On 1st August 1943, 178 B-24 Liberators of the USAAF took off from Benghazi, Libya to attack the Romanian oil fields centred around Ploiești as part of Operation Tidal Wave. Coming in at low level, the American bombers were hit with devastating fire causing the destruction of dozens of bombers. The five bombardment groups hit some of their targets with mixed success. Over 50 bombers were ultimately lost, causing the day to be remembered as Black Sunday by US aircrews, with 5 Medals of Honor being awarded for acts of bravery and determination under fire, and over 300 aircrew killed in action.
Thanks to Henry Lamshed for the improved audio!
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Patreon members: David from Czechia, Ren, Zach Collins, Copperclock
Sources
When Heroes Filled the Sky [ Ссылка ]
Fortress Ploesti: The Campaign to Destroy Hitler's Oil Supply by Jay A. Stout
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PLOESTI: German Defenses and Allied Intelligence by James Dugan and Carroll StewartThe Air Power Historian, Vol. 9, No. 1 (JANUARY, 1962), pp. 1-20.
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Music: 'Forging an Empire' by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen and 'The Final Cut' by Hampus Naeselius. Licensed from Epidemic Sound, ‘Pathfinder’ by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au.
Visuals: IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 with BAT mods and graphics extender
#sotocinematics #history #il2
