Ploesti 1943. The Great Raid on Hitler's Romanian Oil
Refineries
Zaloga, Steven J./Noon, Steve (Illustr.)
Operation Tidal Wave was one of the boldest and most controversial
air raids by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). At the
time, the Romanian Ploesti oil fields produced about a third of all
Axis oil, and was Germany's single most important fuel source. In
the summer of 1943, the USAAF decided to stage a major raid on
Ploesti from air bases in Libya. The resulting Operation Tidal Wave
raid on 1 August 1943 was one of the costliest to date, losing 53
aircraft, about a third of the starting force. Of the more than 150
bombers that took part in the raid, only 88 B-24s returned to
Libya, 55 of which were damaged. On the other hand, of the 17
Medals of Honor awarded to US soldiers and airmen from Pearl Harbor
in 1941 to D-Day in 1944, 5 were awarded to pilots of the Tidal
Wave mission in recognition of their extraordinary performance.
Although undoubtedly bold and heroic, the mission had questionable
results. Initial assessments argued that the mission caused 40% of
the refinery capacity at Ploesti to be lost but subsequent studies
concluded that the damage was quickly repaired and that output had
exceeded August levels within a month.
This new study examines the raid in detail, exploring the reasons
why its dubious success came at such a high price. Supported by
maps, diagrams, and full-colour artwork including battlescenes and
bird's-eye views, this is the full story of the audacious Ploesti
raid of 1943.
Paperback, 96 Seiten, durchgängig bebildert mit zeitgenössischen
Fotos, Farbillustrationen von Kampfsituationen, Karten und 3D
Operationsdiagrammen, engl. Text
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