[NonValueAdded]

There are several books written about Operation Tidalwave. There are some amazing stories including one about the Romanian princess who rescued some downed airmen from the Germans keeping them under her protection for the duration of the war.

A web search did not turn up any current articles about the anniversary of the raid and that is a shame. Let us not forget the great sacrifice of our WW II veterans.

[gr8eman]

A web search did not turn up any current articles about the anniversary of the raid and that is a shame. Let us not forget the great sacrifice of our WW II veterans.

Or the people who assisted them!

[DAPFE8900]

Thank you for posting this...It was an amazing raid.... And we did pay dearly...Let us not forget the Serb underground that saved many of our men to...On subsequent
raids on ploesti....

[AngrySpud]

I used to have a kindly, elderly neighbor. One day I learned he'd been a bomber pilot who flew many missions over Germany. To this day, I can't think of him without my eyes misting up.

Truly, the Greatest Generation.

[tubebender]

WWII PING...

[dixiechick2000]

Thank you for posting this article.
My husband's uncle, a B-24 pilot, was killed at Ploesti.

I'm going to forward this to my hubby, and my father-in-law.

[Vesuvian]

The B-24 Liberator was always my favorite heavy bomber. God bless the men that flew them.

Let us pray that there are no more "Lady Be Good"s out there, and that all our brave airmen are now safely home.

[giant sable]

My father flew 30 missions in the 8th Air Force, including the second Schweinfurt raid, Oerschlaben and D-Day. It was his group (401st BG) that was saved from the Luftwaffe attack by Maj. Howard's P-51 (Howard got the MOH). So he saw some pretty nasty stuff.
But every time somebody mentioned Ploesti, he'd just shake his head and say, "Oh, those poor bastards. They had it rough."

[NonValueAdded]

From the Foxhole thread about the Ploesti raid, this is a Medal Of Honor citation that bears repeating each and every day. This happened in a follow-up raid over 10 months later. If someone is looking for an example to define hero, tell them "David Kingsley."

*KINGSLEY, DAVID R. (Air Mission)

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 97th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force.
Place and date: Ploesti Raid, Rumania, 23 June 1944.
Entered service at. Portland, Oreg.
Birth: Oregon. G.O. No.: 26, 9 April 1945.

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, 23 June 1944 near Ploesti, Rumania, while flying as bombardier of a B17 type aircraft. On the bomb run 2d Lt. Kingsley's aircraft was severely damaged by intense flak and forced to drop out of formation but the pilot proceeded over the target and 2d Lt. Kingsley successfully dropped his bombs, causing severe damage to vital installations. The damaged aircraft, forced to lose altitude and to lag behind the formation, was aggressively attacked by 3 ME-109 aircraft, causing more damage to the aircraft and severely wounding the tail gunner in the upper arm. The radio operator and engineer notified 2d Lt. Kingsley that the tail gunner had been wounded and that assistance was needed to check the bleeding. 2d Lt. Kingsley made his way back to the radio room, skillfully applied first aid to the wound, and succeeded in checking the bleeding. The tail gunner's parachute harness and heavy clothes were removed and he was covered with blankets, making him as comfortable as possible. Eight ME-109 aircraft again aggressively attacked 2d Lt. Kingsley's aircraft and the ball turret gunner was wounded by 20mm. shell fragments. He went forward to the radio room to have 2d Lt. Kingsley administer first aid. A few minutes later when the pilot gave the order to prepare to bail out, 2d Lt. Kingsley immediately began to assist the wounded gunners in putting on their parachute harness. In the confusion the tail gunner's harness, believed to have been damaged, could not be located in the bundle of blankets and flying clothes which had been removed from the wounded men. With utter disregard for his own means of escape, 2d Lt. Kingsley unhesitatingly removed his parachute harness and adjusted it to the wounded tail gunner. Due to the extensive damage caused by the accurate and concentrated 20mm. fire by the enemy aircraft the pilot gave the order to bail out, as it appeared that the aircraft would disintegrate at any moment. 2d Lt. Kingsley aided the wounded men in bailing out and when last seen by the crewmembers he was standing on the bomb bay catwalk. The aircraft continued to fly on automatic pilot for a short distance, then crashed and burned. His body was later found in the wreckage. 2d Lt. Kingsley by his gallant heroic action was directly responsible for saving the life of the wounded gunner.

[end citation]

PS It appears that paragraphs were in short supply in WWII.

[azcap]

I think the best WWII documentary I have ever seen was "Wing & Prayer - Saga of the Utah Man" It is 1 hour documentary  on the Ploesti raid narrated by Walter Stewart, the pilot of the Utah Man, the last Bomber to return (barely) from Ploesti. It is a spellbinding story. If it doesn't choke you up knowing what those guys did that day something is wrong with you. 

 

 

http://www.historicaviation.com/product_info.po;jsessionid=z0sM4hjMJnr8xHqwca2tEES8(0CoUOxPt)?ID=594

[Blessed]

Thanks for the story. My dad was on this mission.He was shot down and spent 18 months in a Rumanion POW camp.The princess you mentioned was quite a hoot .She spent the next 30 years spunging off "her boys" She traveled the USA staying for weeks at a time with various former POWS and giving anti-communist speeches.

If you ever get a chance to read about the Liberation of these POWS you would enjoy it. I am surprised their was never a movie made about it. It was a cross between VON Ryans Express and the Great Escape.

[VOA]

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