Soviet Air Force (VVS) Bombing Ploesti Oilfields

As introduction, here is a Soviet propaganda postcard, titled: "The Bombing of Ploesti's Oil Fields by Soviet Aviation", by V. Belkin.

Does anyone have concrete info on the VVS bombing raids against the Ploesti oilfields (1941-1944)?

Col. Dénes

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Never heard of it.
Ugly postcard anyway

Just because you haven't heard of it does not mean that there weren't any.

The first raid was on 9 July 1941, without any effects. On 14 July, 6 bombers attacked the refineries around Ploiesti and managed to hit the reservoirs of the Unirea refinery. Apparently all were shot down afterwards. Until 18 August 1941, another 8 raids were carried out by VVS gbombers (in total 53 aircraft were sighted.)

Victor, the VVS's raid on Ploesti on July 14 destroyed 17 lubricating oil storage and 12 loanded railway tanker wagons, with a total of 9000 tons of oil destroyed, 4 of 6 Soviet bomber were shot down.

Yes, I remembered that there was something mentioned in BC/RS vol. 1, but it was late last night and the book was in the living room and I risked disturbing the rest of the house.
Interestingly, Bergstrom and Mikhailov refer to the raid on 13 July, not 14 July.

Considering they were flying the ubber TB3's it probably took 1 day for them to reach the target

All raids were carried out by DB-3s of the VVS-ChF or of the 4 BAK. No TB-3s attacked Ploiesti.

Victor can you clarify what is a vvs_CF I am not aware of the aircraft type, eventually I have heard that PE-2 and SB-2 got at some time involved, though weak attacks and low success rate

Thanks
Alex

I knew about TB3 taking off from Crimea :/ I will look again for the info.

Yea me too Mytzu but werent TB-2 , I thinks stil the older version CB-2 , PE-2 and improved SB-2 ....I am aware from my uncle who was Capt.Doctor at the ARR AA units near Ploesti , about some poor Soviet intrussions which led to substantially losses for the Soviets who gave up the idea of wipping out Ploesti targets.

Al

Anyone has info about VVS using TB3-SPB with 2 i16 attached to attack romanian instalations ?

alexdkl,
VVS-ChF is short for VVS-Chernomorsky Flot = Air Force of the Black Sea Fleet. It is not an airplane.

Mytzu,
the Zvenos you are referring to did not attack Ploiesti. They were limited to targets in Dobruja.
See this older topic: http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=416

Yes, I know that TB3-SPB did not attack oil raphineires but other instalations in the south, however this is about all I know.Thank you for the link, that cleares a lot

My uncle who was at ARR AA batteries as a young doctor near Ploesti facailities jut told me that PE-2 , CB-2's and I-15 have attempted bombing Ploesti in 1941 which ended up bad for the Soviet AF . I would be interested to see photos of PE-2 , CB-2 or SB-2 in action over Ploesti during that era. I have heard some of the Soviet crews who got in German custdy were transferred at Penemuende where at some point in time have escaped .

Thanks
Alex

I have a friend who has acces at arhives and i gived the order to go search any picture about this, but the way is beeing organized is verry hard to find anything...... plus is clossed for the winter hollydays.