The Ploesti Missions
“Ploesti, Ploesti, Ploesti! Among the combat crew members this bugaboo target awakened many from their sleep” — this was the way the 449th War Diary recorded the effect of Ploesti at the early morning mission briefs. Ploesti was the chief petroleum producing center for the Axis. No less than thirteen oil refineries were located in the Ploesti area. The refineries and the marshalling yards of the railroad system were thus principal targets for the 15th Air Force. Between April 5th and August 19th, 1944, the 449th flew twelve missions against targets at Ploesti — four against the marshalling yards and eight against the oil refineries. Among the 449th flyers, a mission to Ploesti was known as a “Big One.” It was an eight-hour mission fraught with danger from flak and fighters. At the height of the campaign during May, June and July, the enemy was capable of sending as many as 100 fighters against Fifteenth Air Force formations. In addition, more than 200 heavy, anti-aircraft guns defended the area, together with an effective, large-scale smoke screen. The campaign against the Ploesti oil refineries, distribution system and infrastructure was one of the epic battles of the war. A mission to Ploesti was a “double credit” mission until the latter part of July 1944 when it was removed from the list of double-credit mission targets — the rationale being that the enemy fighter threat had by then become almost negligible. The flak, however, remained formidable. The absence of enemy fighters over the target did not lessen the displeasure of the combat crews for the single-sortie rule. This collective displeasure was perhaps best summed up by J. F. Scroggs’ crew during the post-mission debrief following the July 15th mission: “We invite the General to visit Ploesti on our next mission — single sortie! No flak vest will be issued.” The 449th lost a total of 14 B-24s from all causes during the twelve trips to Ploesti with total casualties being: 24 KIA, 60 POW, and 38 Evaded.
Ploesti as Viewed From the South. This photo shows Ploesti as it appeared in July 1943. The Astra Romana and Orion refineries are in the immediate foreground with the city of Ploesti beyond. This composite photograph was part of the material used by the 98th Bomb Group in planning the low-level attack carried out on 1 August 1943. (HRA Photo)
[su_column size=”1/2″]
The Smoke Screen at Ploesti. The single, most-effective defensive technique employed at Ploesti was the smoke screen. More than 200 smoke pots were used to generate the smoke screen. The smoke screen was eventually overcome by the PFF ground-attack radar system.
[/su_column]
[su_column size=”1/2″]
B-24s Over Ploesti. On May 5, 1944 the 15th Air Force sent 485 heavy bombers against Ploesti. Nineteen failed to return. Five of the bombers lost that day were from the 449th Bomb Group.
[/su_column]
[/su_row]
[su_row]
[su_column size=”1/2″]
Ploesti Strike, 5 May 1944.
[/su_column]
[su_column size=”1/2″]
Smoke Column over Ploesti. A photograph from 449th Bomb Group files.
[/su_column]
[/su_row]
[su_row]
[su_column size=”1/2″]
The Concordia-Vega Refinery at Ploesti before the beginning os the 15th Air Force campaign.
[/su_column]
[su_column size=”1/2″]
The Concordia-Vega Refinery after the 449th Bomb Group stike on 9 July 1944. For this mission the 449th was awarded its second Presidential Unit Citation.
[/su_column]
[/su_row]
[su_row]
[su_column size=”1/3″][/su_column]
[su_column size=”1/3″][/su_column]
[su_column size=”1/3″][/su_column]
[/su_row]
Three Post-War photos of the damage at the Ploesti refineries.
