Operation Tidal Wave

On 1 August 1943, American air forces carried out Operation Tidal Wave over the Balkans to bomb the oil refineries around Ploiești, Romania. The operation aimed to disrupt the Wehrmacht's oil supplies and demonstrate the destructive power of US strategic aviation. The plan called for 500 tonnes of bombs to be dropped per square kilometre. The operation was entrusted to the American long-range air-attack division based at the airfields of Derna and Benghazi in North Africa. The decision to carry out the bombing was taken in January 1943 at the Western Allies' summit in Casablanca. British analysts believed that destroying the Ploiești refineries would help shorten the war by six months. The proposed plan was approved, and in the spring of that year two bomber groups were stationed in North Africa, ready to carry out the operation.

The attack was disastrous for American aviation. Of the 177 bombers that took off, only 88 managed to return to their base. Human losses were enormous, reaching 660 killed, captured or missing. This became the heaviest loss ever suffered by American air forces in a single operation. Among American pilots, 1 August 1943 became known as "Black Sunday". Damage to the refineries was far less extensive than the Americans had expected. Only the refinery at Câmpina was put out of action, while the others were successfully repaired and exceeded their pre-attack production within a few weeks.