Ploesti

The 'After The Battle' team have just published their own book about Ploesti ,entitled 'The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens' . Author is USAAF expert Roger A Freeman and book looks to be well up to usual ATB standards. ISBN is 1 870067 55 X and price is £24.95.

Ploesti isn't really my 'thing' so won't be buying it....

 

BTW,

from "Stopped at Stalingrad"

In December 1941 the Rumanian oil fields and refineries had been attacked as many as 95 times since Barbarossa begun by twin-engined bombers of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet´s naval air arm based at Odessa and the Crimea. These attacks were generally weak and ineffectual thanx to substantial German air defences around the oil fields. When Barbarossa commenced there were no less than 24 heavy and numerous light flak batteries around Ploesti alone ( also fighter units ).

 

Along with a "hidden" flak train.

 

Hey guys,

I absolutely love the events surrounding this particular raid into Romania.

I mean both HALPRO and Operation "Tidal Wave" were botched from the get go. The Halverson Project(HALPRO) got cancelled and then the units from the 8th U.S.A.A.F. out of England were detached to the 9th U.S.A.A.F. in North Africa.

Not to mention, the Germans knew they were on their way before they even really got out and over the Med.

The 44th, 93rd, 98th, 376th and 389th Bomb Groups were there on the chopping block. Then Col. Smart (what a genius)was the one who chose the method of attack which was to fly low over the Med. rise up over the mountains and bomb at low-level. Poor intel, and crew inexperience combined screwed this one up for all ivolved with a few of the aircraft meeting catastropic demises during the raid undo to the enemy just simply crew inexperience and the aircraft being overlaiden with their payloads.

Truly both a fascinating and tragic raid for these bomb groups. Out of 171 B-24's only 54 returned with several making emergency landings in Cyprus the rest being lost to enemy ground fire and their own bombs blowing them up.

I actually know the cousin of Col. Smart and I talked to Col. Johnsons(44th BG)wife only six months after his passing at a reunion and she said.." he never lived down the Ploesti raid for how many boys he lost..he led into the target thirteen aircraft and after they dropped their payloads and came out he only had four aircraft left."

Tragic on a monumental scale...

Regards,
MARNE

 

I have a book on this raid,Marne.......truly a nice read.
Planes returning from their bombing running into still oncoming B-24s because the sky is dark black from the smoke.

 

I hope no one minds me bringing this thread back.

I have the revised addition of the book which includes additional pictures collected by the author over the years.

Erich, A good book on the entire campaign to destroy Ploesti would be Fortress Ploesti: The Campaign to Destroy Hitler's Oil by Jay A. Stout

Kia, from what I have read the Soviets launched raids against Ploesti several times, however the key objective was less the destruction of the oil fields, wells, refineries, and storage tanks as much as they were hoping by attacking, it would force the Germans to pull key air units off of the front. It didn't.

The Flak train turned into a horror. Pulled alongside two of the formations (44th and 98th off the top of my head) and caused chaos. Luckily the bombers were able to put a stop to it with there machine guns.

I disagree that the mission was botched from the get go. The Germans and Romanians knew they were coming, but not where. The Bulgarians failed to intercept and the Germans and Romanians each took off to protect there own interests. It wasn't untill the 376th made a wrong turn and headed for Bucharest instead, taking the 93rd with them that the enemy figured out the target. Col. Smarts plan could actually be validated with a couple of key facts. The 389th Bomber group achieved complete destruction of there target at Campina, and it wouldn't be repaired until after the war. Second, The German fighters were frustrated that they couldn't find the B-24's. They could easily tell that the bombers were in and around Ploesti, but they were looking too high. It wouldn't be until after the bombing runs that the fighters would throw themselves into the fray.

As for the crew inexperience, The least experienced group was the 389th, which achieved the best results. All BG's had participated in Huskey as well as bombing targets in Europe (8th AF) and N. Africa (9th AF). All Units were veteran units. One of the units (I forget which one without looking) had a good number of men who had participated in the HALPRO raid on Ploesti.

 

Mike yes since the thread was started I had been busy picking up quite a bit of information on the Luftwaffe side especially, which will be included in my future work