The Oil Campaign 1944–45 by Steven J. Zaloga & Edouard A. Groult

Author:Steven J. Zaloga & Edouard A. Groult
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472848550
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2022-01-21T00:00:00+00:00

A storm of Flak greets the B-17G bombers of the 3rd Bomb Division during Mission 570 over the Pölitz synthetic fuel plants on August 25, 1945.

August Oil Campaign

The Oil Campaign resumed on August 4 with three days of successive missions that included a wide range of industrial targets including some oil refineries. Mission 514 on August 4 was oriented towards the north including the Bremen area and a deep mission to Peenemunde. The Sturm Staffel of JG 3 attempted to intercept but ran out of fuel and returned to base. Five other Gruppen sent fighters but they were hit by escorting USAAF fighters, losing 29 fighters for the meager result of one bomber and two escort fighters; nearly all of the bomber losses were due to Flak.

A similar set of objectives, but in central Germany, was the objective the following day. Mission 519 on August 5 saw relatively light activity by the I.Jagdkorps with Luftwaffe fighters claiming five of the 13 bombers shot down; escort fighters claim to have shot down 29 German fighters. Mission 524 on August 6 hit targets in the Brandenberg and Hamburg areas and losses included 24 bombers and eight escort fighters. Most of these were due to Flak or other causes. The I.Jagdkorps managed to sortie 198 fighters of which 128 made contact. Of these, 30 were shot down and JG 300 claimed only four bomber kills that day. A German report described the day’s activities as a complete failure.

For the next week, the bombers were heavily involved in missions over France to assist in the Allied breakout operations in Normandy. A number of raids on oil refineries were conducted in the middle of August, though few dedicated primarily to fuel targets. The only major Oil Campaign raid was Mission 556 on August 16 involving 976 bombers and 612 fighters. The I.Jagdkorps managed to get 121 fighters aloft, including all five Me 163 rocket fighters of 1./JG 400. It’s worth noting that this Staffel was specifically deployed to the Brandis air base to defend the Leipzig fuel plants, including the massive Leuna complex. Two of the new rocket fighters were lost, one to B-17 gunners and one to a P-51 of the 359th Fighter Group. The Me 163 fighters were credited with three “shot-out-of-formation” victories though in fact none of the B-17s were actually shot down. Other claims were ten B-17s, mainly by JG 302, and three P-51 Mustangs. Escort fighters claimed to have shot down 32 German fighters.

The Oil Campaign resumed on August 24 with Mission 568 including many familiar synthetic fuel targets such as Brüx, Misburg, Stade, and Leuna/Merseburg. The I.Jagdkorps put 222 fighters in the air but only 99 made interceptions. The Gefechtsverband intercepted the 1st Bomb Division in the Lüneburg area claiming ten B-17s destroyed and seven more shot-out-of-formation or destroyed stragglers; actual losses were 16 to all causes. The Me 163 fighters returned to combat, with the largest commitment to date of eight rocket fighters. Feldwebel Schubert claimed to have

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