“After the massive raid on Plotesti…”
That just about says it all. In the August 1, 1943 raid on Ploesti, 163 B24 Liberator bombers left American airfields in Libya heading for axis oil fields near Ploesti, Romania. This was an rather small number, considering the size of later air raids even before August 1, 1943. 50 bombers were lost, although 40% of the petroleum facilities at Ploesti were temporarily disrupted. A navigational error dispersed the bomber force and cost the element of surprise and the attack became a whirling confusion of aircraft crossing in all directions and altitudes. However, it was the gallant courage, brilliant leadership, and superior flying skill of Col. Johnson that led his formation to destroy the important refining plants and installations that prevented the raid from achieving success from disaster. While it was true that the destruction of the oil refineries were repaired within a few months times, subsequent air raids prevented Ploesti from ever reaching full production capability.
It was not until the spring and summer of 1944, US Fifteenth Air Force hammered Ploesti in earnest. A raid on June 23, 1944, sent 761 bombers (this number being a “massive raid”) against Rumanian oil targets. 60,000 airmen eventually flew against Ploesti, dropping 13,000 tons of bombs, eventually knocking out the oil fields and accelerating Germany’s defeat.
Vietnam? There are so many misconceptions about Vietnam I don’t know where to start. As the a quote by the Vietnam veterans goes, “Will they turn their heads in shame? Will they even remember? Or will they turn their heads away and forget the thing ever happened.”