The Ploesti Oilfields

What would have happened if the August 1, 1943 mission had gone off as planned and dealt a very severe blow to the Ploesti Oil Refinaries? Do you think the war would have been reduced by 6 months? It seems they told the airmen the same about Schweinfurt as well.

I'm currently reading a book on the Ploesti raid written by James Dugan and Carroll Stewart and it is very good.

Greg

[ 07. June 2003, 06:37 PM: Message edited by: Greg A ]

 

Oopsie some typos there, sorry all

Greg

 

The Germans would have not so much oil in the last months of the war as they did. But they still had the synthetic oil, although this wouldn't be enough.

 

Indeed, Greg, I do think that it would have been a severe blow the the German War Machine, because the lack of oil matter would have come even earlier than it did as well as the problems it brought. The synthetic oil, as Erwin says was of course, not enough, it was 10% of the whole German need of oil in wartime.