Foggia, Italy 1944

Lightnings Over Ploesti by Roger Steinway The 82nd Fighter Group's crucial mission on June 10, 1944 was to attack one of the most heavily defended sites in Hitler's Europe - Ploesti, Romania. The 82nd mustered 46 P-38s under Colonel William Litton for the dive-bombing mission. Each Lightning was fitted with a 1,000 pound bomb and a three hundred gallon drop tank for the 1,250 mile round trip flight from Foggia, Italy. The goal was to hit the Romana-Americana refinery in the Ploesti oil fields. Escorted by their P-38 brethren of the 1st Fighter Group, the 82nd went in at low level with the hope of catching the enemy by surprise. This did not prove to be the case. The 1st Fighter Group fought off swarms of German and Romanian interceptors. Alerted to the attack, the anti-aircraft defenses around Ploesti activated a smoke screen. Hundreds of heavy and light flak guns opened fire as the 82nd's Lightnings made the dive-bombing run. In spite of the enemy's best efforts, the Romana-Americana refinery was hit time and again by thousand pounders and severely damaged. The trip back to Foggia proved to be a wild ride. The hedgehopping pilots of the 82nd engaged enemy aircraft and destroyed targets of opportunity. Four enemy aircraft were destroyed on the ground, and eleven railroad locomotives were knocked out by the returning fighters. Air to air kills scored during the 82nd's mission to Romania were eight aircraft destroyed, one probable, and two damaged. Yet the price paid for the 82nd's epic mission was high. Eight pilots were down behind enemy lines, and three of them would never return. The 82nd's skilled ground crews repaired many Lightnings damaged in action. For their remarkable victory of June 10, 1944, the 82nd Fighter Group was awarded its third Distinguished Unit Citation by General Nathan Twining, Commanding Officer, 15th Air Force.

Roger Steinway's interview with Col. Mason was published in the September, 1996 issue of AVIATION HISTORY magazine. He also writes for MILITARY HISTORY magazine.

Selected and edited excerpts from the "Narrative Report, HQ, 82nd Fighter Group, 10 June 1944."

"Mission and Target: To dive-bomb cracking plant, distillation plant, and boiler house at Romana Americana Oil Refinery, Ploesti, Rumania." "Enroute to target, beginning east of Bucharest and while still on the deck, P-38's encountered a procession of enemy aircraft of all types heading south and passing them on both sides. These aircraft had apparently just been scrambled to avoid an anticipated bombing attack. Enemy aircraft offered attractive targets, but P-38's could not engage before bombing assigned objective." "A terrific and accurate barrage of light and heavy flak was thrown up as soon as the P-38's started climbing up north of Bucharest for their bomb run. At least seven planes returning to base carried flak damage, and at least four of the lost and missing planes can probably be attributed to flak." "36 P-38's reached target at bombing altitude of approximately 6,000 feet. Smoke screen was already well under way in target area. In bombing, the p-38's generally rolled over to the west, dove to 3,000 or 2,500 feet, released bomb, and broke down and away to the northeast through the smoke screen which obscured the ground. Most p-38's had to go on instruments passing through smoke screen on recovery from dives, which were made at steep angles up to vertical." "Lt. Col. Mason - Aimed at cracking plant; explosion caused. Strafed aircraft on field E. of Craiova. Strafed 50 yards of light flak positions." "After the target, some 30 enemy fighters were seen. Of these, 20 were encountered, as well as one ME 110 and a HS 126, both of which were destroyed and two ME 109's were damaged - east of Craiova." "One group of 15 ME 109's made aggressive attacks west of Ploesti on a retiring section of seven P-38's, including a P-38 on single engine. The latter was not seen again." "Victories - Destroyed in the air: ME 110 - Lt. Col. Mason" "Damage to our aircraft - from flak and ground fire: Lt. Col. Mason - horizontal stabilizer shot up, holes in both engines.

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