romania on august 1, 1943. Halverson earned the silver star for leading the ploesti raid. The united states strategic bombing survey nlm digital collections. Halpro had encountered minimal air defenses in its raid, so the planners. One of the most famous images of world war ii shows the sandman, piloted by robert sternfels, as it emerges from a pall of smoke during the operation tidal wave b24 liberator on ploiesti raid u. In the summer of 1943, the usaaf decided to stage a major raid on ploesti. Operation tidal wave american air museum in britain. It was the third most heavily defended target in europe, and the most heavily defended target outside of germany. Among the combat crew members this bugaboo target awakened many from their sleep this was the way the 449th war diary recorded the effect of ploesti at the early morning mission briefs. At the time, the romanian ploesti oil fields produced about a third of all axis oil, and was germanys single most important fuel source.
Chronicles the allied bombing raids into the rumanian oilrefining center during the second world war. Osprey air campaign book 12 ploesti 1943 the great raid. On 1 august 1943, when the second usaf air raid over ploesti took place, the german and romanian aaa consisted of 36 heavy flak batteries 164 88 mm guns and 16 light batteries 210 20. Dorr info about john jerstad and his medal of honor citation airman august 1983 killer kane by thomas e. Operation tidal wave 1 august 1943 a b24 liberator serial number 4240402 nicknamed the sandman of the 98th bomb group banks low over a factory during the ploesti raid 1 august 1943. My brother, harold tucker was an airgunner in one of the liberators which flew on a bombing raid from nr naples to ploesti. Ploesti into the fire and the fury by bill phillips b24 liberator.
Raid in ruins ploesti raid america in wwii magazine. The complex of oil facilities at ploesti was the largest individual supplier of oil and petroleum to the german war economy. Army air corps raid on ploesti, romania, one of the most heroic episodes in the history of military aviation. Raid on ploesti, historical map poster agency publisher. Operation tidal wave was an air attack by bombers of the united states army air forces usaaf on nine oil refineries around ploie. Highly decorated wwii combat pilot robert sternfels provides a first hand account of piloting his b24 sandman bomber in a raid on oil refineries in ploesti that was one of the single most.
Finally, are there any books available on this high level raid. May 17, 2018 on august 1, 1943, the usaaf staged operation tidalwavea daring, surprise lowlevel b24 raid against the axis critical source of fuel, the oil fields in ploesti, romania. We talk of missions to ploesti, but actuality they were missions to different parts of the ploesti area. At the casablanca conference in january 1943, the allied leaders agreed on goals for a strategic bombing offensive against german industry and its population. Dragged through the mouth of hell at ploesti tidal wave 1. After the raid, the refineries were repaired and upgraded. It required 24 highaltitude missions and cost many lives.
The authors had access to many of the participants from both the american and germanromanian side. Ploesti was the chief petroleum producing center for the axis. Ive always loved the wide variety seen on that mission, which of course is the source of joke title americas secret plan to confuse the ploesti defenses. In april, general eisenhower ordered the usstaf to attack german fuel production centers by striking both the oil refineries and the factories producing synthetic fuels. The optimis of the reports at the t,ime the raid on ploesti.
They were shot down in a series of 24 raids on the ploesti oil fields between april 5 and august. Ploesti into the fire and fury by bill phillips only 1. There was the low level ploesti mission operation tidal wave of 1 august 43 that the photo at the beginning of this thread is from, but there was no aircraft named lil butch or a john kelley on that mission. Smart, a fourstar general who conceived the strategy for the daring world war ii bombing raid on the oil refineries at ploiesti, romania, and went on to help shape the postwar air force, died sunday in ridgeland, s. Sir winston churchill called ploesti, romania, the taproot of german might, because this is where the nazi third reich obtained much of its oil. Op 6 ploesti, xenia oil refinery ploesti, romania is one of the more infamous targets in wwii as well as one of the most dangerous. It is the first raid, however, that is better rememberedas the bloodiest and most gruesomely fought bomber raid in history. We are more than happy to share any information that we have with anyone interested. On august 1, 1943, the usaaf staged operation tidalwavea daring, surprise lowlevel b24 raid against the axis critical source of fuel, the oil fields in ploesti, romania. The father of a school aged friend was a copilot on a b24 that was shot down during the ploesti raid. Smart, the principle architect and planner for operation tidalwave, proposed, in complete antithesis of usaff bombing policy, a lowlevel massed raid on the nine most important ploesti.
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