The oil campaign chronology of World War II lists bombing missions and related events regarding the petroleum/oil/lubrication (POL) facilities that supplied Nazi Germany or those Germany tried to capture in Operation Edelweiss.
— events regarding Nazi Germany petroleum, lubrication, and/or oil supplies - events regarding notable Luftwaffe defensive efforts against Allied attack of petroleum, lubrication, and/or oil supply targets and/or — events regarding Allied planning — RAF, Eighth Air Force, and other roundels indicate units (most listings are from the RAF chronology[1] and the USAAF chronology)[2] "100 BG" — listings that include the unit abbreviation (BG is Bombardment Group) are from the corresponding mission history for the unit.[3]
In response to the bombing of Rotterdam, Western Air Plan 5[4]: 4 was activated. This was the first large-scale strategic bombing during World War II[5]: 53 and the first attack on the German interior - it inflicted little damage.[6]: 9, 171 Just 24 of 96 bombers dispatched to Ruhr Area power stations and refineries found the target area,[7] setting several oil plants on fire.[8]
35 Hampdens were recalled due to bad weather, but one failed to receive the recall and bombed the Leuna oil refinery, 30 miles west of Leipzig.[11][verification needed]
May 27/28, 1940
Bremen
Hampdens bombed oil refineries near Bremen. In the course of the raid, a tail gunner on a No. 10 Squadron RAF Whitley shot down the first German fighter by the RAF in World War II.
May 27/28, 1940
Hamburg-Harburg refineries
Hampdens attacked oil refineries near Hamburg.
May 30/31, 1940
Bremen
The Bremen oil refinery was bombed.
May 30/31, 1940
Hamburg-Harburg refineries
Hamburg oil refineries were bombed.
June 2/3, 1940
oil targets
24 Whitleys and 6 Hampdens bombed "oil and communication targets in Germany".[9]
The Kuhlman Fischer-Tropsch plant at Harnes was shut down briefly due to bomb damage.[6][15]
April 1942
After A-2 and the War Plans Division reported it as a target, Colonel Bonner Fellers identified Romanian oil was "by far the most decisive objective [and] the strategic target of the war".[7]: 4
The "Bombers' Baedeker" identified oil, communications, and ball bearings were "bottleneck" German industries.[17]
June 12, 1942
Ploiești (Astra Română)
The Halverson project raid from Egypt was the first US mission against a European target — 10 aircraft bombed the Astra Română oil refinery.
June 25/26, 1942
Bremen
1,067 aircraft attacking Bremen targets used Gee with limited success, damaging the oil refinery, Focke-Wulf buildings, the Atlas Werke, the Bremer Vulkan shipyard, the Norddeutsche Hütte AG steel mill, and 2 large dockside warehouses.
The Soviet Union's VVS bombed the oil installations.
October 1942
The US "Enemy Oil Committee" was established as a counterpart to the British "Technical Sub-Committee on Axis Oil" (Hartley Committee).[8]
November 1942
Hartley Committee
The Axis Oil Position in Europe, November 1942 estimated that Romanian oil fields contribute 33% of Axis supplies.[19]: 41
December 3, 1942
Joint Intelligence Subcommittee
The German Strategy in 1943 predicted Nazi Germany will have increased domestic oil supplies in mid-1943.[19]: 42
December 21, 1942
A German armoured column within 30 miles of the Soviet Sixth Army near Stalingrad had to retreat due to having fuel for only 15 miles. At his HQ company Christmas party, Erwin Rommel received a miniature oil drum as a gift (containing captured British coffee).[13]: 388
January 16, 1943
C/AS Management Control[9]: 5
After Hap Arnold created the United States Army Air Forces Committee for Operations Analysis (COA) on December 9, 1942,[10] to develop a plan for strategic bombing, the COA's initial Western Axis Oil Industry report listed the following order of strategic importance: hydrogenation facilities (15 plants), refineries (29 plants), lubrication plants, coker units, Fischer-Tropsch facilities, tetraethyllead facilities, and oilfields/pipelines.[4]: 6
January 19, 1943
The Axis Oil Position (C.C.S. 158) at the Allied Casablanca Conference identified it would be "remote" for Nazi Germany to retain the Maikop oil fields. However, "even if the whole of the Romanian production were knocked out early in the year, [Germany] would still have enough for operations in 1944 [but the destruction of] two tetraethyllead factories… would hamstring the production of German aviation fuel" (Brehon Somervell).[19]: 41, 256 Nazi Germany destroyed the Maikop facilities prior to withdrawing.[20]
C.C.S. 166/1/D identified oil facilities as the 4th bombing priority.[19]
March 8, 1943
C/AS Management Control
The COA's comprehensive plan identified the strategic bombing objective was to "bring about a high degree of destruction in a few really essential industries than to dissipate bombing efforts over a large number of targets [in] many industries." 19 vital industries were identified: Petroleum was 3rd (39 targets), "Synthetic rubber and rubber tires" were 6th (12 targets) and "Coking plants" were 10th (89 targets). In particular, destruction of 13 hydrogenation plants and 12 Ploesti refineries would reduce "German petroleum resources" by 90%.[11]: 6
April 10, 1943
"We must, therefore, apply [bombardment] to those specially selected and vital targets which will give the greatest return." (Arnold to Carl Spaatz)[21][12]: vii
Battle of the Ruhr bombings of the Bochum coal-producing center northwest of Essen damaged its "extensive coke, gas, benzol, and iron, and steel plants."[14]: 4, 74–5, 81 In 1943, the 466th bombed Bochum targets on March 29, May 13, October 9, and November 4.[23] After a 92 BG mission to Bochum on August 12, 1943, 342 RAF aircraft also accurately bombed Bochum on September 29/30, 1943 when the German radar controller mistakenly directed fighters to Bremen, 150 miles away.[24]
May 16, 1943
Ploiești
The Advisory Council submitted the Air Attack on Ploesti ("SOAPSUDS") bombardment plan, which the Trident Conference subsequently considered. On June 6 the plan was deemed "an important and desirable operation", and the "Planning committee" first met on June 25 (Uzal Girard Ent predicted losses of 75 aircraft). Training began on July 20/22 and ended July 29.<[15]: 24, 26, 31, 36, 67–8
June 22, 1943
Hüls
In the first large-scale daylight raid on the Ruhr, 170 of 235 B-17s bombed the Hüls oil refinery[clarification needed] and synthetic rubber plant[16]: 75 /aircraft tire factories:[25] "those swine have destroyed Hüls!" (Göring).[citation needed] A Hüls target was also bombed on December 28/29, 1941.
In the 2nd raid of Operation Bellicose, 52 bombers damaged an "oil depot" and an "armaments store". By March 1, 1944, the La Spezia crude oil refinery was "Unused".[26]
At the end of the first phase of the Combined Bomber Offensive,[17]: 15, 80 during the Battle of the Ruhr 473 aircraft unsuccessfully bombed Gelsenkirchen due to cloud and failure of Oboe equipment.[27]
July 9/10, 1943
Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern)
In one of the last large raids of the Battle of the Ruhr, 418 aircraft unsuccessfully - due to misplaced marking - attacked Gelsenkirchen.[28]
Operation Tidal Wave bombed the Astra Română, Columbia Aquila, and Unirea Orion refineries at Ploiești (four Medals of Honor were awarded for the US Bomber pilots and four Order of Bravery to the Bulgarian fighter pilots to shoot them down)
August 1, 1943
Ploiești
Operation Tidal Wave bombed the Astra Română and Concordia Vega refineries at Ploiești (one Medal of Honor was awarded). The Enemy Oil Committee subsequently appraised that Operation Tidal Wave bomb damage at Ploiești caused "no curtailment of overall product output".[18]
August 12, 1943
Bochum
Diverting from the Gelsenkirchen target, B-17 "Ain't It Gruesome" bombed Bochum. An unexploded 20 mm shell struck the boot of Captain Clark Gable, a gunnery observer on his third operational flight[30] Gable's footage is in the FMPU's propaganda film Combat America.
August 12, 1943
Recklinghausen
183 B-17's are dispatched to synthetic oil installations at Bochum, Gelsenkirchen and Recklinghausen
August 12, 1943
Gelsenkirchen
The 384 BG bombed the Gelsenkirchen "oil refinery".
September 12, 1943
Just over a week following the secret signing of the Italian armistice, Göring identified that Mussolini had hoarded 65,000 tons of aviation fuel, including 38,000 barrels in the La Spezia tunnels.[citation needed] The Cisa Pass tunnel connected La Spezia with Parma, and US soldiers were executed for planned sabotage of the Cinque Terre tunnel between La Spezia and Genoa.
November 5, 1943
Gelsenkirchen
Mission 121: 229 of 323 B-17s bombed 495 tons[19]: 164 on the marshalling yard and oil plants.
November 1943
Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer)
96 of 328 B-17s bombed 238 tons on the "Hydrier Werke Scholven A.G." (damaged) and the Gelsenkirchener Bergwerke (missed). Gelsenkirchener Bergwerke plants were also at Duisburg-Hamborn (BRUCKHAUSEN Benzol Plant) and Dortmund.[20] A Gelsenkirchen target was also attacked on November 19,[21]: 163 and Gelsenkirchen Mission 134 on November 19 was rerouted to bomb the German-Dutch border due to malfunctioning blind-bombing PFF equipment in bad weather.
November 26, 1943
Hartley Committee
"losses of oil stocks … caused by Allied attacks during the first eight months of 1943 [were] 400,000 tons. … Approximately 75 per cent of Roumanian crude is a waxy, viscous oil which becomes solid at temperatures below 69" degrees (J.I.C (43) 480).[22]
The 351 BG bombed the explosives factory [31] at Oppau[citation needed]. Prior to May 1944, explosives production was 99,000 metric tons/month, but in December 1944, the amount had dropped to 20,500; and after October 1944, German explosives were 20% rock salt. The Mannheim-Ludwigshafen area was bombed in late 1943 to prevent recovery from previous bomb damage.[23]: 169 The Mannheim aircraft plant was bombed on October 19, 1944,[24] and Mannheim had a Daimler Benz truck plant.
January 7, 1944
Ludwigshafen
1,000 tons of bombs dropped on Ludwigshafen,[32]: 337 and the 447 BG bombed the Ludwigshafen oil refinery. In addition to the nearby Oppau plants, Ludwigshafen targets included a small synthetic oil plant and an oil refinery that used the dehydrogenation process to improve "gasoline quality". Dr. Wurster of the Ludwigshafen Military Government was the "managing director of Oppau and Ludwigshafen."[25] Ludwigshafen targets were subsequently bombed by the 8AF on March 2, March 31, and May 27.
The 317 BS bombed the oil refinery.[33] Circa January 1944, the Enemy Oil Committee identified that Italian refining had ceased in August 1943.[26] Italian refineries were at Fiume (Ramsa plant), La Spezia, Leghorn, Trieste (Aquila & SIAF plants), and Venice.[14]
February 3, 1944
Budapest, Sofia, Bucharest, and Vienna were identified as second priority objectives for 15AF "area attack".[27]
March 5, 1944
"To reduce output … to virtually zero in the six months following 1 March requires the destruction of 23 synthetic plants (about 3.3 million tons) and 31 refineries (about 3.7 million tons) [which] currently account for over 90 per cent of total Axis refinery and synthetic oil output" (Plan for Completion of Combined Bomber Offensive). The "German oil situation is extremely vulnerable to the scale of attack contemplated, and that the results of any appreciable damage to production would be disastrous." (US Petroleum Attache, March 6).[26]
Although Spaatz's claimed "We believe attacks on transportation will not force the German fighters into action. We believe they will defend oil to their last fighter plane'',[34][28]Dwight D. Eisenhower decided that "apart from the attack on the GAF,[German air force] the transportation plan was the only one which offered a reasonable chance of the air forces making an important contribution to the land battle during the first vital weeks of OVERLORD".^27.60 Control of all air operations was transferred to Eisenhower on April 14 at noon.[29]: 5
April 5, 1944
Ploiești
230 bombers bombed Ploiești for the 1st time in 8 months,[35]: 118 beginning the "1944 Ploesti Campaign" (April 5-August 19: 5,674 sorties, 13,559 bomb tons, 254 aircraft lost).[36]: 239 The 5th BW and 47th BW bombed the Ploeşti marshalling yards and adjacent oil facilities, and the 451 BG bombed the Ploiești oil refineries and marshalling yard [30] 2009-03-16 at the Wayback Machine (marshalling yards were next to an oil plant.)[specify] The Ploeşti marshalling yards were bombed on April 15 by the 15th AF and on April 24, by the 32nd BS, when the first use of the "Mickey" (H2X radar) was against Ploeşti.[5]: 118
April 19, 1944
Bad winter weather had reduced Wehrmacht fuel consumption, and Luftwaffe fuel supplies were 574,000 tonnes.[6]: 144 "…the enemy isn't attacking [the synthetic oil plants] because he wants them for his own use. He thinks it's enough to pulverize our airplanes" (Göring).[citation needed] "Whereas in 1939 our hydrogenation plants were producing 2 million metric tons equivalent of petroleum (including automobile fuel), the construction of new facilities up to 1943 provided an increase to 5.7 million metric tons, and the facilities scheduled for this year will raise the yearly output to 7.1 million metric tons." (Albert Speer to Adolf Hitler).[37]: 655
April 24, 1944
Ploiești
34 B-24s of the 450 BG targeted the marshalling yards and bombed the "Vega Oil Refinery".
Mission 353 was the 1st trial raid on oil targets[39] to test the claim that the Luftwaffe would defend oil targets in Germany more than they had defended transportation targets.[40] RLV fighters put up their largest force ever, but five synthetic oil plants were successfully attacked[10]: 198 with 1,718 tons of bombs. A diversionary raid made on the Zwickau aircraft depot faced 200 Luftwaffe fighters[41]
Mission 353: 87 planes hit oil facilities at Lützkendorf near Leipzig, which had a small Wintershall[42] crude oil refinery (100,000 tons/yr), a hydrogenation unit for blending gasolines, and a Fischer-Tropsch plant to process heavier gasoline cuts from synthesized oil.[32] Plants were at "Lützkendorf" and "Lützkendorf-Mücheln" [sic].[26]
Mission 353 bombed Brüx. On December 15, 1942, Sudetenländische Treibstoffwerke AG (STW) had begun output of synthesized fuel from brown coal (German: braunkohle) at the Maltheuren plant at Brüx.[43]
First combat test flights of the Messerschmitt Me 163B rocket-powered interceptor fighter by Erprobungskommando 16, intended for defense of petroleum/oil/lubricants industry targets.[44]
Daily output of aircraft fuel had dropped from 5,850 to 4,820 metric tonnes; but the reserve of 574,000 tonnes was expected to last 19 months. On "'May 12 ... the technological war was decided. ...with the attack ... upon several fuel plants ... a new era in the air war began. It meant the end of German armaments production" (Speer). "In my view the fuel, Buna rubber, and nitrogen plants represent a particularly sensitive point for the conduct of the war, since vital materials for armaments are being manufactured in a small number of plants… The enemy has struck us at one of our weakest points. If they persist at it this time, we will soon no longer have any fuel production worth mentioning" (Hitler).[37]: 413 By May 28, fuel production had returned to the level prior to the May 12 raids.[37]: 415 The "economic air raids [using] wise planning [by] the enemy began ... in the last half or three-quarters of a year" before December 1944. "Before that he was, at least from his standpoint, committing absurdities" (Speer, December 1, 1944)[37]: 419
Mission 376 dispatched a record force of 1,282 bombers against plants and refineries, losing 50[45] including 400 in the 2nd trial attack of oil targets.[39] 63 B-24s bombed Merseburg/Leuna, and Leuna resumed partial production on June 3 and reached 75% of capacity in early July.[39]
Mission 376: 105 B-17s bombed an oil dump at Königsburg/Magdeburg. A Königsberg target was also bombed on June 20 (Mission 425), and Magdeburg also had a Junkers Jumo 211 engine plant (the 487 BG bombed the Magdeburg airplane factory on August 5, 1944.)
May 28, 1944
Magdeburg/Rothensee
Mission 376: 55 B-17s bombed oil industry at Magdeburg/Rothensee. Bohlen-Rotha, Magdeburg-Rothensee, Ruhland-Scwarzheide (a 1937 Fischer-Tropsch plant), & Zeitz-Troglitz were the 4 plants (3 were for Bergius hydrogenation) of Braunkohlen Benzin AG (Brabag), which was formed on October 26, 1934.[46] The Brabag subsidiary of Gesellschaft für Mineralölbau GmbH (established November 1936) designed the plants based on licensed information from other oil companies.[46]
Mission 376: 38 B-17s bombed an oil target at Ruhland/Schwarz-Heide.
May 28, 1944
Zeitz
Mission 376: 187 B-24s bombed "Zeitz-Tröglitz". KZ Tröglitz was a subcamp of Buchenwald
May 29, 1944
Pölitz
Mission 379: 224 B-24s bombed an oil terminal at Pölitz. "Poelitz/Stettin" was a synthetic plant,[26] and on May 13, clouds had forced 272 B-17s (Mission 355) dispatched to oil targets in W Poland to bomb Stettin (Polish: Szczecin) and Stralsund.
The 485 BG bombed the Redeventa [sic] Refinery. "Lumina Petromina" was an additional Romanian refinery not in Ploiești or Bucharest.
May 31, 1944
The intelligence annex to the field order for the May 31 Ploiești mission stated "Successful attacks on [the aircraft factories at the]Wiener-Neustadter complex have raised oil to high priority. …destruction of remaining active capacity of Ploesti will create [a] critical situation for [the] entire Axis war effort and make possible further important inroads through attacks in Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Italy. [The] Eighth Air Force has now damaged all but 2 of the major synthetic plants in its area making it possible for Fifteenth [Air Force] to destroy sufficient refinery and synthetic capacity to [reduce total] production close to 75 percent. Destruction of vital installations in targets selected will immobilize Ploesti capacity for several months."[47][48]
May 31, 1944
Ploiești
32 B-24s of the 450 BG attacked the "Româno-Americană Oil Refinery", but failed due to the smoke screens.[6]: 153 The 450 BG also bombed the Româno-Americană refinery on June 6, 24, & July 15; and the Concordia Vega refinery on July 9, 22
June 5, 1944
A May 5 decoded message stated anti-aircraft artillery was being moved to Pölitz and Blechhammer, and one on June 5 indicated the Luftwaffe was short of fuel. British intelligence concluded that the bombing of oil targets would be "crippling" in 3–6 months.[41] Romanian production had been reduced from 200,000 tons in February to 40,000 in June.[49]: 1477
In the 1st large-scale American attempt to use a dispersed bomber force to spread out fighter defenses in Romania, Ploiești was bombed[35]: 118 (the 485 BG bombed the Dacia Română oil refinery). Additional B-17s, including some Soviet-based for Operation Frantic, attacked the Galați Airdrome: "most oil from Ploesti must be shipped west over [the] Danube for refining." (annex of intelligence report)[36]: 145
The 485 BG bombed the "Smedervo" [sic] oil refinery.
June 12/13, 1944
Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern)
The 1st RAF oil target bombing following the June 3 British Air Staff request for RAF Bomber Command to attack Ruhr oil plants[6]: 146 halted Nordstern production (1,000 tons/day of aviation fuel) for several weeks. THe main attack of the night was directed against lines of communication targets in France.[50]
June 13, 1944
Porto Marghera
The 461 BG targeted the Porto Marghera oil storage and hit the aluminum plant.
Mission 414: 172 B-17s hit the Hanover/Misburg oil refinery, to which the Hanover-Misburg subcamp[51] of Neuengamme provided forced labor. The Misburg refinery (1,060 workers) was 5 miles East of Hanover, and a decoy plant was about 2 miles from the refinery. Hanover also had three tire plants: Vahrenwalderstrasse, Nordhafen, and Marienwerder (a rubber factory in Hanover was bombed on July 26, 1943, during Blitz Week).[52]: 241
B-17s bombed the Floridsdorf [sic] oil refinery[verification needed] On this date the 464 BG bombed an oil blending plant at Vienna. Vienna was first bombed on March 17, 1944.[49]: 1477
B-24s bombed the oil refinery at Schwechat in Vienna. Schwechat also had an aircraft factory that was bombed on June 26, 1944; and became a separate city in 1954.
With most of the effort on railways, four Mosquitoes targeted the Scholven/Buer oil plant
June 18, 1944
Bremen
The Bremen-Oslebshausen refinery was 1 of 11[specify] bombed on this date.[6]: 149 Bremen Oslebshausen refining capacity was 100,000 tons/yr.
June 18, 1944
Hamburg-Harburg refineries
Mission 421: B-17s bombed Hamburg-Ebano (18), Hamburg-Eurotank (54), Hamburg-Ossag (38), and Hamburg-Schindler (36). The Ostermoor refinery was also at Hamburg.
June 18, 1944
Hanover (Deurag-Nerag)
Mission 421: 88 B-17s bombed the Hanover-Misburg oil refinery.
June 18 & 23, 1944
Giurgiu
The 485 BG bombed the oil installations at Giurgiu.
The 485 BG bombed the oil refinery. The Frontignan refinery was at Sète, and other small French refineries were at Gonfreville, Port Jerome, Martiques, Petit-Couronne, Etang de Berre, Dunkirk, L'Avere, Bec d'Ambès, Courchalettes, Gravenchon, 2 plants at Donges, and a shale oil refinery was at Autun.
The minimum number of flak guns were ordered to be placed at Pölitz (200), Auschwitz (200), Hamburg (200), Brüx (170, Gelsenkirchen (140), Scholven (140), Wesseling (150), Heydebreck (130), Leuna (120), Blechhammer (100), Moosbierbaum (100), and Böhlen (70).[54] The Ruhland Fischer-Tropsch plant and other synthetic oil plants were fortified to be "hydrogenation fortresses" (e.g., the plants in the Leipzig area were protected by over 1,000 guns.) In addition to increased active defenses, the facilities (German: hydrierfestungen) incorporated blast walls and concrete "dog houses" around vital machinery. 7,000 engineers were released from the German Army to provide technical support for oil facilities.[6]: 149 Aviation fuel production (thousands of tons) was reduced the most in June 1944 (Wolfgang Birkenfeld, 1964):[49]: 1479
June 21, 1944
Ruhland-Schwarzheide
Mission 428: 123 B-17s bombed the Ruhland synthetic-oil plant south of Berlin en route to the Ukraine. That night, Luftwaffe bombers diverted to the Ukrainian base from a route to a nearby railroad target[55]: 287 and dropped 110 tons of bombs, destroying or damaging 69 of 114 B-17s at Poltava,[5]: 323 along with 200,000 gallons of aviation fuel plus 253 gallons of aviation oil.[56]
128 Lancasters, 6 Mosquitoes, and 5 Lancasters attacked the Wesseling synthetic-oil plant in 10/10ths low cloud using H2S radar (production loss was 40%). Chemische Fabrik Wesseling AG operated a Wesseling facility, and to replace Wesseling, in April 1944 a "large underground plant for synthetic oil manufactured from brown coal was started outside Bergheim".[39] Wesseling also had a Deutsche Norton grinding wheel plant.
June 21/22, 1944
Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer)
123 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitoes attacked the synthetic-oil plant through cloud using Oboe skymarking and caused a loss of 20% production.
Erhard Milch briefed Göring that the Ruhr Area had half the entire synthetic oil capacity and all June fighter production should be used for its defense.[citation needed] In July, Hitler promised to have "hydrogenation plants protected by fighter planes",<!-Speer p482 of hardcopy--> and in August, a limited program was assigned the "highest priority". "By sending the production of fighter aircraft soaring we can meet the greatest danger we face: the crushing of our armaments manufacture on the home front" (Speer, August 13).<!-Speer p485 of hardcopy-->
Mission 442: After being delayed one day due to weather, 72 B-17s left Poltava and Mirgorod, USSR, joined with 55 P-51s from Pyriatyn to bomb the marshalling yard and oil refinery at Drohobycz . Fifteenth Air Force P-51s met the formation 1 hour after the attack and escorted the B-17s to Foggia Italy; the B-17s were planned to transfer to UK bases on June 27 but bad weather delayed the move until July 5.
June 26, 1944
Vienna (Floridsdorf)
The Floridsdorf oil refinery and marshalling yard were bombed.
In Bucharest,[26] where much of Ploiești's refined product was stored and distributed,[36]: 190 the 464 BG bombed the "Prohava [sic] Petrolul" refinery and the 485 BG bombed the "Titan Oil Refinery".
June 28/29, 1944
Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer)
33 Mosquitoes bombed Saarbrücken (which had an airfield and marshalling yards)[57] and 10 bombed the Scholven/Buer oil plant.
June 29, 1944
Leipzig/Böhlen
Mission 447: 81 B-17s bombed the Böhlen synthetic oil plant.
June 30, 1944
Blechhammer North & South
The 461 BG & 464 BG bombed the South plant, and the 32 BS bombed the North plant.
"Our aviation gasoline production was badly hit in May and June. The enemy has succeeded in increasing our losses of aviation gasoline up to 90 percent by June 22. Only through speedy recovery of damaged plants has it been possible to regain partly … however, aviation gasoline production is completely insufficient [58] … If we cannot manage to protect our hydrogenation factories and our refineries by all possible means, it will be impossible to get them back into working order from the state they are in now. If that happens, then by September we shall no longer be capable of covering the Wehrmacht's most urgent needs. In other words, from then on there will be a gap which will be impossible to fill and which will bring in its train inevitable tragic consequences." (Speer to Hitler)[49]: 1479
The 456 BG bombed the "previously-untouched" Shell Oil refinery at Budapest and earned its 2nd Distinguished Unit Citation. 31 aircraft bombed at mid-morning and were attacked three minutes after bomb release by 50 Bf 109s and 10 FW-190s of Jagdgeschwader 300 and the Hungarian 101 Puma Group. The 744 BS lost 6 of 9 bombers in the target area and a seventh damaged beyond repair (36 KIA/MIA, 24 captured — the largest single-day loss for the group.) Budapest's three refineries were operated by Shell, Magyar Petrol, and Asvanyol-Fanto,[41]: IV and oil storage was at Budapest-Csepel.[42]: 40 Budapest also was the site of the Duna Repülőgépgyár Szigentmiklos assembly plant for Messerschmitt Me 210s and 410s.
The 32 BS bombed the Photogen oil refinery (formerly the Petroleum Refinery Transylvania).[59]
June 11 & July 13, 1944
(Porto Marghera)
The 485 BG bombed the "Marghera Oil Storage" near Mestre.
July 6, 1944
(Porto Marghera)
The 464 BG bombed the oil storage at Porto Marghera.
July 6, 1944
Ploiești
The 461st BG bombed Ploiești oil targets.
July 7, 1944
The Joint Oil Targets Committee was set up.[6]: 149
July 7, 1944
Blechhammer North & South
365 bombers attacked the North and South plants.[43]
July 7, 1944
Leipzig
Of 453 B-17s, 114 bombed Leipzig/Taucha, 35 hit Leipzig/Heiterblick, 79 & 15 bombed the Erla fighter aircraft plants at Leipzig/Mockau & Leipzig/Abtnaundorf, 46 hit Leipzig Deutsche Kugellager Fabrik (D.K.F.) ball bearing works.[44]: 18 (The Leipzig DKF plant was also bombed on December 3/4, 1943.) 35 hit Kolleda Airfield, 19 hit Leipzig Station and 7 hit Nordhausen.[verification needed] Leipzig/Taucha had an oil refinery and a Mittledeutsche Jumo 211 engine plant. In March 1944, the Leipzig A.T.G. plant could complete final assembly of Ju 88 bombers at 10/month.[26]
July 7, 1944
Leipzig/Böhlen
64 B-17s, out of a 303-bomber force of Flying Fortresses hit the Böhlen oil plant.[60]
July 7, 1944
Leipzig/Leuna
The 447 BG bombed Merseburg, and Leuna was shut down for 2 days. By July 19 production had risen to 53% of capacity.[39]
July 7, 1944
Leipzig/Lützkendorf
102 B-24s, out of a 373-bomber force of Liberators hit the Lützkendorf oil plant.[60]
July 8, 1944
Vienna (Floridsdorf)
The 464 BG [57] and 465 BG earned Distinguished Unit Citations,[61] as the Heinkel-Süd plant in Floridsdorf was hit, destroying the third prototype of the He 177B four engined bomber, and possibly damaging the incomplete fourth prototype He 177B airframe.[62]
The 464 BG bombed the oil storage at Porto Marghera.
July 14, 1944
Budapest
The 32 BS bombed a Budapest oil refinery
July 14, 1944
Budapest
26 B-24s of the 450 BG targeted the Ferencvaros marshalling yard and hit buildings, a factory, and a refinery.
July 15, 1944
Ploiești (Unirea Speranţa)
600+ B-17s and B-24s bombed 4 oil refineries in the Ploiești area and the "Teleajenul pumping station".[45] 2009-03-13 at the Wayback Machine The 485 BG bombed the Sperantza [sic] Oil Refinery.
July 16, 1944
Vienna
The 32 BS bombed a Vienna oil refinery.
July 17, 1944
Aviation fuel production was 2,307 daily tonnes (40% of original production).[37]: 416
The 447 BG bombed Kiel oil targets.[46] During the September 12 major assault on the German oil industry (Mission 626), 58 B-24s also bombed a Kiel target.
157 bombers attacked. The raid "achieved complete surprise through radio silence"[24]: 466 and caused production to come to "a complete standstill for a long period".[63]
188 heavy bombers. The bombing destroyed 20% of the installations.[63]
July 20, 1944
Leipzig/Leuna
The 447 BG bombed the Merseburg "synthetic oil refinery".
July 20/21, 1944
Bottrop-Welheim
166 bombers attacked the Ruhröl AG synthetic oil plant.[64]
July 20/21, 1944
Homberg
147 Lancasters attacked and caused severe damage
July 21, 1944
Brüx
The 32 BS bombed.
July 22 & 28, 1944
Ploiești (Româno-Americană)
The 464 BG bombed the Româno-Americană refinery.
July 23, 1944
Berat
14 B-24s of the 450 BG targeted the "Kucove Oil Refinery" and previous bombing obscured the aiming point (there were "near misses" on the "old refinery").
July 23, 1944
Donges, France
119 aircraft attacked an oil refinery and storage depot at the start of a new campaign "against oil targets in the occupied Countries."
July 25/26, 1944
Wanne-Eickel
135 bombers attacked the Krupp GmbH synthetic oil plant.[64]
July 28, 1944
Leipzig/Leuna
Over Merseburg, the 92 BG bombed the synthetic oil refinery/storage, and the Me 163B Komet rocket fighters of I.Gruppe/JG 400 conducted its first point-defense attacks from its nearby field at Brandis,[65] engaging B-17s with escorts, including 8 P-51s of the 359th Fighter Group.[66] Merseburg-Leuna was bombed 6 times from July 20-September 28.[6]: 153 Leuna attacks on July 28 & 29; August 24; September 11, 13, & 28; and October 7 kept Leuna closed until October 14.[39]
July 28, 1944
Ploiești (Româno-Americană, Standard Petrol Block)
The 464 BG bombed the Româno-Americană refinery and the 485 BG bombed the "Standard Oil Refinery" (B-24 44-40497 was abandoned after flying into the fireball of 41-29275).[53]
July 29, 1944
Leipzig/Leuna
The 384 BG bombed Merseburg.
July 31, 1944
Luftwaffe fuel supplies were 35,000 tonnes in July.[citation needed] By July 21, Production was reduced to 120 daily tonnes, but was restored to 690 by the end of July. However, repairs were not as durable and shocks from near misses caused leaks (from August to October, monthly production was 10% or less of original rates, then reached 28% in November.)[37]: 417
July 31, 1944
Bucharest
Two oil refineries at Bucharest, one at Doicești, and oil storage at Targoviste were bombed.[67]
The 461 BG bombed the Ploiești Xenia oil refinery.
August 1944
ULTRA intercepts indicated Luftwaffe ground crews were prohibited from leaving fuel in parked aircraft "to avoid losses" during bombing.[citation needed]
August 2, 1944
[Expand]
Mission 510: Paris/Gennevilliers (51 B-17s), Paris/Dugny (38 B-17s), and Sens (26 B-24s) bombed. Fifteenth Air Force B-17s hit Le Pouzin (461st BG) and Le Pontet oil storage facilities. The 447 BG bombed the St Dennis "oil and supply dump".
August 3, 1944
Friedrichshafen
The 461 BG's primary target was the "Raderach Chemical Works", and the ZF Friedrichshafen "Zahnradfabrik" (English: gearwheel factory for vehicle transmissions) secondary target was also bombed. The chief tank factories were at Maybach, Nordbau (Frankfurt), and Zahnradfabrik,[47]: 21 and nearly all tank engines were produced at either the Maybach Motorenbau at Freidrichshafen and Norddeutsche Motorenbau at Berlin.
August 3, 1944
Mission 513: 62 B-24s bombed Brussels/Vilvoorde oil installations/dumps. The Ghent, Langerbrugge (Shell) plant was in Belgium.
B-24s bomb an oil refinery at Budapest, Hungary. The 461 BG bombed the Almásfüzitő Oil Refinery.
August 10, 1944
Bec-d'Ambes
215 RAF aircraft dropped over 500 bombs and largely destroyed the Bec d'Ambes refinery 15 miles from Bordeaux. Bordeaux was also bombed on December 31, 1944 and the Focke-Wulf plant at Bordeaux was bombed on August 24, 1943.[32]: 335–6
450+ B-17s and B-24s bombed 6 oil refineries.[54] 2009-03-13 at the Wayback Machine The 464 BG bombed the Astra Română refinery, and the 461 BG bombed the Xenia oil refinery.
Mission 556 bombed Magdeburg/Rothensee. The 487 BG had bombed the Magdeburg Focke-Wulf airplane factory on August 5, and the US Ninth Army captured Magdeburg on April 18, 1945.[12]
The 485 BG bombed the "Ober[raderach] chemical works".
August 16, 1944
Leipzig/Rositz
The Rositz oil refinery was bombed.
August 16, 1944
Leipzig/Böhlen
The 92 BG attacked the Böhlen oil refinery in Leipzig.
August 16, 1944
Leipzig/Rositz
The 487 BG bombed the Rositz oil refinery.
August 16, 1944
Zeitz
The 487 BG bombed the Zeitz oil refinery.
August 17, 1944
Ploiești
Three oil refineries and targets of opportunity were bombed in the Ploiești area: Româno-Americană (by the 461 BG on their last Ploiești mission), "Astra Română Refinery" (450 BG)[specify]
August 18, 1944
Ploiești (Româno-Americană)
370 fighter-escorted B-17s and B-24s bombed 5 oil refineries around Ploiești. The 464 and 485 BGs bombed the "Americano" [sic] refinery.
65 B-17s with 125 P-51s escorts bombed 2 Ploiești area oil refineries. Ploiești was captured August 30[68][69] after a total of 350 bombers had been lost attacking the area.[29]: 172 The Fifteenth Air Force had dropped 12,804 tons of explosives on Ploiești targets, On October 17, a Fifteenth Air Force B-17 carried a photo crew to Ploiești.
First of 3 raids on the IG Farbensynthetic rubber and oil plant near the Auschwitz III (Monowitz) forced labor camp that supplied slave labor: "It was the practice to brief bomber groups to steer clear of prisoner-of-war and concentration camps" (radar navigator-bombardier Milt Groban).[5]: 321 Ultra intercepts reported impressive bombing results for oil targets: "for the first time, wehrwirtschaftlich (English: war economy) raids, which might deal a really fatal blow to Germany, had begun" (Speer).[5]: 328 [verification needed] The town of Auschwitz (now called Oświęcim), the IG Farben Buna-Werke (under construction in November 1943), and the three concentration camp locations Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II (Birkenau), & Auschwitz III (Monowitz) were 5 separate facilities in the same region.[specify]
The 484 BG received its second DUC for bombing an underground[verification needed] oil storage installation at Vienna.[56] 2009-03-16 at the Wayback Machine
Mission 568: 65 B-17s bombed Freital oil industry. This mission to Freital and Dresden was the 486 BG's longest mission. Dresden had a "Dresden Reick A.G." grinding wheel plant.
August 24, 1944
Hanover (Deurag-Nerag)
Mission 568: 88 B-24s bombed the Misburg oil refinery.
Mission 576: 41 B-24s bombed the "chemical works".
August 26, 1944
Salzbergen
Mission 576: 71 B-24s bombed the "Wintershell [sic] oil refinery" (60,000 tons/year) at Salzbergen.
August 26, 1944
Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer)
Mission 576: 89 B-17s bombed the Gelsenkirchen/Buer oil refinery.
August 27, 1944
Homberg
The RAF restarted daylight bombing of Germany with an attack on the Homberg Fischer-Tropsch plant.[6]: 149
August 27, 1944
Blechhammer South
The 464 and 485 BGs bombed the Blechhammer South synthetic oil plant (the 485th commander became a POW).
August 28, 1944
Vienna (Moosbierbaum)
B-17s hit Moosbierbaum oil refinery and adjacent chemical works.
August 28, 1944
Szőny
The 464 and 485 BGs bombed the oil refinery.
August 29, 1944
Pardubice region
Czechoslovakian oil refineries bombed included the Moravská–Ostrava oil refineries A minor Moravská Ostrava crude oil refinery was at Prwoz.[26]
August 30, 1944
Ploiești
Soviet Red Army forces reached Bucharest on August 28, and the Ploiești oilfields on August 30.[10]: 204 [69]
September 3, 1944
After a lull in V-1 flying bomb attacks, the Allied Combined Strategic Targets Committee (CSTC)[59] switched the top bombing priority from Operation Crossbow to oil targets.[71]: 241 39% of US bomb tonnage from Oct-Dec was on synthetic oil plants.[60]
September 3, 1944
Ludwigshafen
Mission 601: 325 of 345 B-17s bombed the Ludwigshafen/Opau [sic] synthetic oil plant.
September 5, 1944
Ludwigshafen
Mission 605: 277 of 303 B-17s bombed the Ludwigshafen synthetic oil plant.
After Speer completed the Effects of the Air War on September 6, the President of the Rustungskommando VI (5) ordered only 3 days or less of production be stored, and emergency preparation for the transfer of POL plants was initiated (e.g., identification of vital parts for removal).[61]: a2 "On principle, plants are only to be crippled temporarily by removing various elements to safety, particularly the electrical ones." (Speer telegram, September 13). August "chemical plant" production was 10% of former capacity. At the beginning of September, 1944, the Luftwaffe minimum fuel allotment was decreased from 160,000 monthly tons to 30,000 due to shortages.[72]: 210, 224
September 8, 1944
Ludwigshafen
Mission 611: 348 of 384 B-17s attacked the Ludwigshafen/Opau oil refinery.
Mission 623: An Operation Frantic force of 75 B-17s bombed the Chemnitz oil refinery and, along with 64 P-51s, continued to the USSR. In 1945, Chemnitz was also bombed on February 14 and the 466th bombed Chemnitz on March 5.[verification needed]
Mission 623: At Fulda, 66 B-17s bombed the tire plant and 40 bombed the marshalling yard. Fulda also was the location of Gebauer & Moller ball bearing plant, and on September 12 (Mission 626), 46 B-17s bombed a Fulda target.
September 11, 1944
Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern)
September 11, 1944
Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer)
The Scholven/Buer synthetic oil plant was bombed. The RAF bombed a Gelsenkirchen target on September 29/30, as did the 466th on September 12 & 13, November 6 (the 466th bombed a Münster target on September 12 and March 25, 1945).
September 11, 1944
Hanover (Deurag-Nerag)
Mission 623: 87 B-24s bombed the oil refinery at Misburg and 88 bombed an engine factory at Hanover.
Mission 623: 75 B-17s bombed the Böhlen oil refinery. Böhlen was also bombed on August 15 (Mission 556), and the 384 BG bombed "Böhlen/Leipzig" on March 19, 1945.
September 11, 1944
Leipzig/Leuna
Mission 623: 111 B-17s bombed Merseburg.
September 11, 1944
Lützkendorf
Mission 623: 96 B-17s bombed Lützkendorf.
September 11, 1944
Magdeburg
Mission 623: At Magdeburg, 33 B-24s bombed the oil refinery and 27 bombed an ordnance depot.
September 11, 1944
Ruhland-Schwarzheide
Mission 623: 22 B-17s bombed the Ruhland oil refinery.
September 11, 1944
Wanne-Eickel
Wanne-Eickel synthetic oil plant bombed. A Wanne-Eickel target was also attacked by the 466th on July 25 and by US Forces in November 1944.[62]
September 11, 1944
Brüx
Mission 623: 39 B-17s bombed Brüx.
September 12, 1944
Dortmund
The Hoesch-Benzin GmbH synthetic oil plant at Dortmund was bombed.[64]
Mission 626 dispatched 888 bombers and 662 fighters to 6 oil targets, including 34 B-24s that bombed Misburg oil industry. Misburg bomb damage from the September 11 & 12 attacks was repaired by October 15.
Mission 628: 109 B-17s bombed the oil refinery at Stuttgart/Sindelfingen. Sindelfingen also had a Daimler Benz truck plant, and an aircraft engine factory at Sindelfingen was bombed on September 10, 1944.
September 13, 1944
Dwory
The 464 BG bombed the Auschwitz synthetic oil and rubber plant.
September 14, 1944
Hemmingstedt
Mission 629: 6 of 11 B-24s are dispatched on an Azon mission to the oil refinery at Hemmingstedt; 5 hit the secondary target, ammunition dumps at Kropp. Both Operation Aphrodite drones (B-17 30363, "Ruth L III", & B-17 39827) targeting the Hemmingstedt oil refinery missed due to weather.[53] On this date 5000 planes flew over Germany.[68]
September 17, 1944
"…the enemy always… after the resumption of work, …destroy[s] these [synthetic oil] installations again by air attack" (Speer).[73] On July 20, Speer met with Ambassador Clodius of the Foreign Office regarding the "safeguarding of Rumanian oil." September "chemical plant" production was 5.5% of former capacity.
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