The operation tidal wave (tidal wave), is a strategic Bombardement of great scale carried out by USAAF on August 1st, 1943 against the Rumanian oil complex of Ploesti, which was the independent source of fuel for the forces of the Axe. This operation, second incursion of scale of USAAF on Europe resulted in heavy losses, in spite of a certain success in the objectives. It highlighted for the Germans certain weaknesses in their defenses and precede the combat of scales which will follow on the Romania the following year, when the 15th Air Force starts a strategic bombardment campaign which it will carry out in the long term. Although taxed within sight of so heavy losses with failure, this mission remains exceptional on many points, more especially as certain mysteries remain still today.

Context.

It is appropriate, to appreciate with its right measurement the operation and its context, to carry out a short historical background, would be this to only include/understand what pushed Romania among the forces of the axis. At the conclusion of the First World War and after the division of Europe, the Romania sees its population doubling and its territory, partly with depend on Russia. Rather totalitarian monarchy, will endeavor to control, including by the force, various political trainings, but will be able to impose its authority neither to the Communists, nor with the party of the extreme right-hand side, future the Garde of Iron, directed by Corneliu Codreanu, charismatic man with the ideology close to that of the Nazi party. Vis-a-vis gone up in power of this last party, the king Carol II makes carry out Codreanu on November 29th, 1938. In front of similar excess on behalf of the royal capacity, the population could only be turned over against Carol II more especially as its weakness will be clearly highlighted at the time of the annexation by the the USSR of the Bessarabia and the Bukovine, on June 28th, 1940. In front of general dissatisfaction in its connection, Carol II abdicates in favor of his/her son Mihail and leaves the country, while the capacity is given between the hands of the general Ion Antonescu.

Meanwhile, benefitting from the weaknesses of the capacity and from supports Nazi party, the Garde of Iron foments a coup d'etat. But very quickly, after having met Ion Antonescu, Adolf Hitler makes volte-face and finally decides to support this “strong man as opposed to what”, although this last is not, some could affirmed, a partisan of the ideology of extreme right-hand side Nazi. In spite of his convictions, this man suspects well quickly that it will be necessary for him soon to fight, that it is against the Garde of Iron or against the the USSR to recover the territories annexed by the Reds. Thus it accepts the support of Adolf Hitler to re-equip of modern material the Rumanian army, in exchange of fuel deliveries towards the Reich. The first German troops unload, of accesses made up instructors then, after the entry in war of the Romania at the time of Barbarossa, soldiers, in particular of serving of Flak and the aviators of the Luftwaffe. Shortly after the German arrival, the Garde of Iron is raised and made massacre, between the 21 and on January 23rd, 1941.

Ploiesti and its defenses.

The provisioning by carburizing Reich depends then primarily on the Romania, of which the principal complex is in the area of Ploesti, set up with high expenses using foreign assets, in particular American, Dutch, French and Italian. Forty-two refineries, gathered in eight great complexes, were thus built around the town of Ploesti.

Conscious that this area is the Achilles' heel of German logistics, Adolf Hitler decides to reinforce its defenses as fast as possible and to charge some with the German soldiers and not with the “weak Roumanians”.

DCA is very quickly reinforced, constituting two lines of defense, one to 3 km of the refineries, the other to 15 km. The German guns with them only formed 42 batteries (5 of 20 mm and 37 mm, 32 of 88 mm and 5 of 105/128 mm). To note that the Axe also had two covered trains of Flak. The Rumanian guns were also numerous (40 batteries). This device was supplemented by 58 balloons and nearly 1.000 projectors of smoke and the unit was guided by 16 stations Radar of the type “Freya” and “Würzburg”.

Aviation was composed of a group of Jagdgeschwader 4 allemande (on bf109), of the first fighter squadron of Rumanian night (on bf110) and from at least 4 escadrilles Rumanian equipped with Iar80, plane relatively modern which will prove reliable at the time of this combat.

The operation: causes and preparations

The interest of such a mission jumps obviously to the eyes: to cut the fuel arrival to Germany to its source would make it possible to cause serious difficulties with the whole of its armies, that it is aviation or the Wehrmacht still very powerful at the time, in spite of its reverses in the USSR. “To motivate” the crews taking part in this attack, it will be claimed to them that this only raid would be enough “to reduce the 6 month old war”! If this assertion is well heard overrated, there is not any doubt that the fuel shortage would cruelly be felt, at least during a time, on all the Germany Nazi.

It fell for the English and Americans to carry out this operation without trailing too much, would be this only to indirectly assist the Red Army, hard committed in bloody combat on its territory.

With the conference of Casablanca in January 1943, Roosevelt and Churchill acted in concert on the control of the future operations. English, in spite of their reserve to open a second face, wished, if an unloading proved to be necessary, to operate it in the Balkans to occupy a maximum of country “to the nose and the beard of Stalin”. The Americans as for them wished to unload in Western Europe.

A compromise was thus selected: to unload “between the two” in Sicily then in Italy and to carry out a bombardment of great width on Rumanian oil. For this operation, not less than 5 groups of bombardment were indicated, that is to say in very nearly 200 planes (heavy bombers Consolidated B-24 Liberator). The mission was going to be carried out by the 9th Air Force present in the Libyan desert, reinforced on the occasion by part of the 8th Air Force, based hitherto in Great Britain.

This mission was prepared then in the greatest secrecy, the crews multiplying the exercises on reproductions of the objectives improvised in the desert. The mission, code name Tidal Wave , was going to be exceptional, as well by its duration, eleven hours, that is to say the limit of the autonomy of the bombers, as by its objectives, of vital importance. Moreover, to avoid detection, the aircraft should fly in close-cropped-mound (practically a first for a strategic Bombardement) above a strongly defended zone as one saw above.

The operation: unfolding

This Sunday the 1st ° August 1943, by a crushing heat, the American crews prepare for their mission. The mechanics could put in state 178 machines, charged with 12.000L of fuel and 2T with bombs. Well quickly however, all is not held as envisaged: an apparatus is crushed on takeoff, another shortly after on the sea, and 12 (or 13 according to the sources) must make half-turn following various problems prematurely. When the 165 remaining planes arrive on the Balkans, they are intercepted by two escadrilles Bulgarian aviation which cannot however reach them. The clouds on the mountains then will divide the formation, two groups (376th and 93rd) passing above, the three others continuing with altitude envisaged.

At the time of the arrival in Romania then occurs an event which still feeds the polemic today. Indeed, the formation of head, guided by the 376th group, supposed to attack the refinery built starting from the American money, transfers too early, involving with its continuation two other groups.

So some claim that it is about an error, others will rétorqueront that all leaves think that it was voluntary. Not only of the precise benchmarks were visible of all, indicating the mistake, but moreover more only the plane of head seems to be itself misled, the others realizing some quickly, as proves it the official reports of the crews, but according to despite everything their leader. To note that the American persons in charge “were annoyed a long time” by this “detail” and that German propaganda seizes business well quickly! Thus think, the Americans so prompt to judge the businesses of others and to interfere there, refusing “by error” to destroy what them economy financed, even if these financings are used for their enemies!

The operation thus continues in greatest confusion, the apparatuses of three groups not finding more their objectives assigned. If the complex of Ploesti is obviously reached by all, the bombs fall a little randomly. Defense seems to awake at this time but suffers from a serious problem: in this Sunday, only the teams of guards are present, whether it is on the level of the Flak or aviation. Moreover, 250 of the 750 projectors of smoke are in maintenance, just as about fifteen balloons (on 58). However, all incomplete that they were, defenses took their tribute… The Iar80 of guard were quickly shouldered by bf109 and even by bf110 of hunting of night, adding with the fury of the engagements.

At this time the two groups of bombers occur having, one remembers it, flown over the clouds and which them will not have made “the error of navigation” of their counterparts. Obviously, their arrival still adds with the disorder and well few planes will bombard their indicated pre targets. Once their mission accomplished, the apparatuses are not free for as much: numbers were damaged, by DCA or the hunters, that even whereas the latter are always quite present.

The flight of return quite long, “will be decorated” by some meetings: accesses the Bulgarian planes, out-of-date avia, but this time placed well for a rapid interception which seems to cause a loss in the American rows. Then, it is with the tower of the 610e Bulgarian flotilla, equipped it modern bf109 g6, and which will cause 2 losses. Lastly, whereas the B-24 penetrate the Greek airspace, they are taken with party by the IV/JG27, losing 4 as of theirs.

Assessment

The fates of the American planes will be varied: some will regain the Africa (88, including only 33 in good state), of other the Sicily, Cyprus or Malta (23 in all). 8 others will be interned in Turkey (Neutre). In the same way, 36 planes were destroyed on the Romania, 8 were crushed in Bulgaria (6 being cut down by local hunting) and two were lost on accident with gone. That is to say 45 losses in combat, 58 any confused cause, i.e. 32,5% of committed manpower. Or 302 killed among the crews and 132 prisoners, plus 75 internees. A very heavy assessment thus for the Americans, as the 5 point out it off Medal Honor distributed during this mission (the greatest number to date!) who saw the largest rate of loss of USAAF.

Contrary to what was said, defenses of Ploesti were not if “imparables”… Let us point out that

• this Sunday little personnel was at his station,
• the stopping of balloons was complete only with the three-quarters, causing in spite of that 4 losses,
• DCA missed experiment at the time of this first battle for it, causing nevertheless 20 losses,
• the hunters were very few, hardly about thirty on the Romania, causing approximately 10 losses.

It is clear that the assessment could have been much heavier. But also let us recall that this battle was hard “a test”, excessively long for the American crews. Let us point out the exceptional character of this mission.

For the forces of the Axis, the assessment is him also high: 7 destroyed planes and 10 damaged, by counting the Bulgarian apparatuses and those based in Greece. Lastly, let us speak now about the objectives of the mission: 2 refineries were completely destroyed, 3 others being seriously damaged. 78 victims will be to regret in Romania, in particular in the fire of a penitentiary for woman touched by the carcass of a shot down B-24. If one considers the many difficulties raised by the mission, one can indeed speak about American success, even if it were expensive. Of with dimensions like other, this mission also brought many lessons. The Allies were going to remember it at the time of their countryside of bombardment in the same sector the following year, while the Germans will reinforce defenses and reflect on feet of the teams of workers charged to quickly rebuild the destroyed installations. Moreover, many walls will be beat between these same installations, to limit the Effet of breath bombs.

Lastly, the Germans had the proof that what they feared since long time could occur, and which them provisioning was vulnerable. Indeed, Adolf hadn't Hitler engaged its forces in the operations Marita and Merkur in the aim of protection the Rumanian fields against any action of the Allies? …

Polemic

Let us come now to the incident from navigation whose the first three groups arrived to Romania were “victims”. It was marked a long time (and certain sources it claim still today) that it was with the loss of an apparatus on the Mediterranean with the outward journey. According to some, this apparatus was the leader of the formation and carried two experts in navigation and bombardment necessary to the good progress of the mission.

This “version” was undoubtedly invented “to be justified” fiasco partial of the attack. Indeed, according to the rigorous analysis of Michael Hill, who lengthily studied this awkward point, the aforementioned apparatus comprised her normal crew of 10 men and did not carry out its group, although it was indeed in the formation of head.

“The new” leader, “lack experiment” (whereas controlled by colonel Compton) would then have transfered towards the east a hair too early, according to a railway leading to Bucharest. The error is hard to accept. On its new road, the formation followed a river, clearly visible benchmark which it was by no means judicious to follow. Moreover, all the authors mention that very quickly, in the majority of the planes, one realized of the mistake. Thus, one of the apparatuses will leave the formation to continue on the good road (it will be cut down besides).

Of the 5 groups, 2 will continue on this erroneous way, 1 will realize of the mistake immediately and will change course and the 2 last arriveds later did not make the same “error”. Odd that only the plane of head made similar error… Especially when it is known that the objective of the first group was the complex of refinery set up on the basis of American capital.

According to Michael Hill “this turn was the continuation of an order and, therefore, there was a reason behind this decision”. To note that the group “responsible” for the error to date did not publish its history which would make it possible to answer certain awkward questions concerning this “business”.

Sources

" Battle aérienne" n°25, Lela edition Presses; " Back Sunday" by Michael Hill; " Tidal wave on oils of PLoiesti" by James Dugan and Carrol Stewart.

External bonds

" battle air n°25"

" history of the monde"