Ploesti Raid

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. Close up of a map of the area around Ploesti, Rumania.

Various shots of American ground crews in Libya preparing the bombers.

Various shots of formation of Liberators heading out towards Rumania. When they reach the German held oil fields of Ploesti they pound them with 300 tons of explosives.

Various shots of the Liberators coming back to base after raid

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Ploesti
• b24
• liberator
• ww2
• aviation
• history

[phillippatterson1]

Didn't lose 300 planes or 3000 men. Those numbers are totally false. There wasn't 300 planes on the mission. Total fatalities according to 9th Airforce was 310 fatalities. Many damaged planes any many taken prisoner. A hot day. Autust 1, 1943

[Bomberguy]

Obviously a C&P error, thanks for pointing it out

[ColdBloodedTimeKillr]

my grandfather was bombed by your grandfather's colleagues :))

[1976198220]

americani imputiti si mincinosi! niste lasi....

[jcso609]

@EricBBrandon1 didn't know there were photos. I lost a relative on Tidalwave. Would kive to see any info. Is it online?

[alinro1000]

Ploiesti my city :D

[madcitymcflyer]

The initial raid, known as 'Operation Tidal Wave', conducted by the 44thBG, 93rd BG, & the 389th BG of the 8th AF, & the 98th BG & the 376th BG of the 9th AF was flown on August 1, 1943. It sustained the worst loss in any single mission of WW II. It attacked the most heavily defended target in all of Europe, resulting in the loss of 72 of the attacking 178 B-24's and the loss 496 killed, captured or interned crew. Output at the six refineries was back to 100% on-line in only six weeks.

[datzfast]

@micropage7 didnt your mother tell you to wear clean underware just in case you were ran over and killed by a car.

[redzlb]

my father flew in this campaign and was a hero and survived

[m9078jk3]

@RamirezGates I think you mean the 301st Bombardment Group (Heavy) 32nd Bombardment Squadron.

I know a navigator from the 301st BG.By the way my father was on that very same mission too on that date Aug 10 1944 over Ploesti but in a different Bombardment Group the 463rd BG.The 5th Bombardment Wing of B-17's comprised the 2nd,97th,99th,301st,463rd and 483rd bomb groups.For the Aug 10th 1944 mission your father would have been stationed at the Lucera Airflield used by the 301st BG Feb 1944-1945

[lagrangequadder]

My grandfather was a nose gunner in a B24. He flew 50 missions with the 15th Air Force, 459th Bombardment Group stationed in the medditeranean. Not sure exaclty but almost certain that he participated on this raid. He was one of the original members of the group.

[muscogeemike]

FYI - the first USAAF raid on Ploesti was 14 months (June 1942) befor this one.

[EricBBrandon1]

@metalliq You are completely correct! My father was tasked with recovering the remains of the downed airmen, he wouldn't talk much about it. For a time, he was attached with the OSS, trying to catch the individuals/units that murdered the surviving airmen so they could face charges for war crimes. My father was in command, establishing the cemetery for the downed airmen,

[EricBBrandon1]

My father, at the end of the war, was tasked with recovering the remains of the downed airmen, and trying to locate any prisoners....which most all of them had been violently executed. He, in partnership with the OSS, interrogated witnesses, and was able to bring several individuals to justice in the war crime trials. He also established the cemetery for the downed airmen from the mission. When I was 9, I discovered the photo album of the pictures of the remains of the airmen! Nightmares!