| Kaoschallenged | 18 Dec 2012 12:47 p.m. PST |
Here is another report for your perusal. Robert Army Air Force Evaluation Board report- volume vi: Ploesti. "Ploesti, Rumania, was the heart of the greatest concentration of petroleum refineries in Axis Europe. Until 19 August 1944 it was the target of the most intense and determined aerial offensive ever waged by the Allied Strategic Air Forces in the Mediterranean. Aimed at denying Germany the oil resources, the campaign was bitterly contested and costly in lives and material. This report discusses the significance of the target and the operational problems encountered and the tactics and techniques used to overcome them. It tabulates and examines the damage achieved and presents, in appendices, other pertinent information."
link |
| 14Bore | 18 Dec 2012 1:01 p.m. PST |
Its long so I saved it for some light reading later. Ploesti is one of my favorite chapters in Airwar |
| skippy0001 | 18 Dec 2012 2:00 p.m. PST |
Thank you. I also considered the operation to be amazing. |
| Major Mike | 18 Dec 2012 4:41 p.m. PST |
Had an Uncle that was pulled out of the base hospital to fly the low level raid, he had just been recovered from the Med after having ditched a bomber and spent a little while adrift in a raft with the crew. His bomber had a forward firing fixed .30 cal that he managed to get to fire one round from it at an AA position before it jammed.
Amazing feats of courage for those that made any of the missions. |
| Kaoschallenged | 18 Dec 2012 9:29 p.m. PST |
Thanks Guys. An here is another,
Air battle of Ploesti "Studies the Air Battle of Ploesti: its strategic importance, German defenses, Allied operations, the results of operations and lessons to be learned. Discusses the importance of petroleum, the vulnerability of oil refineries, German defenses at Ploesti, the results of Allied raids, oil as a "Panacea" Target and Panacea Targets versus mass destruction of the enemy economy."
PDF link
link |
| Kaoschallenged | 20 Dec 2012 3:28 a.m. PST |
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| Kaoschallenged | 22 Dec 2012 2:33 p.m. PST |
I like Ploesti since I can use some of my Rumanian aircraft  . Robert |
| Kaoschallenged | 23 Dec 2012 12:18 p.m. PST |
Bomber Crewmen Who Flew on Tidal Wave
With Sources of Information
This roster originated with the publication of Ploesti by James Dugan and Carroll Stewart in 1962. PDF link |
| Kaoschallenged | 23 Dec 2012 5:27 p.m. PST |
1 AUGUST 1943 – TODAY'S TARGET IS PLOESTI:
A DEPARTURE FROM DOCTRINE
by
Robert J. Modrovsky, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF PDF link |
| Kaoschallenged | 24 Dec 2012 11:43 a.m. PST |
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| Kaoschallenged | 24 Dec 2012 10:17 p.m. PST |
KNOCKOUT BLOW?
THE ARMY AIR FORCE'S OPERATIONS AGAINST PLOESTI AND
BALIKPAPAN
BY
JOHN G. BUNNELL
link |
| Kaoschallenged | 25 Dec 2012 12:50 p.m. PST |
"B-24 "Sandman" on a bomb run over the Astra Romana refinery in Ploieşti, Romania, during Operation Tidal Wave" link |
| Kaoschallenged | 26 Dec 2012 2:11 p.m. PST |
link ""The Vulgar Virgin", likely photographed at Benina, Libya, 1943, was a Consolidated B-24D Liberator (B-24D-20-CO s/n 41-24198) of the USAAF's 98th Bomb Group "Pyramiders", 344th Bomb Squadron. Until September 1943 the "Pyramiders" were under the 9th Air Force and after this date were under command of the 12th Air Force. Beginning on 1 November 1943 the "Pyramiders" came under newly-established 15th Air Force and moved to Southern Italy. But "The Vulgar Virgin" and its crew never viewed this events because was one of the aircraft lost in the low level raid to Ploesti on 1 August 1943. This day 47 Liberator took off from a raid against the Ploesti's oil refineries in Rumania: only 21 returned safely. "The Vulgar Virgin", flying as the lead aircraft in the "E" Section of the 98th's formation, took a direct hit in the nose section by flak over the target and burst into flames. The pilot pulled out of formation and ordered bail out. It is believed they were still too low for the chutes to open and only one man of the four who got out survived. This the crew's fate: Capt. Wallace C. Taylor, Pilot (POW), F/O Paul W. Packer, CoPilot (KIA), 1st Lt. Jack K. Wood, Navigator (KIA), 1st Lt. Robert N. Austin, Bombardier (KIA), T/Sgt. Gerald E. Rabb, Engineer/Top Turret Gunner (KIA), T/Sgt. Alfred F. Turgeon, Radio Operator/Left Waist Gunner (KIA), S/Sgt. Ralph M. Robbins, Gunner/Asst. Eng. (KIA), S/Sgt. Louis Kaiser, Right Waist Gunner (KIA), S/Sgt. Donald H. Duchene, Tail Gunner (KIA), Sgt. Arthur B. Van Kleek, Tunnel Gunner (KIA)"
link |
| Kaoschallenged | 27 Dec 2012 10:24 a.m. PST |
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| Kaoschallenged | 28 Dec 2012 7:44 p.m. PST |
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| Kaoschallenged | 01 Jan 2013 9:43 p.m. PST |
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| capncarp | 07 Mar 2013 4:57 p.m. PST |
Tidal Wave, A magnificent flustercluck that had the German and Rumanian defenders amazed/admiring the daring and ingenuity of the pilots. |
| Kaoschallenged | 10 Mar 2013 8:19 p.m. PST |
With the diagram above it sure shows how far off the plan went. Robert |
is back from Council of Five Nations.
