Soviet Air Force (VVS) Bombing Ploesti Oilfields

Mytzu, about TB-3 they were used to atack the Cernavoda bridge, is another topic on this, even has a picture, as i remeber there were 2 Tb, whit i16 on them, who had 2X250kg bombs, and they scratched the bridge, and one TB3 crashlanded near buy.

"The Pe-2 performed a number of effective raids, one of such was an attack on the oil fields of Ploesti, Romania. After only a few days of training on their new Pe-2's, 6 Aircraft of the 40th Air regiment of the southern wing of the Black Sea fleet embarked on their mission. At least a quarter of a million tons of oil products were destroyed during the raid, and the sea was on fire for three days. The Romanian information agency claimed that at least 100 Soviet aircraft had bombed Ploesti. Funny enough, the Romanians had misidentified the Pe-2's and thought they were friendly aircraft. Escorting aircraft were correctly identified as enemy aircraft, as was their own Flak (!)."

Source: http://www.xs4all.nl/~fbonne/warbirds/ww2htmls/petlpe2.html

True or false?

Iama

Ploiesti isn't near the sea, Constanta is. That was the target of the 40 BAP-ChF.
I don't think there was ever a report stating that 100 bombers attacked the oil tanks near Constanta. The figure of 250,000 tons destroyed is prepostrous!

Frans Bonne maintained a generally interesting site, but I don't think he has updated it fore 3 years. I have sent him the articles on the IAR-80 and IAR-39 a very long time ago.

Hello Victor and first and foremost before starting happy new year to you and best wishes.

In reviewing your answer to this topic from all data base I have on all allied Ploesti raids , I only can confirm your statament about the Russian raids which were never in the quantities stated nor had any useful effects which resulted into disasterous losses for the Soviet bomber Regiments and in withdrawal of this target in favour of the 15th AF and RAF stationed in Italy . None of the Russian raids into Ploesti have ever reached effective results . Bomb sighting devices of the Russians were lacking improvements and during the war they were lacking experience with high altitude radar bombings adopted by 15th AF in 1944.

Irronically one Bomber Regiment which was pulled out of the Ploesti Bombing was later assigned on the final days of Berlin bombing during which they have lost a one star general CO of the Bombarding group which was shot down in 1945 near Berlin and perished with the entire crew.

Al

German AA crew in philately...

Source: Scan of personal stamp, at 600 ppi.

This post has been edited by Florin on January 18, 2005 05:14 am

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Here is the cover of an American newspaper, dated Friday, June 27, 1941.

Gen. Dénes

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Denes , thanks for posting this, but howabout some real details ,facts and some photos of the Soviet bombings over Ploesti, eventually those airmen killed over Rumanian teritorry or taken into POW detention

Alex

This information is available in Gendarme reports.

As I understood, at least one forumite ("Fratello") is currently looking into these papers. Maybe he can post here some proofs, as names & units of downed Soviet airmen.

Gen. Dénes

Something is not right here. The American paper (cover posted by Dénes) announces on 27 June that the Russians have attacked the Romanian oil fields, while according to Victor the first attack was carried out on 9 July 1941, i.e., 12 days later.

Probably, the two sources refer to two different VVS bombing raids against Ploesti. The American newspaper presumably refers to the very first VVS bombing of the Ploesti oilfields during the war.

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on February 12, 2005 12:30 am

Do you mean that the very first Russian raid against the Romanian oil fields was not the one on 9 July 1941 mentioned by Victor?

I just assumed it, based on the few facts we currently have.
I have to check my files to see if I can find any proof, which may support this theory.

Gen. Dénes

Thanks Dénes. I am looking forward to seeing if you have some further information on this.