Скачать или смотреть They Could Have lowered Safely — Instead They Flew Their Burning B-24 Into the Target

This video tells the full story of one of the most harrowing acts of sacrifice in World War II air warfare, during Operation Tidal Wave and the low level attack on the Ploesti oil refineries. On August 1st, 1943, Lieutenant Colonel Addison Baker and Major John Jerstad led B 24 Liberator Hell’s Wench on a mission that planners believed could cost half the force before it ended. Flying from Libya to Romania, the crews faced the longest and most dangerous low altitude bombing raid ever attempted. The Ploesti oil fields supplied a critical share of Germany’s fuel, powering tanks, aircraft, and submarines across Europe. High altitude attacks had failed, forcing American planners to gamble on treetop level bombing through the most heavily defended target on the continent. Baker, commanding the 93rd Bomb Group, knew the odds and still chose to lead from the front. Jerstad had already completed his combat tour and could have gone home, yet volunteered to fly one final mission as co pilot. When a navigation error sent most of the formation off course, Baker made a decisive choice that changed the outcome of the attack. He broke away and led his group alone into the heart of Ploesti, drawing concentrated fire from hundreds of anti aircraft guns and barrage balloons. Hell’s Wench was set ablaze by flak and cables, yet Baker and Jerstad continued toward the target rather than land or order a bailout. Their burning bomber struck the refinery at point blank range, ensuring destruction of the Astro Romana complex before the aircraft finally fell from the sky. This is a story of leadership, duty, and the brutal cost of strategic bombing, showing how individual decisions shaped the outcome of one of the most costly missions of the war.

00:00 : Intro
01:36 : Operation Tidal Wave
04:22 : Ploesti refineries
09:41 : low level bombing
11:18 : Hell’s Wench
17:53 : Medal of Honor
21:07 : air war sacrifice

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#WorldWarII #OperationTidalWave #PloestiRaid #B24Liberator #MilitaryHistory