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Into the Fire: Ploesti, The Most Fateful Mission of World War II

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"Into The Fire" by Duane Schultz
Subtitled:" Ploesti: The Most Fateful Mission Of World War II.
Westholme Publishing, Yardley, Pennsylvania, 2007.

This is a well written dissection of the famous B-24 Liberator raid on the oil fields in Ploesti, Rumania, in August 1943. Many details can be found in this fine book. With the exception of the first chapter, this book is in the chronological order of the mission, from conception, to practice drills, to the actual implementation on 1 August 1943. The book's first chapter describes the recovery of the remains, in 1994, of the B-24 bomber know as "Hadley's Harem", including the body of the pilot, 1st Lieutenant Gilbert B. Hadley. It seems that Lieutenant Hadley was a bit flamboyant, tending to wear cowboy boots and carry pearl-handled pistols; they were recovered with his body.

And this is how the author handles the story: he names the B-24 involved, tells about the pilot and crew, and describes if and how the bomber survived the attack on Ploesti. He begins with the "matte black" B-24, "Commando", which carried Prime Minister Winston Church to his January 1943 meeting with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Out of that meeting and out of the fertile mind of Churchill, the plan to bomb and destroy the oil fields in Ploesti, to deny Hitler his main oil supply, was developed.

The writer, Duane Schultz, shows that most of the people involved, from the highest ranking down to the crew sergeants, were convinced that the raid on Ploesti was a suicide mission. Fifty-three Liberators were shot down on this low level raid; the Nazi anti-aircraft defense was waiting for them. In Part III, "The Raid", Schultz gives the names of many of B-24 bombers that were destroyed by the effective enemy ground fire and by enemy aircraft. At times, the B-24 Liberators were so low that the anti-aircraft guns were shooting DOWN at the bombers from the hills surrounding the refinery. Also, some fifty-five B-24 Liberators were so badly damaged that many had to be scrapped. See Part IV, "The Return", for descriptions of badly damaged bombers landing in neutral Turkey or going down in the Mediterranean Sea since they could not make it back to their field in Africa. An interesting section is Part V, "The Prisoners", where the airmen who survived were taken into captivity, at first, by the Germans and then by the Rumanians. There is a poignant story of the Rumanian Princess, Ecaternia Caradja, who did so much to help the downed airmen.

The actual damage to the oil fields of Rumania, the reluctant ally of Nazi Germany, was not sufficient to deny Hitler his major oil supply. The stoppage of this oil supply did not happen until near the end of the war, when Soviet troops began the re-conquest of Eastern Europe. If the raid had destroyed the refineries at Ploesti, the title, "Most Fateful Mission" would have been earned. But, in my humble opinion, that title belongs either to Doolittle's April 1942 raid on Tokyo or to the dropping of the A-bomb by the "Enola Gay" on Hiroshima in August 1945. ,

I read about this book on the Ace of Spades blog and decided to give it a whirl.

Glad I did!

It is pretty well paced and opens with the sobering account of the burial of the recently-recovered remains of one of the raid's more flamboyant casualties that is extremely well done and serves as a moving tribute to all of the pilots and airmen who participated.

There are many reviews about this book that go into great detail about the raid itself but suffice to say- as a tanker and treadhead, I found the book eminently readable and quite detailed without being overly ponderous or dry.

I liked it so much, I passed it to our Air Liaison Officer (ALO) who flies F-16s when he's not manning a desk and he gave it a resounding two thumbs up as well (although he felt some of the book went into excruciating detail about some of the wounds and injuries suffered by those involved). He and I disagree on that- I feel it just underscores the human cost of the raid- at least from an American military perspective.

In any case- recommend this book if for no other reason that the Liberator crews of the bombing groups involved deserve that their legacy be known.

Baghdad
02-06-08

This is a very good retelling of what could have been a turning point in World War II, the destruction of the oilfields in Ploesti, Romania, that was the primary source of oil for Hitler's war machine.

The attack on the oil fields sounded good in theory: Crippling Hitler's ability to obtain fuel would cripple Hitler's ability to wage war. The decision to attack the oilfields was approved by a multitude of higher-ups from the ultimate arbiters of power, Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt, to the supreme military commanders, George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower, and on down. These otherwise generally magnificent leaders and sound strategists only saw one little problem: The name of the operation was too wimpy. The name of the plan, originally called "Operation Soapsuds", was consequently changed at Churchill's insistence to the more fearsome sounding "Operation Tidal Wave".

There were a few noted military tacticians, notably Maj. Gen. Lewis Brereton, commander of the Ninth Air Force (which would provide the staging ground for the over 175 B-24 Liberator bombers involved in the raid), who saw major flaws in the plan but they were effectively silenced by a chain of authority that viewed protests as weakness and rewarded the objector by relieving him of his command. Consequently, the operation lurched forward to its fateful conclusion.

One major weakness of the operation was that reconnaissance flights over the oilfields were banned so as not to alert the Germans that the Allies had any interest in the target. Unfortunately, this left the planners in the dark as to the actual defenses of the oilfields. An earlier raid the year before had found the oilfields only lightly protected but the raid was too small (only 12 B-24s were involved), did not do significant damage, and was itself a bungled operation. This led the planners to believe (or hope) that the oilfields would still be lightly defended the next time around. The earlier raid, however, shocked the Germans and they rapidly intensified the defenses around the oilfields, including, e.g., the emplacement of numerous flak batteries and an improved air defense system.

The B-24 Liberators were thus met with an unexpected hailstorm of fire when they reached the oilfields. In addition, some bomber groups went off-course on their lengthy flight from Benghazi, Libya on the North coast of Africa to the refineries in Romania. These groups did eventually reach the destination but from the wrong direction and did not hit their primary targets. Moreover, because the planes came in at tree-top level to avoid recognition by radar, at one refinery in Campina the attacking planes were shot at with devastating results by anti-aircraft defenses in the hills above them.

These courageous airmen fought gallantly that dreadful first day of August in 1943 and five Congressional Medals of Honor were awarded (three posthumously) as a result of their bravery. Still, the end result was not worth it. One-third of the airmen were shot down in the raid and killed or captured. Another one quarter made it back safely but were injured. In other words, more than half of the men on the mission were killed, captured, or wounded. Their planes suffered a similar fate: one-third were shot down, many had forced landings before or after the raid, and 60 planes, two-thirds of the bombers that made it back, were damaged beyond repair. In addition, several refineries were not even damaged by the raid and those that were damaged (despite being bombed more than once in the chaos) were fully operational again within just a few weeks, so the raid did little or no overall damage to the Nazi war effort.

In the end, this is a good book about a bad idea with terrible results. The story, despite its gruesome outcome (including the bombing and killing of almost 3,000 civilians and injuring another 2,000) is told in an engaging way from the planning of the operation to not just the horrors of the operation itself but also events after the operation such as the rescue of some of the downed airmen and even military funerals with full honors provided by the Germans to fallen Americans.

The 1 August 1943 low-level strike on the Ploesti oil refineries by five B-24 groups has been the subject of a fair number of books. The latest Ploesti volume is this 2007 volume by military writer Duane Schultz for Westholme Publishing. While it recounts the mission in exciting fashion, it can not claim to be the definitive account of that fateful mission.

Operation Tidal Wave pitted five 8th and 9th AF B-24 bomb groups against the very well-defended Ploesti, Rumania refineries. The raid did not deliver the knock-out blow the Allied hoped. Then too the cost was horrendous, 54 out of 177 Liberators were lost, a 30% loss rate!

Schultz' account of the often heartbreaking experiences of those wonderfully brave men over Ploesti made for compelling reading. I didn't find all that much new material but INTO THE FIRE was a good read.

I had mixed feelings about Schultz' research though. I don't think he dug deep enough. His biggest gaffe is repeating that hoary old chestnut that Flavelle's 'Wongo-Wongo' was the lead ship of the strike and that its loss enroute to the target contributed to the mission's mixed success. For the record: the 376th BG led the Tidal Wave strike, its lead ship being 'Teggie Ann' carrying Compton and Ent. 'Wongo-Wongo' was lead ship of the second element which was BEHIND Compton. The only effect its loss had was that it deprived the strike of two B-24s, Flavelle's bird and that flown by his wingman, who dropped down to check for survivors!

Tidal Wave's outcome resulted from: (1) a flawed attack plan reflecting a complete lack of U.S. intell on Ploesti's defenses; (2) Ent's inability or unwillingness to order all five group commanders to maintain the same cruise settings enroute to the target; and (3) Compton turning at the wrong IP. Those factors resulted in a hopelessly scrambled - and uncoordinated - attack by two separate formations that put lumbering, unarmored bombers directly in the sights of numerous AAA batteries and Axis fighters.

Likewise, INTO THE FIRE's recreation of Tidal Wave would have benefited if Schultz had done more research on the Axis air units who took such a grim tool of B-24s. He doesn't give enough credit to - or even identify - those German, Rumanian & Bulgarian units and pilots who engaged Tidal Wave aircraft. The mixed German-Rumanian I/JG 4 along with other ARR units claimed 17 B-24 kills; five more Libs were claimed by the Bulgarian 3.6 Orlyak. Incorporating some of their reminscences into the text would have made for a more balanced - and interesting - account.

INTO THE FIRE's tale of bravery and dedication will appeal to all military enthusiasts. I recommend it with some reservations. For my money, the best Ploesti book remains Michael Hill's BLACK SUNDAY: PLOESTI done back in 1993 for Schiffer.

The low level bombing raid of Ploesti in 1943 turned into a major fiasco. Poor intelligence, weak theory (speeds at low levels would protect the bombers)marked the planning. But the bomber pilots and crew displayed almost unbelievable courage in the face, in some instances, of certain death. More than half of the bombers didn't return. Schultz writes well and his descriptions take you there. One of my friends bombed Ploesti, but in 1944. He described the 1943 raid as "a disaster."

Six decades beyond the raid on the oil refineries of Ploesti, Romania, the retelling of this tragic episode still gives chills. The author has done an excellent job researching the most minute details of the men, the planes and the mission. Far beyond the mechanical execution of the raid, the author reveals the personal stories of the men who flew it. The final chapters closely examine what went wrong and also detail the lives of the survivors. The author's research was so refined that he even found that two dogs had flown that day! Schultz tempers the horror of the story with some satisfying stories about the fate of many of the men. Especially interesting is the intervention of Princess Ecaterina Caradja. Books like this one keep alive the memory of the men who bravely flew the doomed mission, a mission that should be burned into the annals of WWII history to never be forgotten.

Marilyn Walton
Author of Rhapsody in Junk--A Daughter's Return to
Germany to Finish Her Father's Story

By 1943, the Allied commanders had come to realize that if German oil production could be destroyed or slowed down, the potential existed to shorten the war. Many believed that if the oil fields in Ploesti, Romania could be successfully attacked, the war would be shortened by up to a year. So, acting upon orders from Churchill and Roosevelt, planning was begun to destroy this vital German refinery.

Meticulous training was involved from the beginning. Models were constructed of Ploesti and the surrounding areas so the pilots who were to fly the mission could familiarize themselves with the terrain. A full-scale mock-up of the target was constructed in the North African desert where the pilots were to launch from. Training to fly their planes at little more than 50 feet above the ground, this mock-up allowed for practice bombing runs. The pilots were also encouraged by reports that the area around Ploesti was lightly defended and fighters were flown by Romanian pilots. This information turned out to be tragically wrong.

A force of over 200 B-24 Liberator bombers in five groups lifted off from Benghazi, Libya on August 1, 1943. As the planes reached the target area, a horrible mistake was made. Incorrect navigation resulted in many of the aircraft making an incorrect turn which sent them on a course for Bucharest. All chance of surprise was now lost, as the bombers tried to find their way back on course. The Germans were waiting with heavy flak and attacks from fighters. Instead of attacking in a coordinated fashion as planned, B-24s were coming in from many angles. The crews were now simply hoping to drop their bombs and escape. What was planned as a precision mission had turned into chaos. Dozens of B-24s were lost and many crews didn't return. Some were captured, while others were held in Romania. German oil production at Ploesti was temporarily interrupted, but within a matter of weeks, production was at the pre-attack levels.

I found this to be a stirring read. Author Duane Schultz has done a masterful job of describing the entire mission process from start to finish. He covers the decision to attack Ploesti, the tremendous number of hours spent planning for the mission, the mission itself, the harrowing return home by many damaged B-24s, and the aftermath. He also describes the factors which led to the failure of the mission, including the decision to bomb from treetop level instead of high-level, the disastrous incorrect turn, the decision to continue with the mission after the enemy had bee alerted, and the haphazard approaches as the B-24s attempted to find Ploesti after the wrong turn.

I give this fine book my highest recommendation. "Into the Fire" is the first book I've read about the attack on Ploesti, but after reading it, I will definitely read others. I can only hope that subsequent books are as good as this one. Packed full of first-person accounts of men who flew the mission, this book is a must-read for fans of World War II aviation.

Into the Fire is both a World War II aviation history and a story about military blunders and the strength of the human spirit. It describes what amounted to be a "suicide" mission. This fact is well known to aviation buffs. But unlike other books on the subject (and I've read about half a dozen, at least), Into the Fire is able to convey successfully the bigger picture of the raid as well as the frustration, emotions, and heroism of those who were charged with this mission. The accounts of those who were interred in Romania and the role of Princess Caradja and the pilot Cantacuzino are quite moving. Then there are those who were actually there: At age 89, John "Killer" Kane said he could recall, "the smoke, fire, and B-24s going down, like it was yesterday. Even now I get a lump in my throat when I think about what we went through." This is an excellent book.

AN EXTREMELY AND INTRESTING TALE OF THE TRUE MISSION. i LENT TO A FRIEND WHO, AS I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The decision to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti started off as a good idea. Like some ideas, it gained momentum, a life of its own, and in this case, unfortunately, was carried out. Knocking out Germany's oil supplies that were in Ploesti Romania made sense - until errors in decision making, intelligence and planning were introduced.

Key mistakes - in the attempt to keep surprise, no updated reconnaissance photos were taken which would have shown strong AAA defenses and the decision was made to fly low. You are flying low when the AAA batteries are shooting down at you, whien you have to pull up to get over a smoke stack and when your plane is scortched from fying through the smoke.

Add to this a complex plan, clash of egos, and the wrong plane for this mission and you have all of the elements of a disaster. There was no lack of bravery, the pilots and crews knew the odds and flew anyway.

Author Duane Shultz calls this "the most fateful mission of WWII" - perhaps it was - certainly percentage wise, few air raids were more costly, with over 1/3 of the force killed or wounded. Regardless of how fateful it was, Shultz certainly does an excellent job showing the decisions that led up to the raid, the weapons, and tactics of both sides, the terror faced by the crews and the results of the raid vividly and accurately. Many B&W photos show the planes, terrain and key players in the raid on Ploesti. There are two maps - both very helpful and sufficient. The story of what happened to those who managed to bail out and survive is as interesting as the raid itself.

Strategically, this air raid did not shorten the war as hoped. It did demonstrate the enormous courage and sacrifice of those who flew the mission. This is a well told story of a plan gone horribly wrong. A tough read about the dark days of 1943 when the Air Force was still learning, the enemy still strong and the price still very high. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in WW2 strategic bombing, the Air Force, combat leadership and personal bravery.