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Operation Tidal Wave
Ploiesti Air Raid
bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Germany > The MTO > MTO Air War, © 2025 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 22 May 2025
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As WWII progressed, US Army Air Force units were progressively stationed in Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Italy.
The Ninth Air Force
The US Ninth Air Force was established in Cairo, Egypt in November 1942 and supported Allied operations in the eastern Mediterranean area. It moved to England in October 1943 and subsequently managed US tactical and troop carrier operations in the ETO.
The Twelfth Air Force
Immediately after the Allied Operation Torch landings in northwest North Africa in November 1942, the US Twelfth Air Force headquarters was established near Oran, Algeria, later moving to Tunisia and then Italy.

The Fifteenth Air Force

From 1 November 1943 until the end of World War II, US heavy bombers and their fighter escorts in the Mediterranean Theater were under the Fifteenth Air Force, with headquarter first in Tunis and later in Bari, Italy. In late 1943, a complex of airfields at Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy, east of Naples and near the Adriatic Coast, became available.

From these airfields, thousands of men flew to their deaths. During WWII, the Fifteenth Air Force lost over 2,000 heavy bombers, six of whom appear on the following list. 
The Foggia Airfields
The Foggia Airfields
On at least two occasions, units from the Eighth Air Force in England were sent on temporary duty to augment Allied air power in the Mediterranean Theater.

The Ploiesti Refineries

Operation Tidal Wave on 1 August 1943 was the first major air raid on the oil refining complex near Ploiesti, Romania. At the time, the Axis received about 30% of its oil from this complex.

For this raid, the Army Air Force used five bomber groups, three of which were borrowed from the Eighth Air Force in England.

The claim at the time that the raid was successful seems strange in hindsight.
  • 54 B-24 four-engine bombers were lost in this low-level attack, nearly a third of the attacking force of 177.
  • Although target damage was considered severe, within a few weeks refinery production figures were higher than pre-raid.

The Ploiesti oil refineries became a major target again in May 1944. US heavy bomber raids continued until the refineries were overrun by Soviet forces in August 1944.
Operation Tidal Wave
Operation Tidal Wave, first major air raid on Ploiesti oil complex

             ██  Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - WWII Germany > The MTO > MTO Air War  ██
  • Taken from the bigpigeon.us WWII Dead module.
02-03 - WWII Germany > The MTO > MTO Air War: (16 dead, updated 13 Feb 2024)
† Baker, John Llewellyn, SN O-710875, US Army Air Force, Montgomery Co.
  • 96th Fighter Sqdn., 82nd Fighter Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Vincenzo Airfield SE of Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Lockheed P-38 Lightning pilot; KIA 29 Aug 1944 at San Pietro d'Carso 20 miles east of Trieste, Italy; aircraft struck the railroad station while strafing a nearby train.
† Bogue, Clifford John, SN 37-476-332, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co. & Shiawassee Co., MI
  • 727 Bomb. Sqdn, 451st Bomb. Gp. Fifteenth Air Force, based at Castellucia Air Field, Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24J Liberator #42-51409 tail gunner; KIA 7 Oct 1944, east of Vienna, Austria on mission over Vienna, aircraft shot down by flak; 5 dead, 5 survived.
​† Dutton, Finley Jake, SN O-2001366, US Army Air Force, Montgomery Co.
  • 351st Bomb. Sqdn., 301st Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Lucera, near Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress #43-8390 Garbage Cannie navigator with pilot Ralph W. Sommers; KIA 4 Apr 1945 over Adriatic Sea; aircraft hit by antiaircraft fire over target of Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia & ditched in Adriatic  returning to base; crew of 10 exited aircraft; three swept off wing and drowned, seven rescued by Yugoslav partisans; BNR.
† Fenn, Clifford Loren, SN 37-484-890, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 513 Bomb. Sqdn., 376th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at San Pancrazio Air Field, SW of Brindisi, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #42-51151 ball turret gunner, KIA 2 Jul 1944 over Vecses Aerodrome, Budapest, Hungary; aircraft lost from flak; four dead.
† Gettys, Joe Lynam Jr., SN 17-096-828, US Army Air Force, Shelby Co.
  • 719th Bomb Sqdn., 449th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Grottaglie, near Taranto, Apulia, Italy; former radio operator with the William Bache crew, DNB 9 Dec 1944 near Oliveto Citra, E. of Salerno, Italy on Consolidated B-24H Liberator #41-29307 Buzzer; passengers on the Buzzer had completed their missions and were being reassigned to rear-area jobs; Buzzer crashed killing all 15.
† Grett, Gerald LaVern, SN 37-120-507, US Army Air Force, Shelby Co.
  • 67th Bomb. Sqdn., 44th Bomb. Gp., Eighth Air Force, temporary duty to Ninth Air Force, Benina Main Air Base, Benghazi, Libya; B-24D #41-44229 Buzzin Bear waist gunner, Leighton C. Smith pilot; KIA 16 Aug 1943 over San Fele, east of Naples, Italy; hit by Luftwaffe fighters returning from bombing the Foggia airfield complex, Buzzin Bear exploded and broke in two; four dead, six POW.
​† Jensen, Wayne Eugene, SN 0-770293, US Army Air Force, Audubon Co.
  • 416th Night Fighter Sqdn., 62nd Fighter Wing, Twelfth Air Force, based at Antignano near Pisa, Tuscany, Italy; DNB 9 Mar 1945 near Vada, Pisa area; de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito #MM766 pilot; other crew member survived.
† Knapp, Clyde Alfred, SN 0-328-819, US Army Air Force, Los Angeles Co., CA & Pott. Co.
  • 154th Observation Sqdn., 68th Observation Gp., Twelfth Air Force, based at Oujda, NE Morocco; Douglas A-20 Havoc pilot; KIA 7 Jan 1943 in North Africa; aircraft with crew of four disappeared on a mission; BNR.
† Larsen, Lester M., SN 17-003-312, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 37th Bomb. Sqdn., 17th Bomb. Gp., XII Bomber Cmd., Twelfth Air Force, based at Telergma, SW of Constantine, Algeria; Martin B-26 Marauder; DNB (sic) 16 Mar 1943 North Africa, aircraft accident; BNR.
† Mortenson, John Stuart, SN 0-748-217, US Army Air Force, Kearney Co., NE & Maricopa Co., AZ
  • 739th Bomb. Sqdn., 454th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force; based at San Giovanni Airfield, Foggia, Lazio, Italy; Consolidated B-24H Liberator Winged Victory #42-52300; FOD/KIA 25 Feb 1944; aircraft shot down by Luftwaffe fighter; went into a spin & crashed NW of Bruck, north of Graz, Austria; five died, six POWs.
† Parks, George Harvey, SN O-751951, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 717 Bomb. Sqdn., 449 Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Grottaglie, near Taranto, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #42-52136 Superstitious Al-o-ysious bombardier; KIA 2 Apr 1944 near Windischgarsten, south of Steyr, Austria; collision with two other B-24s, Peerless Clipper and Miss Behavin; no survivors from crew of ten.
† Phillips, George Donald, SN 37-194-330, US Army Air Force, Pott. & Jefferson Cos.
  • 91st Fighter Sqdn., 81st Fighter Gp., Twelfth Air Force, based at Monastir Airfield, SE of Sousse, 100 miles south of Tunis, Tunisia; group flew Bell P-39 Airacobras; DNB 11 Jul 1943 in hospital, Sfax, Tunisia from rifle bullet in head.
† Reed, Lawrence Elmo, SN 37-194-285, US Army Air Force, Cass Co.
  • 342nd Bomb. Sqdn., 97th Bomb Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Depienne, SW of Tunis, Tunisia; Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress #42-5875 ball turret gunner with pilot Holmes Elmore; KIA 27 Nov 1943 near Urbino, SW of Rimini, Italy; aircraft lost engine while bombing railroad yards in Rimini, fell out of formation, attacked by enemy fighters, and went down; four dead, six POW. 
† Rink, Paul Lloyd, SN O-723687, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 742th Bomb. Sqdn., 455th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at San Giovanni, near Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24J Liberator #42-78500 navigator with pilot Louis Stengl; KIA 17 Aug 1944 over Ploesti, Romania, aircraft fell SE of target area; crew of ten all died, body burned beyond identification.
† Robinson, William Brigham Haight, SN O-673901, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 779th Bomb. Sqdn., 464th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Pantanella, near Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24J Liberator #44-41053 Black Mike bombardier with pilot Norman O. Overholt; KIA 10 Sep 1944 near Glinzendorf, ten miles east of Vienna, Austria; aircraft hit by flak & exploded over target, eight (maybe six) died, two or four lived.
† Thies, Melvin Chris, SN 17-063-991, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 345th Bomb. Sqdn., 98th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Lecce Airfield, SE of Brindisi, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #42-95463 tail gunner; KIA 15 Jul 1944, over Ploesti, Romania; nose section of aircraft blown off by flak; at least four dead.

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