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MISSION
TO PLOESTI -- JUNE 10, 1944
Missions to destroy the Romano-Americano refinery at Ploesti,
Romania gained the 1st Fighter Group its third Presidential Unit Citation
in May of 1944, but also incurred its heaviest losses of the war in June.
The 15th AF initiated a surprise low level dive bombing mission
on June 10, 1944 utilizing the 82nd FG of
P-38’s as the bombers and the 1st Fighter Group as its
protective escort against expected interceptors. The 48 P-38’s of the
82nd FG were escorted by the three squadrons of the 1st FG. Arriving
at the IP just
east of Giurgiu on the Danube, south of Bucharest, early return
attrition had reduced the 82nd FG to
36 planes and the 1st FG to 39. As the formations began
their turn to the north to pass east of Bucharest
and north to Ploesti, they encountered a swarm of Romanian IAR-80
fighters. Flying low to avoid early
detection, the P-38 squadrons were caught at a severe disadvantage
of position, speed and altitude.
In the course of battle enroute to and withdrawing from the target
area, the 1st incurred 14 losses and the
82nd suffered 8 more. Of the 14 lost by the 1st FG, the 27th
FS lost 2 who were killed in action (KIA) and
2 who were held as prisoners in the Bucharest area. The 71st FS lost 7
who were killed and 2 who were
taken as prisoners. The 94th FS lost 1 as a POW. See
the summary table of 1st FG losses
.
The mission reports for the 1st FG and the three
squadrons and the Missing Air Crew Reports (MACR’s) for
each of the lost pilots are viewable by separate links keyed to the table
of losses. The status of each of the lost pilots as determined by the
War Department is supported by links keyed to that table as well.
A map of the battle theater and general mission course is
provided below. A more detailed map showing
locations of the losses is also shown. Refinement of crash
site locations has been possible through recent
communications with a Romanian air war researcher, Dan Melinte of
Bucharest, who contacted Jim Graham in February 2006 regarding the Ploesti
mission. See ensuing email messages. Where specific
locations of the losses have been identified, the ‘Loss Location’
entries in the table of losses are linked tofindings coordinated with Dan
Melinte.
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