Raiders of 'Hitler's gas station' reunite in Ohio

[The Straight Story]

CINCINNATI (AP) — All these years later, some surviving veterans still think the raid on "Hitler's gas station" was a great plan. However, not all worked out as expected, and the result was a fierce World War II battle marked by bravery and sacrifice.

The 70th anniversary Ploesti Raid reunion this week at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force commemorates an Aug. 1, 1943, assault by waves of B-24 bombers on oil refineries in Romania that provided much of the fuel for the Nazi war machine. Five Medals of Honor were among the many awards given for what U.S. military histories call the most decorated action of the war.

U.S. commanders "emphasized the importance of completing the mission; in their estimate, it would shorten the war in Europe by six months," Dale Hulsey, 91, of Fort Worth, Texas, recalled Wednesday, after reunion participants viewed a restored B-24 at the museum near Dayton.

"They tried to knock the thing out in one mission, but everything went wrong," said Bob Rans, a Chicago native who lives near Tampa at age 92, with vivid memories of being bathed in gasoline as a wall of flame roared toward him.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/raiders-hitlers-gas-station-reunite-ohio

[steve2470]

1. great article, thanks nt

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Saw this doc a couple of years ago ...

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/302600/KBYUS-WING-AND-A-PRAYER-IS-AN-EXCELLENT-DOCUMENTARY.html?pg=all

The Russians blocked the German advance on the Baku oilfields from the north, and the Brits blocked the approach through the Middle East. That left Romania as Hitler's main source of fuel. After the bombing of Ploesti, the Germans tried creating synthetic fuel from coal -- at very low efficiency and high cost, and on a pitifully small scale. Ever since, there have been CT's about a "secret Nazi formula" for making cheap fuel being supressed by Big Oil. In fact, we know how the German synthetic fuel process worked, and it could be counted as a success only because there was such an extreme shortage of fuel otherwise. It could never compete economically with normal fuel production from petroleum .

[independentpiney]

3. My Dad's generation, so sad to see their passing

The sacrifices and bravery of those then young men were so immense.

[wandy]

4. TRIBUTE- B-24Ds AND THE PLOESTI RAID

A very nice Vid with some excellent B-24 art.

[The Straight Story]

5. Good music :) (nt)

[independentpiney]

6. very nice nt

[customerserviceguy]

7. We're so lucky

to have so many of these folks still around. My ailing father served at the tail end of WWII because of his youth, and when I see that there are still quite a few vets of that war still with us, I marvel that they still can tell their stories first-hand.

[oneshooter]

8. Despite the losses, the raid was considered a failure.

Both of the primary target plants were back in limited production in 60 days, 1/2+ in 120days.