by

Deniz Karacay

 

 

Title:            PLOESTI

 

Author:        James DUGAN & Carrol STEWARD

 

Publisher:     Brassey's, Inc

 

Pages:          309 pages

 

ISBN:          1574881442          

 

Price:           $17.05 at Barnes and Noble http://www.bn.com . I bought mine, a very old Bantam print, at a trivial price at http://www.ebay.com

 

          Certainly one of the most daring aerial attacks of WWII, somewhat it did not find its rightful place in history perhaps because 8th Air Force has been stealing all the glory. During this mission, Liberator bombers engaged flak towers, gun emplacements, cars, a flak train with their guns!, kind of battles that are unthinkable over Western Europe. This was the only time USAAF tried heavy bombers in low level, really low level -on deck-, attack in WWII. Americans were expecting to give a decisive blow to The German Oil Production with single brilliant stroke. If only things went according to plan and if only Germans didn’t know the importance of Ploesti Oil refineries in Rumania USAAF might have done just that….. however, it simply did not happen.

 

          This is a very well researched book giving the insight of characters of the important players in the drama American, German, Rumanian or British alike. This is not only a minute by minute account of the flyers but also the defenders preceded by the events leading to the decision to attack Ploesti and its consequenses. This book is one of the best of its kind.

 

The original edition has the complete roster of American men, a list of Axis combatants when published by Random House Inc.