The oil campaign chronology of World War II lists bombing missions and related events regarding the petroleum/oil/lubrication (POL) facilities that supplied Nazi Germany or those Germany tried to capture in Operation Edelweiss.
— events regarding
Nazi Germany petroleum, lubrication, and/or oil supplies
- events regarding notable
Luftwaffe defensive efforts against Allied attack of petroleum, lubrication, and/or oil supply targets
and/or
— events regarding Allied planning
— RAF,
Eighth Air Force, and other roundels indicate units (most listings are from the RAF chronology
[1] and the USAAF chronology)
[2]
"100 BG" — listings that include the unit abbreviation (BG is Bombardment Group) are from the corresponding mission history for the unit.
[3]
Date | Target/Topic | Event |
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May 15/16, 1940 | Oil and other installations in Ruhr |
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May 16/17, 1940 | Oil installations in Ruhr |
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May 17/18, 1940 | Hamburg-Harburg [6]: 149 |
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May 17/18, 1940 | Bremen |
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May 18/19, 1940 | "Oil refineries" |
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May 22/23, 1940 | Leipzig/ Leuna [10]: 198 |
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May 27/28, 1940 | Bremen |
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May 27/28, 1940 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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May 30/31, 1940 | Bremen |
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May 30/31, 1940 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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June 2/3, 1940 | oil targets |
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June 4, 1940 | Frankfurt oil depot |
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June 17/18, 1940 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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September 4, 1940 |
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The Future Strategy report predicted "Germany's oil stocks might be exhausted--and Germany's situation disastrous--by June 1941." [4]: 4 |
September 14/15, 1940 |
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January 9/10, 1941 | Gelsenkirchen |
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February 10/11, 1941 | Hanover |
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February 14/15, 1941 | Gelsenkirchen ( Nordstern) |
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February 28, 1941 |
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June 22, 1941 |
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The German invasion of the USSR included the goal to capture the Baku oilfields to increase their fuel reserves and their ability to retain lands captured in the war. [15] |
June 1941 |
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July 14, 1941 |
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1942 |
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The Kuhlman Fischer-Tropsch plant at Harnes was shut down briefly due to bomb damage. [6] [16] |
April 1942 |
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After A-2 and the War Plans Division reported it as a target, Colonel Bonner Fellers identified Romanian oil was "by far the most decisive objective [and] the strategic target of the war". [7]: 4 |
May 30, 1942 | Cologne | The Kolnische Gummifaden Fabrik tire and tube factory at Deutz on the east bank of the Rhine was entirely destroyed. [17]: 215 |
1942 |
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The "Bombers' Baedeker" identified oil, communications, and ball bearings were "bottleneck" German industries. [18] |
June 12, 1942 |
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The Halverson project raid from Egypt was the first US mission against a European target — 10 aircraft bombed the Astra Română oil refinery. |
June 25/26, 1942 | Bremen |
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July 20, 1942 |
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Hitler authorized Operation Edelweiss to capture the Soviet oil fields of Baku. On July 10, Hermann Göring had met with experts on how to repair the Russian Maykop oil facilities (Germany reassembled an oil facility at Kherson in the Ukraine, also).< [19] The Soviets set the Maikop oilfields on fire on August 9, the town was evacuated on the 16th, [12]: 737 and Nazi Germany began occupation in August. [20] |
September 1942 |
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September 1942 |
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October 1942 |
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The US "Enemy Oil Committee" was established as a counterpart to the British "Technical Sub-Committee on Axis Oil" (Hartley Committee). [8] |
November 1942 |
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The Axis Oil Position in Europe, November 1942 estimated that Romanian oil fields contribute 33% of Axis supplies. [21]: 41 |
December 3, 1942 |
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The German Strategy in 1943 predicted Nazi Germany will have increased domestic oil supplies in mid-1943. [21]: 42 |
December 21, 1942 |
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A German armoured column within 30 miles of the Soviet Sixth Army near Stalingrad had to retreat due to having fuel for only 15 miles. At his HQ company Christmas party, Erwin Rommel received a miniature oil drum as a gift (containing captured British coffee). [13]: 388 |
January 16, 1943 |
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After Hap Arnold created the United States Army Air Forces Committee for Operations Analysis (COA) on December 9, 1942, [10] to develop a plan for strategic bombing, the COA's initial Western Axis Oil Industry report listed the following order of strategic importance: hydrogenation facilities (15 plants), refineries (29 plants), lubrication plants, coker units, Fischer-Tropsch facilities, tetraethyllead facilities, and oilfields/pipelines. [4]: 6 |
January 19, 1943 |
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The Axis Oil Position (C.C.S. 158) at the Allied Casablanca Conference identified it would be "remote" for Nazi Germany to retain the Maikop oil fields. However, "even if the whole of the Romanian production were knocked out early in the year, [Germany] would still have enough for operations in 1944 [but the destruction of] two tetraethyllead factories… would hamstring the production of German aviation fuel" ( Brehon Somervell). [21]: 41, 256 Nazi Germany destroyed the Maikop facilities prior to withdrawing. [22] |
January 21, 1943 |
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C.C.S. 166/1/D identified oil facilities as the 4th bombing priority. [21] |
March 8, 1943 |
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The COA's comprehensive plan identified the strategic bombing objective was to "bring about a high degree of destruction in a few really essential industries than to dissipate bombing efforts over a large number of targets [in] many industries." 19 vital industries were identified: Petroleum was 3rd (39 targets), "Synthetic rubber and rubber tires" were 6th (12 targets) and "Coking plants" were 10th (89 targets). In particular, destruction of 13 hydrogenation plants and 12 Ploesti refineries would reduce "German petroleum resources" by 90%. [11]: 6 |
April 10, 1943 |
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"We must, therefore, apply [bombardment] to those specially selected and vital targets which will give the greatest return." (Arnold to Carl Spaatz) [23] [12]: vii |
April 20/21, 1943 | Pölitz | 339 bombers attacked the Stettin railyards, the Pölitz oil refinery, and Swinemünde. [24] The Pölitz synthetic oil plant had been added to the Area Bombing Directive on February 14, 1942 (one day before it was issued), and a subcamp of Sachsenhausen near Pölitz provided forced labor. |
May 19, 1943 |
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The CBO " Eaker" plan was approved and confirmed oil targets as the 4th primary objective ("contingent upon attacks against Ploesti"). [13]: 17 |
May 13/14; June 12/13, 1943 | Bochum benzene plant |
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May 16, 1943 |
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The Advisory Council submitted the Air Attack on Ploesti ("SOAPSUDS") bombardment plan, which the Trident Conference subsequently considered. On June 6 the plan was deemed "an important and desirable operation", and the "Planning committee" first met on June 25 ( Uzal Girard Ent predicted losses of 75 aircraft). Training began on July 20/22 and ended July 29.< [15]: 24, 26, 31, 36, 67–8 |
June 22, 1943 | Hüls |
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June 23/24, 1943 |
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June 25/26, 1943 |
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Wellingtons of the Northwest African Strategic Air Force bombed the "Bari, Italy oil refinery". |
June 25/26, 1943 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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July 9/10, 1943 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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August 1, 1943 |
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August 1, 1943 |
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August 1, 1943 |
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August 1, 1943 |
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August 12, 1943 | Bochum |
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August 12, 1943 | Recklinghausen |
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August 12, 1943 | Gelsenkirchen |
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November 5, 1943 | Gelsenkirchen |
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November 1943 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) | 96 of 328 B-17s bombed 238 tons on the "Hydrier Werke Scholven A.G." (damaged) and the Gelsenkirchener Bergwerke (missed). Gelsenkirchener Bergwerke plants were also at Duisburg-Hamborn (BRUCKHAUSEN Benzol Plant) and Dortmund. [20] A Gelsenkirchen target was also attacked on November 19, [21]: 163 and Gelsenkirchen Mission 134 on November 19 was rerouted to bomb the German-Dutch border due to malfunctioning blind-bombing PFF equipment in bad weather. |
November 26, 1943 |
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"losses of oil stocks … caused by Allied attacks during the first eight months of 1943 [were] 400,000 tons. … Approximately 75 per cent of Roumanian crude is a waxy, viscous oil which becomes solid at temperatures below 69" degrees (J.I.C (43) 480). [22] |
December 30, 1943 | Ludwigshafen– Oppau | The 351 BG bombed the explosives factory at Oppau. [32] Prior to May 1944, explosives production was 99,000 metric tons/month, but in December 1944, the amount had dropped to 20,500; and after October 1944, German explosives were 20% rock salt. The Mannheim-Ludwigshafen area was bombed in late 1943 to prevent recovery from previous bomb damage. [23]: 169 The Mannheim aircraft plant was bombed on October 19, 1944, [24] and Mannheim had a Daimler Benz truck plant. |
January 7, 1944 | Ludwigshafen | 1,000 tons of bombs dropped on Ludwigshafen, [33]: 337 and the 447 BG bombed the Ludwigshafen oil refinery. In addition to the nearby Oppau plants, Ludwigshafen targets included a small synthetic oil plant and an oil refinery that used the dehydrogenation process to improve "gasoline quality". Dr. Wurster of the Ludwigshafen Military Government was the "managing director of Oppau and Ludwigshafen." [25] Ludwigshafen targets were subsequently bombed by the 8AF on March 2, March 31, and May 27. |
January 12, 1944 |
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The 317 BS bombed the oil refinery. [34] Circa January 1944, the Enemy Oil Committee identified that Italian refining had ceased in August 1943. [26] Italian refineries were at Fiume (Ramsa plant), La Spezia, Leghorn, Trieste (Aquila & SIAF plants), and Venice. [14] |
February 3, 1944 |
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March 5, 1944 |
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"To reduce output … to virtually zero in the six months following 1 March requires the destruction of 23 synthetic plants (about 3.3 million tons) and 31 refineries (about 3.7 million tons) [which] currently account for over 90 per cent of total Axis refinery and synthetic oil output" ( Plan for Completion of Combined Bomber Offensive). The "German oil situation is extremely vulnerable to the scale of attack contemplated, and that the results of any appreciable damage to production would be disastrous." (US Petroleum Attache, March 6). [27] |
March 25, 1944 |
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Although Spaatz's claimed "We believe attacks on transportation will not force the German fighters into action. We believe they will defend oil to their last fighter plane'', [35] [28] Dwight D. Eisenhower decided that "apart from the attack on the GAF,[German air force] the transportation plan was the only one which offered a reasonable chance of the air forces making an important contribution to the land battle during the first vital weeks of OVERLORD". ^27.60 Control of all air operations was transferred to Eisenhower on April 14 at noon. [29]: 5 |
April 5, 1944 |
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April 19, 1944 |
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Bad winter weather had reduced Wehrmacht fuel consumption, and Luftwaffe fuel supplies were 574,000 tonnes. [6]: 144 "Whereas in 1939 our hydrogenation plants were producing 2 million metric tons equivalent of petroleum (including automobile fuel), the construction of new facilities up to 1943 provided an increase to 5.7 million metric tons, and the facilities scheduled for this year will raise the yearly output to 7.1 million metric tons." ( Albert Speer to Adolf Hitler). [38]: 655 |
April 24, 1944 |
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April 1944 | Salzbergen synthetic oil plant |
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May 1, 1944 |
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By May 1944, only 1.1% of Allied bombs had been used on oil targets. [4]: 4 |
May 5, 1944 |
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May 9, 1944 | Bruges, Belgium |
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May 12, 1944 | Leipzig/ Böhlen |
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May 12, 1944 | Merseburg |
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May 12, 1944 | Lützkendorf |
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May 12, 1944 | Zeitz |
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May 12, 1944 | Brüx, Czechoslovakia |
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May 13, 1944 |
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May 18, 1944 |
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May 19, 1944 |
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Daily output of aircraft fuel had dropped from 5,850 to 4,820 metric tonnes; but the reserve of 574,000 tonnes was expected to last 19 months. On "'May 12 ... the technological war was decided. ...with the attack ... upon several fuel plants ... a new era in the air war began. It meant the end of German armaments production" (Speer). "In my view the fuel, Buna rubber, and nitrogen plants represent a particularly sensitive point for the conduct of the war, since vital materials for armaments are being manufactured in a small number of plants… The enemy has struck us at one of our weakest points. If they persist at it this time, we will soon no longer have any fuel production worth mentioning" (Hitler). [38]: 413 By May 28, fuel production had returned to the level prior to the May 12 raids. [38]: 415 The "economic air raids [using] wise planning [by] the enemy began ... in the last half or three-quarters of a year" before December 1944. "Before that he was, at least from his standpoint, committing absurdities" (Speer, December 1, 1944) [38]: 419 |
May 26, 1944 |
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May 28, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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May 28, 1944 | Lützkendorf |
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May 28, 1944 | Magdeburg/ Königsberg, Bavaria |
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May 28, 1944 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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May 28, 1944 | Ruhland– Schwarzheide |
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May 28, 1944 | Zeitz |
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May 29, 1944 | Pölitz |
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May 28/29, 1944 |
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May 31, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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May 31, 1944 |
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The 485 BG bombed the Redeventa [ sic] Refinery. "Lumina Petromina" was an additional Romanian refinery not in Ploiești or Bucharest. |
May 31, 1944 |
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The intelligence annex to the field order for the May 31 Ploiești mission stated "Successful attacks on [the aircraft factories at the] Wiener-Neustadter complex have raised oil to high priority. …destruction of remaining active capacity of Ploesti will create [a] critical situation for [the] entire Axis war effort and make possible further important inroads through attacks in Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Italy. [The] Eighth Air Force has now damaged all but 2 of the major synthetic plants in its area making it possible for Fifteenth [Air Force] to destroy sufficient refinery and synthetic capacity to [reduce total] production close to 75 percent. Destruction of vital installations in targets selected will immobilize Ploesti capacity for several months." [48] [49] |
May 31, 1944 |
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32 B-24s of the 450 BG attacked the "Româno-Americană Oil Refinery", but failed due to the smoke screens. [6]: 153 The 450 BG also bombed the Româno-Americană refinery on June 6, 24, & July 15; and the Concordia Vega refinery on July 9, 22 |
June 5, 1944 |
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A May 5 decoded message stated anti-aircraft artillery was being moved to Pölitz and Blechhammer, and one on June 5 indicated the Luftwaffe was short of fuel. British intelligence concluded that the bombing of oil targets would be "crippling" in 3–6 months. [42] Romanian production had been reduced from 200,000 tons in February to 40,000 in June. [50]: 1477 |
June 6, 1944 [2] |
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Spaatz ordered that "the primary aim of the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces would be to deny oil to the enemy". [36]: 118 |
June 6, 1944 |
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June 9 & 10, 1944 |
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June 10, 1944 |
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June 10, 1944 |
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36 P-38s dive-bombed 3 Ploiești oil refineries by flying under the smoke screens. [6]: 153 |
June 11, 1944 |
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June 11, 1944 |
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June 11, 1944 |
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June 12/13, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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June 13, 1944 |
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June 14, 1944 | Emmerich am Rhein |
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June 14, 1944 |
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June 14, 1944 | Expand |
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June 14, 1944 |
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June 14, 1944 |
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June 14, 1944 |
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June 14/15, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen ( Scholven/Buer) |
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June 15, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 17, 1944 |
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June 17/18, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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June 18, 1944 | Bremen |
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June 18, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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June 18, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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June 18 & 23, 1944 |
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June 19, 1944 |
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June 20 & 25, 1944 |
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June 20, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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June 20, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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June 20, 1944 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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June 20, 1944 | Pölitz |
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June 21, 1944 |
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The minimum number of flak guns were ordered to be placed at Pölitz (200), Auschwitz (200), Hamburg (200), Brüx (170, Gelsenkirchen (140), Scholven (140), Wesseling (150), Heydebreck (130), Leuna (120), Blechhammer (100), Moosbierbaum (100), and Böhlen (70). [56] The Ruhland Fischer-Tropsch plant and other synthetic oil plants were fortified to be "hydrogenation fortresses" (e.g., the plants in the Leipzig area were protected by over 1,000 guns.) In addition to increased active defenses, the facilities ( German: hydrierfestungen) incorporated blast walls and concrete "dog houses" around vital machinery. 7,000 engineers were released from the German Army to provide technical support for oil facilities. [6]: 149 Aviation fuel production (thousands of tons) was reduced the most in June 1944 (Wolfgang Birkenfeld, 1964): [50]: 1479 |
June 21, 1944 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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June 21/22, 1944 | Wesseling |
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June 21/22, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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June 22, 1944 |
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June 22, 1944 |
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June 22, 1944 |
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June 22, 1944 | [ specify] |
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June 22, 1944 |
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In July, Hitler promised to have "hydrogenation plants protected by fighter planes",<!-Speer p482 of hardcopy--> and in August, a limited program was assigned the "highest priority". "By sending the production of fighter aircraft soaring we can meet the greatest danger we face: the crushing of our armaments manufacture on the home front" (Speer, August 13).<!-Speer p485 of hardcopy--> |
June 23, 1944 |
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June 23, 1944 |
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June 24, 1944 |
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B-24s bombed an oil refinery. [39] |
June 24, 1944 | Bremen |
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June 25, 1944 |
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June 25, 1944 |
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June 25, 1944 |
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June 25/26, 1944 | Homberg |
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June 26, 1944 |
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June 26, 1944 |
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June 26, 1944 |
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June 26, 1944 |
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June 26, 1944 |
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The 455th BG received a 2nd Distinguished Unit Citation for bombing the Vienna (Moosbierbaum) oil refinery. |
June 26, 1944 |
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June 1944 | Heydebreck | The Heydebreck oil/chemical facilities near Cosel and Blechhammer were first bombed in June 1944. |
June 27, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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June 27, 1944 |
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June 28, 1944 |
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June 28, 1944 |
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June 28/29, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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June 29, 1944 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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June 30, 1944 | Blechhammer North & South |
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June 30, 1944 [38]: 417 |
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"Our aviation gasoline production was badly hit in May and June. The enemy has succeeded in increasing our losses of aviation gasoline up to 90 percent by June 22. Only through speedy recovery of damaged plants has it been possible to regain partly … however, aviation gasoline production is completely insufficient [60] … If we cannot manage to protect our hydrogenation factories and our refineries by all possible means, it will be impossible to get them back into working order from the state they are in now. If that happens, then by September we shall no longer be capable of covering the Wehrmacht's most urgent needs. In other words, from then on there will be a gap which will be impossible to fill and which will bring in its train inevitable tragic consequences." (Speer to Hitler) [50]: 1479 |
June 30/July 1, 1944 | Homberg |
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July 2, 1944 |
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The 456 BG bombed the "previously-untouched" Shell Oil refinery at Budapest and earned its 2nd Distinguished Unit Citation. 31 aircraft bombed at mid-morning and were attacked three minutes after bomb release by 50 Bf 109s and 10 FW-190s of Jagdgeschwader 300 and the Hungarian 101 Puma Group. The 744 BS lost 6 of 9 bombers in the target area and a seventh damaged beyond repair (36 KIA/MIA, 24 captured — the largest single-day loss for the group.) Budapest's three refineries were operated by Shell, Magyar Petrol, and Asvanyol-Fanto, [41]: IV and oil storage was at Budapest- Csepel. [42]: 40 Budapest also was the site of the Duna Repülőgépgyár Szigentmiklos assembly plant for Messerschmitt Me 210s and 410s. |
July 3, 1944 |
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July 3, 1944 |
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June 11 & July 13, 1944 |
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July 6, 1944 |
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July 6, 1944 |
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The 461st BG bombed Ploiești oil targets. |
July 7, 1944 |
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The Joint Oil Targets Committee was set up. [6]: 149 |
July 7, 1944 | Blechhammer North & South |
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July 7, 1944 | Leipzig |
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July 7, 1944 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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July 7, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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July 7, 1944 | Leipzig/Lützkendorf |
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July 8, 1944 |
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July 9, 1944 |
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B-24s bombed an oil refinery. [39] |
July 11, 1944 |
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July 14, 1944 |
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July 14, 1944 |
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July 15, 1944 |
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July 16, 1944 |
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July 17, 1944 |
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Aviation fuel production was 2,307 daily tonnes (40% of original production). [38]: 416 |
July 18, 1944 | Kiel |
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July 18, 1944 | Friedrichshafen |
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July 18/19, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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July 18/19, 1944 | Wesseling |
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July 20, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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July 20/21, 1944 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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July 20/21, 1944 | Homberg |
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July 21, 1944 |
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July 22 & 28, 1944 |
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July 23, 1944 |
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July 23, 1944 | Donges, France |
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July 25/26, 1944 | Wanne-Eickel |
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July 28, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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July 28, 1944 |
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July 29, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna | The 384 BG bombed Merseburg. |
July 31, 1944 |
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Luftwaffe fuel supplies were 35,000 tonnes in July. [69] By July 21, Production was reduced to 120 daily tonnes, but was restored to 690 by the end of July. However, repairs were not as durable and shocks from near misses caused leaks (from August to October, monthly production was 10% or less of original rates, then reached 28% in November.) [38]: 417 |
July 31, 1944 |
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July 1944 |
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The 461st BG received a 2nd Distinguished Unit Citation for a July 1944 Ploiești bombing. |
July 31, 1944 |
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August 2, 1944 | Expand |
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August 3, 1944 | Friedrichshafen |
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August 3, 1944 |
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August 3, 1944 |
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August 3, 1944 |
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August 4, 1944 | Bremen |
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August 4, 1944 | Hemmingstedt |
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August 4, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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August 4, 1944 |
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August 4, 1944 |
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August 6, 1944 | Hemmingstedt |
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August 6, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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August 6, 1944 | Genshagen |
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August 6, 1944 |
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August 6, 1944 |
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August 6, 1944 |
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August 7, 1944 | Blechhammer North & South |
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August 7, 1944 |
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August 7, 1944 |
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August 7, 1944 | Blechhammer North & South |
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August 7, 1944 |
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August 8, 1944 | Hanover/ Dollberg | The 398th BG bombed the Dollberg oil plant. Also known as Dollbergen, the village near Hanover had an oil refinery. [50] |
August 9, 1944 |
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August 9, 1944 |
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August 9, 1944 |
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August 10, 1944 |
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August 10, 1944 |
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August 10, 1944 |
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August 10, 1944 | Zeitz |
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August 10, 1944 |
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August 14, 1944 | [ specify] |
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August 15, 1944 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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August 15, 1944 | Leipzig/ Rositz [53] |
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August 15, 1944 | Zeitz |
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August 16, 1944 | Friedrichshafen |
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August 16, 1944 | Leipzig/Rositz |
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August 16, 1944 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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August 16, 1944 | Leipzig/Rositz |
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August 16, 1944 | Zeitz |
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August 17, 1944 |
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August 18, 1944 |
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August 18/19, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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August 19, 1944 |
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August 20, 1944 |
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August 20, 1944 |
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August 20, 1944 |
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August 21, 1944 |
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August 22, 1944 | Odertal |
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August 22, 1944 |
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August 22, 1944 | Blechhammer |
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August 22, 1944 |
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August 23, 1944 |
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August 24, 1944 |
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August 24, 1944 |
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August 24, 1944 | Dresden/ Freital |
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August 24, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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August 24, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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August 24, 1944 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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August 24, 1944 |
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August 24, 1944 |
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August 25, 1944 | Pölitz |
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August 26, 1944 | Dülmen |
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August 26, 1944 | Emmerich am Rhein |
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August 26, 1944 |
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August 26, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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August 26, 1944 | Ludwigshafen-Oppau |
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August 26, 1944 | Salzbergen |
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August 26, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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August 27, 1944 | Homberg |
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August 27, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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August 28, 1944 |
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August 28, 1944 |
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August 29, 1944 |
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August 30, 1944 |
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September 3, 1944 |
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After a lull in V-1 flying bomb attacks, the Allied Combined Strategic Targets Committee (CSTC) [57] switched the top bombing priority from Operation Crossbow to oil targets. [76]: 241 39% of US bomb tonnage from Oct-Dec was on synthetic oil plants. [58] |
September 3, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 5, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 7, 1944 |
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After Speer completed the Effects of the Air War on September 6, the President of the Rustungskommando VI (5) ordered only 3 days or less of production be stored, and emergency preparation for the transfer of POL plants was initiated (e.g., identification of vital parts for removal). [59]: a2 "On principle, plants are only to be crippled temporarily by removing various elements to safety, particularly the electrical ones." (Speer telegram, September 13). August "chemical plant" production was 10% of former capacity. At the beginning of September, 1944, the Luftwaffe minimum fuel allotment was decreased from 160,000 monthly tons to 30,000 due to shortages. [77]: 210, 224 |
September 8, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 8, 1944 | Kassel |
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September 10, 1944 |
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September 10, 1944 |
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September 11, 1944 | Castrop-Rauxel |
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September 11, 1944 | Chemnitz |
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September 11, 1944 | Dortmund |
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September 11, 1944 | Fulda |
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September 11, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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September 11, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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September 11, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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September 11, 1944 | Kamen |
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September 11, 1944 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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September 11, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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September 11, 1944 | Lützkendorf |
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September 11, 1944 | Magdeburg |
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September 11, 1944 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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September 11, 1944 | Wanne-Eickel |
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September 11, 1944 |
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September 12, 1944 | Dortmund |
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September 12, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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September 12, 1944 | Wanne-Eickel |
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September 12, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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September 12, 1944 | Hemmingstedt |
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September 12, 1944 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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September 12, 1944 | Magdeburg/ Friedrichstadt |
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September 12, 1944 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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September 12, 1944 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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September 12, 1944 |
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September 13, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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September 13, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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September 13, 1944 | Lützkendorf |
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September 13, 1944 | Blechhammer North |
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September 13, 1944 | Leipzig/Merseburg (Altenburg) |
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September 13, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 13, 1944 | Odertal |
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September 13, 1944 | Stuttgart/ Sindelfingen |
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September 13, 1944 |
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September 14, 1944 | Hemmingstedt |
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September 17, 1944 |
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"…the enemy always… after the resumption of work, …destroy[s] these [synthetic oil] installations again by air attack" (Speer). [78] On July 20, Speer met with Ambassador Clodius of the Foreign Office regarding the "safeguarding of Rumanian oil." September "chemical plant" production was 5.5% of former capacity. |
September 17, 1944 |
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September 20, 1944 |
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September 21, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 23, 1944 |
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September 25, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 26, 1944 | Frankfurt am Main |
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September 27, 1944 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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September 27, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 27, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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September 28, 1944 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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September 28, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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September 30, 1944 | Bottrop |
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September 30, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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September 30/01, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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October 3, 1944 | Wesseling |
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October 6, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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October 6, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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October 6, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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October 7, 1944 | Blechhammer South | The Tuskegee Airmen provided escort. [63] |
October 7, 1944 | Kassel/ Altenbauna |
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October 7, 1944 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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October 7, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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October 7, 1944 | Lützkendorf |
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October 7, 1944 | Magdeburg/ Buckau |
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October 7, 1944 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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October 7, 1944 | Pölitz |
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October 7, 1944 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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October 7, 1944 |
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The 741st Bombardment Squadron flew over Vienna to hit an oil refinery, and the Lobau oil refinery was bombed. [36]: 162 |
October 7, 1944 |
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October 7, 1944 |
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October 11, 1944 | Blechhammer |
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October 11, 1944 | Leverhausen |
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October 11, 1944 | Wesseling |
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October 11 & 13, 1944 |
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October 12, 1944 | Wanne-Eickel |
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October 12 & 13, 1944 | Blechhammer South | Blechhammer South was bombed on the 12th and by the 301 BG on the 13th. |
October 14, 1944 | Blechhammer North |
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October 15, 1944 | Düsseldorf-Reisholz |
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October 15, 1944 | Monheim am Rhein |
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October 16, 1944 |
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October 16, 1944 |
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October 17, 1944 | Leverkusen |
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October 17, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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October 17, 1944 |
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October 18, 1944 |
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Allied policy was changed to bomb oil targets even if reconnaissance was not available. [6]: 170 After Eisenhower notified Marshall on October 23 that the bombing of oil targets was being successful, [81] oil targets were retained in the highest priority, and the German rail system was made the second priority. ^27.80 |
October 19, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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October 20, 1944 |
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October 20, 1944 | Regensburg |
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October 23, 1944 | Regensburg |
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October 25, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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October 25, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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October 25, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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October 26, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg |
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October 30, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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October 30, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen/Hamm |
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October 31, 1944 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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November 1944 |
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Chemical plant production in October was 10% of former capacity and 28% (1633 tons/day) in November. |
November 1, 1944 |
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After the British Air Staff requested on June 3 that RAF Bomber Command attack Ruhr oil plants, [6]: 146 and Portal unsuccessfully attempted on July 5, 1944, to "move Harris away from area bombing to join the attacks on oil", [70] the Air Staff ordered Harris to bomb oil targets. |
November 1, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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November 1, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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November 2, 1944 | Castrop-Rauxel |
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November 2, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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November 2, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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November 3, 1944 |
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November 4, 1944 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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November 4, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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November 4, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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November 4, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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November 4, 1944 | Neuenkirchen | The 487 BG bombed the Neuenkirchen coking plant and the 452 BG bombed the "Benzalube Stoking Plant" at Neunkirchen on a Micro H experimental mission. |
November 4, 1944 | Regensburg |
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November 4 & 11-15, 1944 |
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November 4 & 7, 1944 |
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November 5, 1944 |
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November 5, 1944 | Ludwigshafen-Oppau |
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November 6, 1944 | Duisburg |
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November 6, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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November 6, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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November 6, 12-17 & 19, 1944 |
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November 6, 1944 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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November 6, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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November 8, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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November 9, 1944 | Wanne-Eickel |
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November 10, 1944 | Wiesbaden |
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November 11, 1944 |
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A Speer memorandum identified that the oil and margarine plants in the Ruhr were on the verge of shutdown. The Vienna area had no fuel after November 15 (US intelligence report, February 1945). [72]: 5 |
November 11, 1944 | Castrop-Rauxel |
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November 11, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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November 11, 1944 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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November 11, 1944 |
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November 11/12 & 15, 1944 | Dortmund |
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November 13, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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November 13, 25, & 30, 1944 |
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November 17 & 20, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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November 18, 1944 |
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November 18/19, 1944 | Wanne-Eickel |
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November 19, 1944 |
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November 20, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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November 20, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) | Bomb damage from the attack was repaired by December 23. [74] |
November 21, 1944 | Koblenz |
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November 21, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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November 21/22, 1944 | Castrop-Rauxel |
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November 21/22, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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November 23, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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November 25, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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November 26, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) | The 491 BG earned a DUC for bombing an oil refinery at Misburg. [75] Archived 2009-03-16 at the Wayback Machine |
November 29, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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November 30, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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November 30, 1944 | Lützkendorf |
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November 30, 1944 | Zeitz |
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December 2, 1944 | Dortmund |
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December 6, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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December 11, 1944 | Oberhausen ( Osterfeld) |
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December 12, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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December 6, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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December 9, 1944 | Regensburg oil refinery |
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December 11, 1944 |
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December 12, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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December 12, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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December 12, 1944 |
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December 15, 1944 | Expand |
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December 16, 1944 |
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December 16, 1944 |
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The lead 741st BS pilot bypassed the Brüx refinery target: "I'm not sure to this day that he wasn't right in avoiding that almost suicidal bomb run." (741st pilot George McGovern) [36]: 182 |
December 16, 1944 |
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Unternehmen Bodenplatte for "capturing Allied fuel stocks" began with insufficient fuel. [57]: 265 |
December 17, 1944 | Odertal oil refinery |
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December 17, 1944 |
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December 18, 1944 | Blechhammer North & South |
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December 18, 1944 | Odertal |
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December 18, 1944 |
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December 18, 1944 |
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December 18, 1944 | ||
September 13, 1944 |
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US bombers attacked the "Monowitz synthetic plant". [83]: 621 |
December 19, 1944 | Blechhammer North & South |
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December 19, 1944 |
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December 20, 1944 | Regensburg oil refinery |
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December 21/22, 1944 | Pölitz | 209 aircraft bombed the Pölitz synthetic-oil refinery. Parts of the plant were damaged and the power-station chimneys collapsed.[ specify] |
December 22, 1944 |
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"The most notable [advances] are the new [Type XXI] submarines and [synthetic] fuels, rockets, and jet propulsion generally.…It is…production rather than invention, particularly of synthetic fuels, that is going to be Germany's main difficulty." ( R. V. Jones report to Winston Churchill) [26]: 464 |
December 25, 1944 |
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December 18, 1944 | Odertal |
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September 13, 1944 |
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December 27, 1944 |
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December 28, 1944 | Regensburg |
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December 28, 1944 |
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December 28, 1944 |
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December 28, 1944 |
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December 28, 1944 |
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December 29/30, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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December 31, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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December 31, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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January 1, 1945 | Hanover/Dollbergen |
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January 1, 1945 | Dortmund coking plant |
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January 1/2, 1945 | Dortmund ( Minster Stein) |
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January 1, 1945 | Ehmen |
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January 1, 1945 | Kassel |
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January 3, 1945 |
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"…the chimera of one air operation that will end the war…does not exist. …much of the Russian advance is due to the immobility conferred on the German ground forces by our attacks on oil." (Spaatz letter to Barney Giles) [57]: 273 |
January 3, 1945 [78] | Castrop-Rauxel |
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January 3, 1945 [79] | Dortmund (Hansa) |
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January 7, 1945 | [ specify] |
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January 8, 1945 | Pölitz |
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January 1945 |
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Hungarian petroleum deposits and the nearby refineries "are indispensable" after bombing of the German coal hydrogenation plants (Hitler). [50]: 1999 |
January 13/14, 1945 | Pölitz |
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January 14, 1945 | Kassel/ Derben |
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January 14, 1945 | Ehmen |
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January 14, 1945 | Hallendorf |
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January 14, 1945 | Hemmingstedt |
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January 14, 1945 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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January 15, 1945 | Bochum |
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January 15, 1945 | Recklinghausen |
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January 16, 1945 | Dessau |
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January 16, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg | The USAAF bombed oil production at Harburg. [83] |
January 16, 1945 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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January 16, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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January 16, 1945 |
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January 16/17, 1945 |
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January 16/17, 1945 | Wanne-Eickel |
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January 17, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg |
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January 20, 1945 | Regensburg |
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January 20, 1945 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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January 21, 1945 | Aschaffenburg |
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January 21, 1945 |
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January 21, 1945 |
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January 21, 1945 |
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January 22, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen |
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January 22, 1945 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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January 22/23, 1945 | Duisburg |
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January 23, 1945 | Gelsenchirchen (Consolidation) | The "CONSOLIDATED L/VT plant" at Gelsenkirchen was rendered inactive by an area attack. [88]: s4 |
January 28, 1945 | Dortmund |
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January 28, 1945 | Dortmund |
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January 29, 1945 | Kassel |
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January 31 & February 3, 1945 | Dortmund benzol plant | The "HANSA Benzol Plant" was bombed. [89]: s1 |
January 31 & February 1, 1945 | Duisburg | The "BRUCKHAUSEN Benzol Plant" was bombed. [90]: s1 |
January 31, 1945 |
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January 1945 | Salzbergen |
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February 1, 1945 |
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February 2/3, 1945 | Wanne-Eickel |
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February 3/4, 1945 [66] | Bottrop | The "PROSPER Benzol Plant" was bombed. [94]: s1 |
February 3/4, 1945 [66] | Dortmund |
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February 3, 1945 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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February 4, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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February 4, 1945 | Oberhausen ( Osterfeld) | The Oberhausen "OSTERFELD Benzol Plant" was bombed. [96]: s1 |
February 5, 1945 | Regensburg |
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February 4/5, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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February 7, 1945 | Leipzig/Böhlen | The 447 BG bombed the Böhlen "oil refinery". |
February 7, 1945 | Wanne-Eickel |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7/8, 1945 |
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February 8/9, 1945 | Pölitz |
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February 8/9, 1945 | Wanne-Eickel |
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February 8/9, 1945 |
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February 9, 1945 | Lützkendorf |
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February 9, 1945 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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February 9, 1945 | Dülmen |
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February 10, 1945 | Dülmen |
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February 11, 1945 | Dülmen |
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February 13, 1945 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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February 13/14, 1945 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) | Bomb damaged was repaired by February 26. [97] |
February 13/14, 1945 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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February 13/14, 1945 | Expand |
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February 13/14, 1945 | Nuremberg/ Würzburg area |
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February 14, 1945 | Dülmen |
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February 14, 1945 |
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February 14, 1945 |
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February 14, 1945 |
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February 14, 1945 |
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February 15, 1945 | Cottbus |
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February 14/15, 1945 | Leipzig/Rositz |
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February 15, 1945 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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February 15, 1945 | Magdeburg |
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February 15, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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February 15, 1945 |
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February 16, 1945 | Dortmund |
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February 16, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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February 16, 1945 | Dortmund (Minster stein) |
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February 16, 1945 | Salzbergen | 46 B-24s bombed the Salzbergen oil refinery. |
February 17, 1945 |
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February 19, 1945 | Alm |
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February 19, 1945 | Bochum |
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February 19, 1945 | Dortmund |
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February 19, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Alma Pluto) |
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February 19, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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February 20, 1945 |
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February 20, 1945 |
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February 20/21, 1945 | Düsseldorf-Reisholz |
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February 20/21, 1945 | Monheim am Rhein |
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February 21, 1945 | Worms |
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February 21, 1945 | [ specify] |
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February 19, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Alma Pluto) |
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February 22, 1945 | Oberhausen (Osterfeld) |
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February 24, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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February 24, 1945 | Kamen |
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February 25, 1945 | Munich |
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February 25, 1945 | Kamen |
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February 25, 1945 |
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February 25, 1945 | Neuberg |
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February 26, 1945 | Dortmund benzol plant |
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February 27/28, 1945 | Wilhelmshaven |
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February 28, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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February 28, 1945 | Frankfurt oil depot |
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February 1945 |
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Total POL production was down 27% from the production prior to the January raids. [103]: s1 Stocks of aviation fuel were down to 6,000 tonnes and in February, the Luftwaffe received only 400 tonnes:[ citation needed] "anyone using [German] fuel for purposes other than the immediate conduct of operation will be considered a saboteur and court-martialed without mercy" (military order). [5]: 461 |
March 1, 1945 |
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March 1, 1945 |
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After the Fifteenth Air Force had dropped 8,370 tons of explosives on Budapest targets, Budapest was captured February 13, 1945 [12]: 1808 (the Red Army was within 10 miles on November 3, 1944). [90] On March 1, Germany launched the last major German offensive of World War II ( Operation Frühlingserwachen) to retake Budapest and the Nagykanizsa oil fields south of Lake Balaton. |
March 2, 1945 |
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Speer ordered that Nitrogen plants were to be repaired before the hydrogenation plants. |
March 2, 1945 | Chemnitz |
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March 2, 1945 | Dresden |
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March 2, 1945 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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March 2, 1945 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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March 2, 1945 | Leipzig/Rositz (Altenburg) |
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March 2, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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March 3, 1945 | Brunswick |
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March 1 & 4, 1945 | Kamen |
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March 4, 1945 | Wanne-Eickel |
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March 5, 1945 | Gelsenchirchen (Consolidation) |
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March 6, 1945 | Salzbergen |
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March 7, 1945 | Castrop-Rauxel |
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March 7, 1945 | Dortmund |
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March 7, 1945 | Dates [66] |
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March 7/8, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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March 7/8, 1945 | Hemmingstedt |
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March 8, 1945 | Bochum |
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March 8, 1945 | Bottrop (Mathias Stinnes) |
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March 8, 1945 | Dortmund |
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March 8, 1945 | Essen |
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March 8, 1945 | Gelsenchirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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March 8, 1945 | Hüls |
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March 10, 1945 | Gelsenchirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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March 11, 1945 | Bremen |
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March 11, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg |
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March 11/12, 1945 |
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March 12, 1945 |
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March 11, 1945 | Nienhagen |
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March 13, 1945 | Lützkendorf |
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March 13/14, 1945 | Gelsenchirchen (Consolidation) |
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March 13/14, 1945 | Herne |
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March 14, 1945 |
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Prior to a raid targeting a Vienna oil refinery, the briefing officer told crews to avoid the St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Vienna State Opera, the Schönbrunn Palace and other historic buildings and schools. Due to weather, the alternate (Wiener Neustadt marshaling yards) was bombed. [36]: 228–9 |
March 14, 1945 | Dates |
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March 14, 1945 | Hattingen |
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March 14, 1945 |
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March 14, 1945 |
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March 15, 1945 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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March 15, 1945 | Castrop-Rauxel |
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March 15, 1945 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) | The bombing caused an "indefinite shutdown". [91] |
March 15, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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March 15, 1945 |
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March 15, 1945 |
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March 15, 1945 |
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March 15, 1945 |
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March 16, 1945 |
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March 16, 1945 |
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March 16, 1945 |
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March 16, 1945 |
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March 17, 1945 | Dortmund |
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March 17, 1945 | Hüls |
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March 17, 1945 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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March 17, 1945 | Leipzig/ Rötha |
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March 17, 1945 | Ludwigshafen |
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March 17, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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March 18, 1945 | Bochum |
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1945-03-18 | Bochum |
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March 18, 1945 | Hattingen |
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March 19, 1945 | Gelsenchirchen (Consolidation) |
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March 19, 1945 | Ruhland |
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March 20, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg |
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March 20, 1945 | Hemmingstedt |
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March 20, 1945 |
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March 20, 1945 |
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March 20/21, 1945 | Hemmingstedt |
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March 21, 1945 |
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March 21, 1945 |
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March 21/22, 1945 | Bochum |
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March 22, 1945 |
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March 22, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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March 22, 1945 |
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March 23, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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March 23, 1945 |
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![]() the Soviet Vienna Offensive began on April 2, encircled Vienna on April 7, and the garrison surrendered on April 13. [90] |
March 24, 1945 | Bochum |
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March 25, 1945 | Bücken |
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March 25, 1945 | Ehmen |
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March 25, 1945 | Nuremberg/Würzburg area |
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March 25, 1945 | Hitzacker |
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March 25, 1945 | Neuenheerse |
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March 25, 1945 | Zeitz |
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March 27, 1945 | Bremen- Farge |
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March 27, 1945 | Hamm |
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March 28, 1945 | Dedenhausen |
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March 28, 1945 | Nuremberg/Würzburg area | The 596 BS bombed the Ebrach oil depot. Ebrach was north of Erlbach between Würzburg and Nuremberg. |
March 30, 1945 | Ebenhausen |
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March 30, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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March 31, 1945 | Bad Berka |
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March 31, 1945 | Nuremberg/Würzburg area |
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March 31, 1945 | Erfurt |
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March 31, 1945 | Gotha |
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March 31, 1945 | Marienburg-Gdynia |
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March 31, 1945 | Nuremberg/Würzburg area |
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March 31, 1945 | Zeitz |
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April 4, 1945 | Nuremberg/Würzburg area |
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April 7, 1945 | Buchen[ clarification needed] |
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April 7, 1945 | Hitzacker |
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April 7/8, 1945 | Leipzig/Rötha |
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April 8, 1945 | Durben |
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April 8, 1945 | Lützkendorf |
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April 8, 1945 | Munchenbernsdorf |
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April 8, 1945 |
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April 8, 1945 | Nienhagen oil refinery |
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April 9, 1945 | Bad Berka |
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April 9, 1945 | Dedenhausen |
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April 9, 1945 | Neuberg |
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April 11, 1945 | Freiham |
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April 11, 1945 | Regensburg |
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April 12, 1945 |
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Strategic Bombing Directive No. 4 ended the strategic air war in Europe. On April 16, Spaatz notified Doolittle and Twining: "The advances of our ground forces have brought to a close the strategic air war waged by the United States Strategic Air Forces and the Royal Air Force Bomber Command.". |
April 18, 1945 | Neuburg |
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April 18, 1945 |
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April 19, 1945 | Annaburg |
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April 19, 1945 | Deggendorf |
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April 24, 1945 | Schrobenhausen |
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April 25/26, 1945 |
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April 1945 |
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Germany's oil production was 5% that of the previous year:
[36]: 249
Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr 1945 |
May 10, 1945 |
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Harry S. Truman signed Joint Chiefs of Staff Directive 1067, which prohibited German production of oil until superseded in July 1947. |
In 1906, Standard Oil included the German-American Petroleum Company, the Mannheim-Bremen Petroleum Company and, formerly known as Korff, the Petroleum Refinery.
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Brehon Somervell … DECLASSIFIED … 10/29/73 … U.S. SECRET … BRITISH MOST SECRET … COPY NO. 32
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help) (pages 40-2)Approved by Combined Chiefs of Staff at their 65th meeting on January 21, 1943. ... You should take every opportunity to attack Germany by day [and] to destroy objectives that are not unsuitable for night attack(distributed version, pages 88-9)
1. Axis Oil Position [pp. 255-257]
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help)We must, therefore, apply [bombardment] to those specially selected and vital targets which will give the greatest return.
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help) (p. vii: Arnold to Spaatz, April 10, 1943)SECRET … Classification Cancelled … JUN 8, 1959 ... the Bradley Plan [was the plan for ] troop build-up for the Eighth Air Force. ... General Arnold prepared a "Plan to Assure the Most Effective Exploitation of the Combined Bomber Offensive" and submitted it to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 9 October 1943.
{{
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help)SECRET … Classification Cancelled … JUN 10 1959(available at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in the "Collection of 20th Century Military Records, 1918-1950 Series I"; Historical Studies Box 35).
SECRET … Classification Cancelled … JUN 10, 1959 … In December 1942 … Arnold … directed that the group of operations analysts under C/AS, Management Control, prepare … In compliance with this directive, the Committee of Operations Analysts submitted on 8 March 1943 a comprehensive report on Axis industry. … Nineteen vital industries were selected … which if destroyed would … stagnate the German war machine. (p. 6)
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help) (also available in Box 35)MOST SECRET … DECLASSIFIED … 4/4/74
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we must use our initiative and imagination with a view of seeking out, destroying the German Air Force in the factories, depots, on the ground, or in the air, wherever they may be.
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link)We believe attacks on transportation will not force the German fighters into action. We believe they will defend oil to their last fighter plane.
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: CS1 maint: location (
link) (quoted by Mets note 100, pp. 204,386)"apart from the attack on the GAF, [German Air Force] the transportation plan was the only one which offered a reasonable chance of the air forces making an important contribution to the land battle during the first vital weeks of OVERLORD
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: CS1 maint: location (
link) Kuter quotes an Air Ministry memorandum for the July 5 meeting. (cited by Mets note 60, pp. 269, 394: "staff meeting the British Chiefs of Staff ... 5 July 1944 ... Portal had tried to move Harris away from area bombing to join in the attacks on oil. ... the recommendation that emerged was a gigantic attack on Berlin")The German rail and waterborne transportation systems; tank production plants and depots, ordnance depots; and M.T. (motor transport) production plants and depots
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help) (cited by Mets, pp. 212,386,392: "copy provided to author by Justice
Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Another copy is in the National Archives". p. 343: "Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. was a member of General Spaatz's staff in England in World War II.")
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UNCLASSIFIED [from SECRET] … on 9 Feb 88
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(
help)The oil campaign chronology of World War II lists bombing missions and related events regarding the petroleum/oil/lubrication (POL) facilities that supplied Nazi Germany or those Germany tried to capture in Operation Edelweiss.
— events regarding
Nazi Germany petroleum, lubrication, and/or oil supplies
- events regarding notable
Luftwaffe defensive efforts against Allied attack of petroleum, lubrication, and/or oil supply targets
and/or
— events regarding Allied planning
— RAF,
Eighth Air Force, and other roundels indicate units (most listings are from the RAF chronology
[1] and the USAAF chronology)
[2]
"100 BG" — listings that include the unit abbreviation (BG is Bombardment Group) are from the corresponding mission history for the unit.
[3]
Date | Target/Topic | Event |
---|---|---|
May 15/16, 1940 | Oil and other installations in Ruhr |
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May 16/17, 1940 | Oil installations in Ruhr |
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May 17/18, 1940 | Hamburg-Harburg [6]: 149 |
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May 17/18, 1940 | Bremen |
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May 18/19, 1940 | "Oil refineries" |
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May 22/23, 1940 | Leipzig/ Leuna [10]: 198 |
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May 27/28, 1940 | Bremen |
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May 27/28, 1940 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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May 30/31, 1940 | Bremen |
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May 30/31, 1940 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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June 2/3, 1940 | oil targets |
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June 4, 1940 | Frankfurt oil depot |
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June 17/18, 1940 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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September 4, 1940 |
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The Future Strategy report predicted "Germany's oil stocks might be exhausted--and Germany's situation disastrous--by June 1941." [4]: 4 |
September 14/15, 1940 |
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January 9/10, 1941 | Gelsenkirchen |
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February 10/11, 1941 | Hanover |
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February 14/15, 1941 | Gelsenkirchen ( Nordstern) |
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February 28, 1941 |
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June 22, 1941 |
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The German invasion of the USSR included the goal to capture the Baku oilfields to increase their fuel reserves and their ability to retain lands captured in the war. [15] |
June 1941 |
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July 14, 1941 |
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1942 |
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The Kuhlman Fischer-Tropsch plant at Harnes was shut down briefly due to bomb damage. [6] [16] |
April 1942 |
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After A-2 and the War Plans Division reported it as a target, Colonel Bonner Fellers identified Romanian oil was "by far the most decisive objective [and] the strategic target of the war". [7]: 4 |
May 30, 1942 | Cologne | The Kolnische Gummifaden Fabrik tire and tube factory at Deutz on the east bank of the Rhine was entirely destroyed. [17]: 215 |
1942 |
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The "Bombers' Baedeker" identified oil, communications, and ball bearings were "bottleneck" German industries. [18] |
June 12, 1942 |
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The Halverson project raid from Egypt was the first US mission against a European target — 10 aircraft bombed the Astra Română oil refinery. |
June 25/26, 1942 | Bremen |
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July 20, 1942 |
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Hitler authorized Operation Edelweiss to capture the Soviet oil fields of Baku. On July 10, Hermann Göring had met with experts on how to repair the Russian Maykop oil facilities (Germany reassembled an oil facility at Kherson in the Ukraine, also).< [19] The Soviets set the Maikop oilfields on fire on August 9, the town was evacuated on the 16th, [12]: 737 and Nazi Germany began occupation in August. [20] |
September 1942 |
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September 1942 |
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October 1942 |
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The US "Enemy Oil Committee" was established as a counterpart to the British "Technical Sub-Committee on Axis Oil" (Hartley Committee). [8] |
November 1942 |
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The Axis Oil Position in Europe, November 1942 estimated that Romanian oil fields contribute 33% of Axis supplies. [21]: 41 |
December 3, 1942 |
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The German Strategy in 1943 predicted Nazi Germany will have increased domestic oil supplies in mid-1943. [21]: 42 |
December 21, 1942 |
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A German armoured column within 30 miles of the Soviet Sixth Army near Stalingrad had to retreat due to having fuel for only 15 miles. At his HQ company Christmas party, Erwin Rommel received a miniature oil drum as a gift (containing captured British coffee). [13]: 388 |
January 16, 1943 |
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After Hap Arnold created the United States Army Air Forces Committee for Operations Analysis (COA) on December 9, 1942, [10] to develop a plan for strategic bombing, the COA's initial Western Axis Oil Industry report listed the following order of strategic importance: hydrogenation facilities (15 plants), refineries (29 plants), lubrication plants, coker units, Fischer-Tropsch facilities, tetraethyllead facilities, and oilfields/pipelines. [4]: 6 |
January 19, 1943 |
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The Axis Oil Position (C.C.S. 158) at the Allied Casablanca Conference identified it would be "remote" for Nazi Germany to retain the Maikop oil fields. However, "even if the whole of the Romanian production were knocked out early in the year, [Germany] would still have enough for operations in 1944 [but the destruction of] two tetraethyllead factories… would hamstring the production of German aviation fuel" ( Brehon Somervell). [21]: 41, 256 Nazi Germany destroyed the Maikop facilities prior to withdrawing. [22] |
January 21, 1943 |
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C.C.S. 166/1/D identified oil facilities as the 4th bombing priority. [21] |
March 8, 1943 |
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The COA's comprehensive plan identified the strategic bombing objective was to "bring about a high degree of destruction in a few really essential industries than to dissipate bombing efforts over a large number of targets [in] many industries." 19 vital industries were identified: Petroleum was 3rd (39 targets), "Synthetic rubber and rubber tires" were 6th (12 targets) and "Coking plants" were 10th (89 targets). In particular, destruction of 13 hydrogenation plants and 12 Ploesti refineries would reduce "German petroleum resources" by 90%. [11]: 6 |
April 10, 1943 |
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"We must, therefore, apply [bombardment] to those specially selected and vital targets which will give the greatest return." (Arnold to Carl Spaatz) [23] [12]: vii |
April 20/21, 1943 | Pölitz | 339 bombers attacked the Stettin railyards, the Pölitz oil refinery, and Swinemünde. [24] The Pölitz synthetic oil plant had been added to the Area Bombing Directive on February 14, 1942 (one day before it was issued), and a subcamp of Sachsenhausen near Pölitz provided forced labor. |
May 19, 1943 |
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The CBO " Eaker" plan was approved and confirmed oil targets as the 4th primary objective ("contingent upon attacks against Ploesti"). [13]: 17 |
May 13/14; June 12/13, 1943 | Bochum benzene plant |
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May 16, 1943 |
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The Advisory Council submitted the Air Attack on Ploesti ("SOAPSUDS") bombardment plan, which the Trident Conference subsequently considered. On June 6 the plan was deemed "an important and desirable operation", and the "Planning committee" first met on June 25 ( Uzal Girard Ent predicted losses of 75 aircraft). Training began on July 20/22 and ended July 29.< [15]: 24, 26, 31, 36, 67–8 |
June 22, 1943 | Hüls |
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June 23/24, 1943 |
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June 25/26, 1943 |
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Wellingtons of the Northwest African Strategic Air Force bombed the "Bari, Italy oil refinery". |
June 25/26, 1943 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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July 9/10, 1943 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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August 1, 1943 |
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August 1, 1943 |
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August 1, 1943 |
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August 1, 1943 |
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August 12, 1943 | Bochum |
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August 12, 1943 | Recklinghausen |
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August 12, 1943 | Gelsenkirchen |
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November 5, 1943 | Gelsenkirchen |
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November 1943 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) | 96 of 328 B-17s bombed 238 tons on the "Hydrier Werke Scholven A.G." (damaged) and the Gelsenkirchener Bergwerke (missed). Gelsenkirchener Bergwerke plants were also at Duisburg-Hamborn (BRUCKHAUSEN Benzol Plant) and Dortmund. [20] A Gelsenkirchen target was also attacked on November 19, [21]: 163 and Gelsenkirchen Mission 134 on November 19 was rerouted to bomb the German-Dutch border due to malfunctioning blind-bombing PFF equipment in bad weather. |
November 26, 1943 |
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"losses of oil stocks … caused by Allied attacks during the first eight months of 1943 [were] 400,000 tons. … Approximately 75 per cent of Roumanian crude is a waxy, viscous oil which becomes solid at temperatures below 69" degrees (J.I.C (43) 480). [22] |
December 30, 1943 | Ludwigshafen– Oppau | The 351 BG bombed the explosives factory at Oppau. [32] Prior to May 1944, explosives production was 99,000 metric tons/month, but in December 1944, the amount had dropped to 20,500; and after October 1944, German explosives were 20% rock salt. The Mannheim-Ludwigshafen area was bombed in late 1943 to prevent recovery from previous bomb damage. [23]: 169 The Mannheim aircraft plant was bombed on October 19, 1944, [24] and Mannheim had a Daimler Benz truck plant. |
January 7, 1944 | Ludwigshafen | 1,000 tons of bombs dropped on Ludwigshafen, [33]: 337 and the 447 BG bombed the Ludwigshafen oil refinery. In addition to the nearby Oppau plants, Ludwigshafen targets included a small synthetic oil plant and an oil refinery that used the dehydrogenation process to improve "gasoline quality". Dr. Wurster of the Ludwigshafen Military Government was the "managing director of Oppau and Ludwigshafen." [25] Ludwigshafen targets were subsequently bombed by the 8AF on March 2, March 31, and May 27. |
January 12, 1944 |
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The 317 BS bombed the oil refinery. [34] Circa January 1944, the Enemy Oil Committee identified that Italian refining had ceased in August 1943. [26] Italian refineries were at Fiume (Ramsa plant), La Spezia, Leghorn, Trieste (Aquila & SIAF plants), and Venice. [14] |
February 3, 1944 |
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March 5, 1944 |
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"To reduce output … to virtually zero in the six months following 1 March requires the destruction of 23 synthetic plants (about 3.3 million tons) and 31 refineries (about 3.7 million tons) [which] currently account for over 90 per cent of total Axis refinery and synthetic oil output" ( Plan for Completion of Combined Bomber Offensive). The "German oil situation is extremely vulnerable to the scale of attack contemplated, and that the results of any appreciable damage to production would be disastrous." (US Petroleum Attache, March 6). [27] |
March 25, 1944 |
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Although Spaatz's claimed "We believe attacks on transportation will not force the German fighters into action. We believe they will defend oil to their last fighter plane'', [35] [28] Dwight D. Eisenhower decided that "apart from the attack on the GAF,[German air force] the transportation plan was the only one which offered a reasonable chance of the air forces making an important contribution to the land battle during the first vital weeks of OVERLORD". ^27.60 Control of all air operations was transferred to Eisenhower on April 14 at noon. [29]: 5 |
April 5, 1944 |
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April 19, 1944 |
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Bad winter weather had reduced Wehrmacht fuel consumption, and Luftwaffe fuel supplies were 574,000 tonnes. [6]: 144 "Whereas in 1939 our hydrogenation plants were producing 2 million metric tons equivalent of petroleum (including automobile fuel), the construction of new facilities up to 1943 provided an increase to 5.7 million metric tons, and the facilities scheduled for this year will raise the yearly output to 7.1 million metric tons." ( Albert Speer to Adolf Hitler). [38]: 655 |
April 24, 1944 |
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April 1944 | Salzbergen synthetic oil plant |
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May 1, 1944 |
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By May 1944, only 1.1% of Allied bombs had been used on oil targets. [4]: 4 |
May 5, 1944 |
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May 9, 1944 | Bruges, Belgium |
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May 12, 1944 | Leipzig/ Böhlen |
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May 12, 1944 | Merseburg |
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May 12, 1944 | Lützkendorf |
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May 12, 1944 | Zeitz |
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May 12, 1944 | Brüx, Czechoslovakia |
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May 13, 1944 |
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May 18, 1944 |
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May 19, 1944 |
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Daily output of aircraft fuel had dropped from 5,850 to 4,820 metric tonnes; but the reserve of 574,000 tonnes was expected to last 19 months. On "'May 12 ... the technological war was decided. ...with the attack ... upon several fuel plants ... a new era in the air war began. It meant the end of German armaments production" (Speer). "In my view the fuel, Buna rubber, and nitrogen plants represent a particularly sensitive point for the conduct of the war, since vital materials for armaments are being manufactured in a small number of plants… The enemy has struck us at one of our weakest points. If they persist at it this time, we will soon no longer have any fuel production worth mentioning" (Hitler). [38]: 413 By May 28, fuel production had returned to the level prior to the May 12 raids. [38]: 415 The "economic air raids [using] wise planning [by] the enemy began ... in the last half or three-quarters of a year" before December 1944. "Before that he was, at least from his standpoint, committing absurdities" (Speer, December 1, 1944) [38]: 419 |
May 26, 1944 |
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May 28, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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May 28, 1944 | Lützkendorf |
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May 28, 1944 | Magdeburg/ Königsberg, Bavaria |
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May 28, 1944 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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May 28, 1944 | Ruhland– Schwarzheide |
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May 28, 1944 | Zeitz |
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May 29, 1944 | Pölitz |
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May 28/29, 1944 |
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May 31, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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May 31, 1944 |
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The 485 BG bombed the Redeventa [ sic] Refinery. "Lumina Petromina" was an additional Romanian refinery not in Ploiești or Bucharest. |
May 31, 1944 |
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The intelligence annex to the field order for the May 31 Ploiești mission stated "Successful attacks on [the aircraft factories at the] Wiener-Neustadter complex have raised oil to high priority. …destruction of remaining active capacity of Ploesti will create [a] critical situation for [the] entire Axis war effort and make possible further important inroads through attacks in Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Italy. [The] Eighth Air Force has now damaged all but 2 of the major synthetic plants in its area making it possible for Fifteenth [Air Force] to destroy sufficient refinery and synthetic capacity to [reduce total] production close to 75 percent. Destruction of vital installations in targets selected will immobilize Ploesti capacity for several months." [48] [49] |
May 31, 1944 |
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32 B-24s of the 450 BG attacked the "Româno-Americană Oil Refinery", but failed due to the smoke screens. [6]: 153 The 450 BG also bombed the Româno-Americană refinery on June 6, 24, & July 15; and the Concordia Vega refinery on July 9, 22 |
June 5, 1944 |
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A May 5 decoded message stated anti-aircraft artillery was being moved to Pölitz and Blechhammer, and one on June 5 indicated the Luftwaffe was short of fuel. British intelligence concluded that the bombing of oil targets would be "crippling" in 3–6 months. [42] Romanian production had been reduced from 200,000 tons in February to 40,000 in June. [50]: 1477 |
June 6, 1944 [2] |
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Spaatz ordered that "the primary aim of the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces would be to deny oil to the enemy". [36]: 118 |
June 6, 1944 |
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June 9 & 10, 1944 |
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June 10, 1944 |
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June 10, 1944 |
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36 P-38s dive-bombed 3 Ploiești oil refineries by flying under the smoke screens. [6]: 153 |
June 11, 1944 |
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June 11, 1944 |
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June 11, 1944 |
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June 12/13, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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June 13, 1944 |
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June 14, 1944 | Emmerich am Rhein |
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June 14, 1944 |
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June 14, 1944 | Expand |
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June 14, 1944 |
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June 14, 1944 |
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June 14, 1944 |
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June 14/15, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen ( Scholven/Buer) |
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June 15, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 16, 1944 |
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June 17, 1944 |
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June 17/18, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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June 18, 1944 | Bremen |
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June 18, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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June 18, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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June 18 & 23, 1944 |
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June 19, 1944 |
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June 20 & 25, 1944 |
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June 20, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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June 20, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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June 20, 1944 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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June 20, 1944 | Pölitz |
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June 21, 1944 |
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The minimum number of flak guns were ordered to be placed at Pölitz (200), Auschwitz (200), Hamburg (200), Brüx (170, Gelsenkirchen (140), Scholven (140), Wesseling (150), Heydebreck (130), Leuna (120), Blechhammer (100), Moosbierbaum (100), and Böhlen (70). [56] The Ruhland Fischer-Tropsch plant and other synthetic oil plants were fortified to be "hydrogenation fortresses" (e.g., the plants in the Leipzig area were protected by over 1,000 guns.) In addition to increased active defenses, the facilities ( German: hydrierfestungen) incorporated blast walls and concrete "dog houses" around vital machinery. 7,000 engineers were released from the German Army to provide technical support for oil facilities. [6]: 149 Aviation fuel production (thousands of tons) was reduced the most in June 1944 (Wolfgang Birkenfeld, 1964): [50]: 1479 |
June 21, 1944 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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June 21/22, 1944 | Wesseling |
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June 21/22, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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June 22, 1944 |
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June 22, 1944 |
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June 22, 1944 |
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June 22, 1944 | [ specify] |
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June 22, 1944 |
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In July, Hitler promised to have "hydrogenation plants protected by fighter planes",<!-Speer p482 of hardcopy--> and in August, a limited program was assigned the "highest priority". "By sending the production of fighter aircraft soaring we can meet the greatest danger we face: the crushing of our armaments manufacture on the home front" (Speer, August 13).<!-Speer p485 of hardcopy--> |
June 23, 1944 |
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June 23, 1944 |
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June 24, 1944 |
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B-24s bombed an oil refinery. [39] |
June 24, 1944 | Bremen |
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June 25, 1944 |
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June 25, 1944 |
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June 25, 1944 |
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June 25/26, 1944 | Homberg |
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June 26, 1944 |
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June 26, 1944 |
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June 26, 1944 |
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June 26, 1944 |
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June 26, 1944 |
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The 455th BG received a 2nd Distinguished Unit Citation for bombing the Vienna (Moosbierbaum) oil refinery. |
June 26, 1944 |
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June 1944 | Heydebreck | The Heydebreck oil/chemical facilities near Cosel and Blechhammer were first bombed in June 1944. |
June 27, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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June 27, 1944 |
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June 28, 1944 |
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June 28, 1944 |
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June 28/29, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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June 29, 1944 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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June 30, 1944 | Blechhammer North & South |
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June 30, 1944 [38]: 417 |
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"Our aviation gasoline production was badly hit in May and June. The enemy has succeeded in increasing our losses of aviation gasoline up to 90 percent by June 22. Only through speedy recovery of damaged plants has it been possible to regain partly … however, aviation gasoline production is completely insufficient [60] … If we cannot manage to protect our hydrogenation factories and our refineries by all possible means, it will be impossible to get them back into working order from the state they are in now. If that happens, then by September we shall no longer be capable of covering the Wehrmacht's most urgent needs. In other words, from then on there will be a gap which will be impossible to fill and which will bring in its train inevitable tragic consequences." (Speer to Hitler) [50]: 1479 |
June 30/July 1, 1944 | Homberg |
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July 2, 1944 |
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The 456 BG bombed the "previously-untouched" Shell Oil refinery at Budapest and earned its 2nd Distinguished Unit Citation. 31 aircraft bombed at mid-morning and were attacked three minutes after bomb release by 50 Bf 109s and 10 FW-190s of Jagdgeschwader 300 and the Hungarian 101 Puma Group. The 744 BS lost 6 of 9 bombers in the target area and a seventh damaged beyond repair (36 KIA/MIA, 24 captured — the largest single-day loss for the group.) Budapest's three refineries were operated by Shell, Magyar Petrol, and Asvanyol-Fanto, [41]: IV and oil storage was at Budapest- Csepel. [42]: 40 Budapest also was the site of the Duna Repülőgépgyár Szigentmiklos assembly plant for Messerschmitt Me 210s and 410s. |
July 3, 1944 |
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July 3, 1944 |
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June 11 & July 13, 1944 |
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July 6, 1944 |
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July 6, 1944 |
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The 461st BG bombed Ploiești oil targets. |
July 7, 1944 |
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The Joint Oil Targets Committee was set up. [6]: 149 |
July 7, 1944 | Blechhammer North & South |
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July 7, 1944 | Leipzig |
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July 7, 1944 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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July 7, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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July 7, 1944 | Leipzig/Lützkendorf |
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July 8, 1944 |
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July 9, 1944 |
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B-24s bombed an oil refinery. [39] |
July 11, 1944 |
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July 14, 1944 |
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July 14, 1944 |
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July 15, 1944 |
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July 16, 1944 |
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July 17, 1944 |
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Aviation fuel production was 2,307 daily tonnes (40% of original production). [38]: 416 |
July 18, 1944 | Kiel |
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July 18, 1944 | Friedrichshafen |
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July 18/19, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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July 18/19, 1944 | Wesseling |
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July 20, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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July 20/21, 1944 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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July 20/21, 1944 | Homberg |
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July 21, 1944 |
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July 22 & 28, 1944 |
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July 23, 1944 |
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July 23, 1944 | Donges, France |
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July 25/26, 1944 | Wanne-Eickel |
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July 28, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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July 28, 1944 |
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July 29, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna | The 384 BG bombed Merseburg. |
July 31, 1944 |
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Luftwaffe fuel supplies were 35,000 tonnes in July. [69] By July 21, Production was reduced to 120 daily tonnes, but was restored to 690 by the end of July. However, repairs were not as durable and shocks from near misses caused leaks (from August to October, monthly production was 10% or less of original rates, then reached 28% in November.) [38]: 417 |
July 31, 1944 |
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July 1944 |
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The 461st BG received a 2nd Distinguished Unit Citation for a July 1944 Ploiești bombing. |
July 31, 1944 |
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August 2, 1944 | Expand |
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August 3, 1944 | Friedrichshafen |
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August 3, 1944 |
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August 3, 1944 |
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August 3, 1944 |
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August 4, 1944 | Bremen |
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August 4, 1944 | Hemmingstedt |
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August 4, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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August 4, 1944 |
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August 4, 1944 |
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August 6, 1944 | Hemmingstedt |
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August 6, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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August 6, 1944 | Genshagen |
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August 6, 1944 |
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August 6, 1944 |
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August 6, 1944 |
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August 7, 1944 | Blechhammer North & South |
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August 7, 1944 |
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August 7, 1944 |
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August 7, 1944 | Blechhammer North & South |
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August 7, 1944 |
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August 8, 1944 | Hanover/ Dollberg | The 398th BG bombed the Dollberg oil plant. Also known as Dollbergen, the village near Hanover had an oil refinery. [50] |
August 9, 1944 |
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August 9, 1944 |
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August 9, 1944 |
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August 10, 1944 |
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August 10, 1944 |
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August 10, 1944 |
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August 10, 1944 | Zeitz |
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August 10, 1944 |
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August 14, 1944 | [ specify] |
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August 15, 1944 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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August 15, 1944 | Leipzig/ Rositz [53] |
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August 15, 1944 | Zeitz |
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August 16, 1944 | Friedrichshafen |
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August 16, 1944 | Leipzig/Rositz |
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August 16, 1944 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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August 16, 1944 | Leipzig/Rositz |
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August 16, 1944 | Zeitz |
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August 17, 1944 |
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August 18, 1944 |
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August 18/19, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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August 19, 1944 |
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August 20, 1944 |
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August 20, 1944 |
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August 20, 1944 |
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August 21, 1944 |
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August 22, 1944 | Odertal |
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August 22, 1944 |
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August 22, 1944 | Blechhammer |
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August 22, 1944 |
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August 23, 1944 |
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August 24, 1944 |
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August 24, 1944 |
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August 24, 1944 | Dresden/ Freital |
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August 24, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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August 24, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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August 24, 1944 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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August 24, 1944 |
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August 24, 1944 |
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August 25, 1944 | Pölitz |
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August 26, 1944 | Dülmen |
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August 26, 1944 | Emmerich am Rhein |
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August 26, 1944 |
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August 26, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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August 26, 1944 | Ludwigshafen-Oppau |
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August 26, 1944 | Salzbergen |
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August 26, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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August 27, 1944 | Homberg |
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August 27, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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August 28, 1944 |
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August 28, 1944 |
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August 29, 1944 |
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August 30, 1944 |
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September 3, 1944 |
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After a lull in V-1 flying bomb attacks, the Allied Combined Strategic Targets Committee (CSTC) [57] switched the top bombing priority from Operation Crossbow to oil targets. [76]: 241 39% of US bomb tonnage from Oct-Dec was on synthetic oil plants. [58] |
September 3, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 5, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 7, 1944 |
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After Speer completed the Effects of the Air War on September 6, the President of the Rustungskommando VI (5) ordered only 3 days or less of production be stored, and emergency preparation for the transfer of POL plants was initiated (e.g., identification of vital parts for removal). [59]: a2 "On principle, plants are only to be crippled temporarily by removing various elements to safety, particularly the electrical ones." (Speer telegram, September 13). August "chemical plant" production was 10% of former capacity. At the beginning of September, 1944, the Luftwaffe minimum fuel allotment was decreased from 160,000 monthly tons to 30,000 due to shortages. [77]: 210, 224 |
September 8, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 8, 1944 | Kassel |
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September 10, 1944 |
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September 10, 1944 |
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September 11, 1944 | Castrop-Rauxel |
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September 11, 1944 | Chemnitz |
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September 11, 1944 | Dortmund |
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September 11, 1944 | Fulda |
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September 11, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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September 11, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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September 11, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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September 11, 1944 | Kamen |
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September 11, 1944 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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September 11, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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September 11, 1944 | Lützkendorf |
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September 11, 1944 | Magdeburg |
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September 11, 1944 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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September 11, 1944 | Wanne-Eickel |
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September 11, 1944 |
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September 12, 1944 | Dortmund |
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September 12, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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September 12, 1944 | Wanne-Eickel |
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September 12, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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September 12, 1944 | Hemmingstedt |
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September 12, 1944 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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September 12, 1944 | Magdeburg/ Friedrichstadt |
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September 12, 1944 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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September 12, 1944 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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September 12, 1944 |
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September 13, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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September 13, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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September 13, 1944 | Lützkendorf |
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September 13, 1944 | Blechhammer North |
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September 13, 1944 | Leipzig/Merseburg (Altenburg) |
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September 13, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 13, 1944 | Odertal |
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September 13, 1944 | Stuttgart/ Sindelfingen |
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September 13, 1944 |
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September 14, 1944 | Hemmingstedt |
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September 17, 1944 |
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"…the enemy always… after the resumption of work, …destroy[s] these [synthetic oil] installations again by air attack" (Speer). [78] On July 20, Speer met with Ambassador Clodius of the Foreign Office regarding the "safeguarding of Rumanian oil." September "chemical plant" production was 5.5% of former capacity. |
September 17, 1944 |
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September 20, 1944 |
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September 21, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 23, 1944 |
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September 25, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 26, 1944 | Frankfurt am Main |
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September 27, 1944 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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September 27, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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September 27, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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September 28, 1944 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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September 28, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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September 30, 1944 | Bottrop |
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September 30, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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September 30/01, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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October 3, 1944 | Wesseling |
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October 6, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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October 6, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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October 6, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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October 7, 1944 | Blechhammer South | The Tuskegee Airmen provided escort. [63] |
October 7, 1944 | Kassel/ Altenbauna |
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October 7, 1944 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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October 7, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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October 7, 1944 | Lützkendorf |
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October 7, 1944 | Magdeburg/ Buckau |
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October 7, 1944 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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October 7, 1944 | Pölitz |
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October 7, 1944 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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October 7, 1944 |
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The 741st Bombardment Squadron flew over Vienna to hit an oil refinery, and the Lobau oil refinery was bombed. [36]: 162 |
October 7, 1944 |
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October 7, 1944 |
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October 11, 1944 | Blechhammer |
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October 11, 1944 | Leverhausen |
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October 11, 1944 | Wesseling |
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October 11 & 13, 1944 |
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October 12, 1944 | Wanne-Eickel |
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October 12 & 13, 1944 | Blechhammer South | Blechhammer South was bombed on the 12th and by the 301 BG on the 13th. |
October 14, 1944 | Blechhammer North |
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October 15, 1944 | Düsseldorf-Reisholz |
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October 15, 1944 | Monheim am Rhein |
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October 16, 1944 |
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October 16, 1944 |
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October 17, 1944 | Leverkusen |
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October 17, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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October 17, 1944 |
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October 18, 1944 |
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Allied policy was changed to bomb oil targets even if reconnaissance was not available. [6]: 170 After Eisenhower notified Marshall on October 23 that the bombing of oil targets was being successful, [81] oil targets were retained in the highest priority, and the German rail system was made the second priority. ^27.80 |
October 19, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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October 20, 1944 |
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October 20, 1944 | Regensburg |
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October 23, 1944 | Regensburg |
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October 25, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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October 25, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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October 25, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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October 26, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg |
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October 30, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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October 30, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen/Hamm |
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October 31, 1944 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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November 1944 |
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Chemical plant production in October was 10% of former capacity and 28% (1633 tons/day) in November. |
November 1, 1944 |
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After the British Air Staff requested on June 3 that RAF Bomber Command attack Ruhr oil plants, [6]: 146 and Portal unsuccessfully attempted on July 5, 1944, to "move Harris away from area bombing to join the attacks on oil", [70] the Air Staff ordered Harris to bomb oil targets. |
November 1, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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November 1, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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November 2, 1944 | Castrop-Rauxel |
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November 2, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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November 2, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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November 3, 1944 |
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November 4, 1944 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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November 4, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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November 4, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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November 4, 1944 | Ludwigshafen |
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November 4, 1944 | Neuenkirchen | The 487 BG bombed the Neuenkirchen coking plant and the 452 BG bombed the "Benzalube Stoking Plant" at Neunkirchen on a Micro H experimental mission. |
November 4, 1944 | Regensburg |
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November 4 & 11-15, 1944 |
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November 4 & 7, 1944 |
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November 5, 1944 |
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November 5, 1944 | Ludwigshafen-Oppau |
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November 6, 1944 | Duisburg |
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November 6, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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November 6, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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November 6, 12-17 & 19, 1944 |
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November 6, 1944 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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November 6, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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November 8, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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November 9, 1944 | Wanne-Eickel |
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November 10, 1944 | Wiesbaden |
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November 11, 1944 |
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A Speer memorandum identified that the oil and margarine plants in the Ruhr were on the verge of shutdown. The Vienna area had no fuel after November 15 (US intelligence report, February 1945). [72]: 5 |
November 11, 1944 | Castrop-Rauxel |
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November 11, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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November 11, 1944 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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November 11, 1944 |
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November 11/12 & 15, 1944 | Dortmund |
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November 13, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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November 13, 25, & 30, 1944 |
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November 17 & 20, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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November 18, 1944 |
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November 18/19, 1944 | Wanne-Eickel |
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November 19, 1944 |
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November 20, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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November 20, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) | Bomb damage from the attack was repaired by December 23. [74] |
November 21, 1944 | Koblenz |
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November 21, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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November 21/22, 1944 | Castrop-Rauxel |
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November 21/22, 1944 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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November 23, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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November 25, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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November 26, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) | The 491 BG earned a DUC for bombing an oil refinery at Misburg. [75] Archived 2009-03-16 at the Wayback Machine |
November 29, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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November 30, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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November 30, 1944 | Lützkendorf |
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November 30, 1944 | Zeitz |
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December 2, 1944 | Dortmund |
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December 6, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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December 11, 1944 | Oberhausen ( Osterfeld) |
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December 12, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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December 6, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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December 9, 1944 | Regensburg oil refinery |
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December 11, 1944 |
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December 12, 1944 | Blechhammer South |
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December 12, 1944 | Leipzig/Leuna |
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December 12, 1944 |
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December 15, 1944 | Expand |
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December 16, 1944 |
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December 16, 1944 |
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The lead 741st BS pilot bypassed the Brüx refinery target: "I'm not sure to this day that he wasn't right in avoiding that almost suicidal bomb run." (741st pilot George McGovern) [36]: 182 |
December 16, 1944 |
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Unternehmen Bodenplatte for "capturing Allied fuel stocks" began with insufficient fuel. [57]: 265 |
December 17, 1944 | Odertal oil refinery |
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December 17, 1944 |
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December 18, 1944 | Blechhammer North & South |
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December 18, 1944 | Odertal |
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December 18, 1944 |
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December 18, 1944 |
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December 18, 1944 | ||
September 13, 1944 |
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US bombers attacked the "Monowitz synthetic plant". [83]: 621 |
December 19, 1944 | Blechhammer North & South |
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December 19, 1944 |
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December 20, 1944 | Regensburg oil refinery |
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December 21/22, 1944 | Pölitz | 209 aircraft bombed the Pölitz synthetic-oil refinery. Parts of the plant were damaged and the power-station chimneys collapsed.[ specify] |
December 22, 1944 |
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"The most notable [advances] are the new [Type XXI] submarines and [synthetic] fuels, rockets, and jet propulsion generally.…It is…production rather than invention, particularly of synthetic fuels, that is going to be Germany's main difficulty." ( R. V. Jones report to Winston Churchill) [26]: 464 |
December 25, 1944 |
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December 18, 1944 | Odertal |
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September 13, 1944 |
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December 27, 1944 |
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December 28, 1944 | Regensburg |
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December 28, 1944 |
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December 28, 1944 |
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December 28, 1944 |
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December 28, 1944 |
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December 29/30, 1944 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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December 31, 1944 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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December 31, 1944 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) |
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January 1, 1945 | Hanover/Dollbergen |
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January 1, 1945 | Dortmund coking plant |
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January 1/2, 1945 | Dortmund ( Minster Stein) |
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January 1, 1945 | Ehmen |
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January 1, 1945 | Kassel |
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January 3, 1945 |
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"…the chimera of one air operation that will end the war…does not exist. …much of the Russian advance is due to the immobility conferred on the German ground forces by our attacks on oil." (Spaatz letter to Barney Giles) [57]: 273 |
January 3, 1945 [78] | Castrop-Rauxel |
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January 3, 1945 [79] | Dortmund (Hansa) |
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January 7, 1945 | [ specify] |
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January 8, 1945 | Pölitz |
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January 1945 |
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Hungarian petroleum deposits and the nearby refineries "are indispensable" after bombing of the German coal hydrogenation plants (Hitler). [50]: 1999 |
January 13/14, 1945 | Pölitz |
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January 14, 1945 | Kassel/ Derben |
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January 14, 1945 | Ehmen |
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January 14, 1945 | Hallendorf |
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January 14, 1945 | Hemmingstedt |
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January 14, 1945 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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January 15, 1945 | Bochum |
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January 15, 1945 | Recklinghausen |
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January 16, 1945 | Dessau |
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January 16, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg | The USAAF bombed oil production at Harburg. [83] |
January 16, 1945 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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January 16, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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January 16, 1945 |
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January 16/17, 1945 |
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January 16/17, 1945 | Wanne-Eickel |
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January 17, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg |
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January 20, 1945 | Regensburg |
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January 20, 1945 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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January 21, 1945 | Aschaffenburg |
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January 21, 1945 |
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January 21, 1945 |
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January 21, 1945 |
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January 22, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen |
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January 22, 1945 | Oberhausen (Sterkrade) |
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January 22/23, 1945 | Duisburg |
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January 23, 1945 | Gelsenchirchen (Consolidation) | The "CONSOLIDATED L/VT plant" at Gelsenkirchen was rendered inactive by an area attack. [88]: s4 |
January 28, 1945 | Dortmund |
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January 28, 1945 | Dortmund |
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January 29, 1945 | Kassel |
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January 31 & February 3, 1945 | Dortmund benzol plant | The "HANSA Benzol Plant" was bombed. [89]: s1 |
January 31 & February 1, 1945 | Duisburg | The "BRUCKHAUSEN Benzol Plant" was bombed. [90]: s1 |
January 31, 1945 |
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January 1945 | Salzbergen |
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February 1, 1945 |
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February 2/3, 1945 | Wanne-Eickel |
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February 3/4, 1945 [66] | Bottrop | The "PROSPER Benzol Plant" was bombed. [94]: s1 |
February 3/4, 1945 [66] | Dortmund |
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February 3, 1945 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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February 4, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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February 4, 1945 | Oberhausen ( Osterfeld) | The Oberhausen "OSTERFELD Benzol Plant" was bombed. [96]: s1 |
February 5, 1945 | Regensburg |
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February 4/5, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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February 7, 1945 | Leipzig/Böhlen | The 447 BG bombed the Böhlen "oil refinery". |
February 7, 1945 | Wanne-Eickel |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7, 1945 |
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February 7/8, 1945 |
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February 8/9, 1945 | Pölitz |
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February 8/9, 1945 | Wanne-Eickel |
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February 8/9, 1945 |
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February 9, 1945 | Lützkendorf |
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February 9, 1945 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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February 9, 1945 | Dülmen |
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February 10, 1945 | Dülmen |
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February 11, 1945 | Dülmen |
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February 13, 1945 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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February 13/14, 1945 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) | Bomb damaged was repaired by February 26. [97] |
February 13/14, 1945 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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February 13/14, 1945 | Expand |
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February 13/14, 1945 | Nuremberg/ Würzburg area |
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February 14, 1945 | Dülmen |
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February 14, 1945 |
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February 14, 1945 |
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February 14, 1945 |
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February 14, 1945 |
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February 15, 1945 | Cottbus |
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February 14/15, 1945 | Leipzig/Rositz |
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February 15, 1945 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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February 15, 1945 | Magdeburg |
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February 15, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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February 15, 1945 |
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February 16, 1945 | Dortmund |
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February 16, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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February 16, 1945 | Dortmund (Minster stein) |
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February 16, 1945 | Salzbergen | 46 B-24s bombed the Salzbergen oil refinery. |
February 17, 1945 |
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February 19, 1945 | Alm |
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February 19, 1945 | Bochum |
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February 19, 1945 | Dortmund |
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February 19, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Alma Pluto) |
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February 19, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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February 20, 1945 |
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February 20, 1945 |
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February 20/21, 1945 | Düsseldorf-Reisholz |
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February 20/21, 1945 | Monheim am Rhein |
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February 21, 1945 | Worms |
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February 21, 1945 | [ specify] |
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February 19, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Alma Pluto) |
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February 22, 1945 | Oberhausen (Osterfeld) |
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February 24, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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February 24, 1945 | Kamen |
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February 25, 1945 | Munich |
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February 25, 1945 | Kamen |
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February 25, 1945 |
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February 25, 1945 | Neuberg |
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February 26, 1945 | Dortmund benzol plant |
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February 27/28, 1945 | Wilhelmshaven |
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February 28, 1945 | Gelsenkirchen (Nordstern) |
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February 28, 1945 | Frankfurt oil depot |
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February 1945 |
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Total POL production was down 27% from the production prior to the January raids. [103]: s1 Stocks of aviation fuel were down to 6,000 tonnes and in February, the Luftwaffe received only 400 tonnes:[ citation needed] "anyone using [German] fuel for purposes other than the immediate conduct of operation will be considered a saboteur and court-martialed without mercy" (military order). [5]: 461 |
March 1, 1945 |
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March 1, 1945 |
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After the Fifteenth Air Force had dropped 8,370 tons of explosives on Budapest targets, Budapest was captured February 13, 1945 [12]: 1808 (the Red Army was within 10 miles on November 3, 1944). [90] On March 1, Germany launched the last major German offensive of World War II ( Operation Frühlingserwachen) to retake Budapest and the Nagykanizsa oil fields south of Lake Balaton. |
March 2, 1945 |
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Speer ordered that Nitrogen plants were to be repaired before the hydrogenation plants. |
March 2, 1945 | Chemnitz |
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March 2, 1945 | Dresden |
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March 2, 1945 | Magdeburg/Rothensee |
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March 2, 1945 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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March 2, 1945 | Leipzig/Rositz (Altenburg) |
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March 2, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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March 3, 1945 | Brunswick |
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March 1 & 4, 1945 | Kamen |
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March 4, 1945 | Wanne-Eickel |
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March 5, 1945 | Gelsenchirchen (Consolidation) |
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March 6, 1945 | Salzbergen |
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March 7, 1945 | Castrop-Rauxel |
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March 7, 1945 | Dortmund |
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March 7, 1945 | Dates [66] |
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March 7/8, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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March 7/8, 1945 | Hemmingstedt |
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March 8, 1945 | Bochum |
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March 8, 1945 | Bottrop (Mathias Stinnes) |
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March 8, 1945 | Dortmund |
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March 8, 1945 | Essen |
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March 8, 1945 | Gelsenchirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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March 8, 1945 | Hüls |
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March 10, 1945 | Gelsenchirchen (Scholven/Buer) |
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March 11, 1945 | Bremen |
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March 11, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg |
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March 11/12, 1945 |
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March 12, 1945 |
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March 11, 1945 | Nienhagen |
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March 13, 1945 | Lützkendorf |
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March 13/14, 1945 | Gelsenchirchen (Consolidation) |
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March 13/14, 1945 | Herne |
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March 14, 1945 |
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Prior to a raid targeting a Vienna oil refinery, the briefing officer told crews to avoid the St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Vienna State Opera, the Schönbrunn Palace and other historic buildings and schools. Due to weather, the alternate (Wiener Neustadt marshaling yards) was bombed. [36]: 228–9 |
March 14, 1945 | Dates |
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March 14, 1945 | Hattingen |
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March 14, 1945 |
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March 14, 1945 |
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March 15, 1945 | Bottrop-Welheim |
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March 15, 1945 | Castrop-Rauxel |
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March 15, 1945 | Hanover (Deurag-Nerag) | The bombing caused an "indefinite shutdown". [91] |
March 15, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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March 15, 1945 |
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March 15, 1945 |
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March 15, 1945 |
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March 15, 1945 |
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March 16, 1945 |
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March 16, 1945 |
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March 16, 1945 |
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March 16, 1945 |
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March 17, 1945 | Dortmund |
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March 17, 1945 | Hüls |
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March 17, 1945 | Leipzig/Böhlen |
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March 17, 1945 | Leipzig/ Rötha |
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March 17, 1945 | Ludwigshafen |
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March 17, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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March 18, 1945 | Bochum |
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1945-03-18 | Bochum |
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March 18, 1945 | Hattingen |
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March 19, 1945 | Gelsenchirchen (Consolidation) |
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March 19, 1945 | Ruhland |
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March 20, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg |
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March 20, 1945 | Hemmingstedt |
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March 20, 1945 |
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March 20, 1945 |
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March 20/21, 1945 | Hemmingstedt |
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March 21, 1945 |
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March 21, 1945 |
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March 21/22, 1945 | Bochum |
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March 22, 1945 |
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March 22, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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March 22, 1945 |
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March 23, 1945 | Ruhland-Schwarzheide |
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March 23, 1945 |
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![]() the Soviet Vienna Offensive began on April 2, encircled Vienna on April 7, and the garrison surrendered on April 13. [90] |
March 24, 1945 | Bochum |
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March 25, 1945 | Bücken |
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March 25, 1945 | Ehmen |
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March 25, 1945 | Nuremberg/Würzburg area |
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March 25, 1945 | Hitzacker |
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March 25, 1945 | Neuenheerse |
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March 25, 1945 | Zeitz |
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March 27, 1945 | Bremen- Farge |
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March 27, 1945 | Hamm |
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March 28, 1945 | Dedenhausen |
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March 28, 1945 | Nuremberg/Würzburg area | The 596 BS bombed the Ebrach oil depot. Ebrach was north of Erlbach between Würzburg and Nuremberg. |
March 30, 1945 | Ebenhausen |
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March 30, 1945 | Hamburg-Harburg refineries |
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March 31, 1945 | Bad Berka |
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March 31, 1945 | Nuremberg/Würzburg area |
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March 31, 1945 | Erfurt |
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March 31, 1945 | Gotha |
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March 31, 1945 | Marienburg-Gdynia |
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March 31, 1945 | Nuremberg/Würzburg area |
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March 31, 1945 | Zeitz |
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April 4, 1945 | Nuremberg/Würzburg area |
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April 7, 1945 | Buchen[ clarification needed] |
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April 7, 1945 | Hitzacker |
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April 7/8, 1945 | Leipzig/Rötha |
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April 8, 1945 | Durben |
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April 8, 1945 | Lützkendorf |
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April 8, 1945 | Munchenbernsdorf |
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April 8, 1945 |
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April 8, 1945 | Nienhagen oil refinery |
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April 9, 1945 | Bad Berka |
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April 9, 1945 | Dedenhausen |
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April 9, 1945 | Neuberg |
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April 11, 1945 | Freiham |
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April 11, 1945 | Regensburg |
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April 12, 1945 |
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Strategic Bombing Directive No. 4 ended the strategic air war in Europe. On April 16, Spaatz notified Doolittle and Twining: "The advances of our ground forces have brought to a close the strategic air war waged by the United States Strategic Air Forces and the Royal Air Force Bomber Command.". |
April 18, 1945 | Neuburg |
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April 18, 1945 |
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April 19, 1945 | Annaburg |
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April 19, 1945 | Deggendorf |
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April 24, 1945 | Schrobenhausen |
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April 25/26, 1945 |
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April 1945 |
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Germany's oil production was 5% that of the previous year:
[36]: 249
Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr 1945 |
May 10, 1945 |
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Harry S. Truman signed Joint Chiefs of Staff Directive 1067, which prohibited German production of oil until superseded in July 1947. |
In 1906, Standard Oil included the German-American Petroleum Company, the Mannheim-Bremen Petroleum Company and, formerly known as Korff, the Petroleum Refinery.
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Brehon Somervell … DECLASSIFIED … 10/29/73 … U.S. SECRET … BRITISH MOST SECRET … COPY NO. 32
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help) (pages 40-2)Approved by Combined Chiefs of Staff at their 65th meeting on January 21, 1943. ... You should take every opportunity to attack Germany by day [and] to destroy objectives that are not unsuitable for night attack(distributed version, pages 88-9)
1. Axis Oil Position [pp. 255-257]
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help)We must, therefore, apply [bombardment] to those specially selected and vital targets which will give the greatest return.
{{
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: Cite journal requires |journal=
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help) (p. vii: Arnold to Spaatz, April 10, 1943)SECRET … Classification Cancelled … JUN 8, 1959 ... the Bradley Plan [was the plan for ] troop build-up for the Eighth Air Force. ... General Arnold prepared a "Plan to Assure the Most Effective Exploitation of the Combined Bomber Offensive" and submitted it to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 9 October 1943.
{{
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help)SECRET … Classification Cancelled … JUN 10 1959(available at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in the "Collection of 20th Century Military Records, 1918-1950 Series I"; Historical Studies Box 35).
SECRET … Classification Cancelled … JUN 10, 1959 … In December 1942 … Arnold … directed that the group of operations analysts under C/AS, Management Control, prepare … In compliance with this directive, the Committee of Operations Analysts submitted on 8 March 1943 a comprehensive report on Axis industry. … Nineteen vital industries were selected … which if destroyed would … stagnate the German war machine. (p. 6)
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help) (also available in Box 35)MOST SECRET … DECLASSIFIED … 4/4/74
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we must use our initiative and imagination with a view of seeking out, destroying the German Air Force in the factories, depots, on the ground, or in the air, wherever they may be.
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: CS1 maint: location (
link)We believe attacks on transportation will not force the German fighters into action. We believe they will defend oil to their last fighter plane.
{{
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: CS1 maint: location (
link) (quoted by Mets note 100, pp. 204,386)"apart from the attack on the GAF, [German Air Force] the transportation plan was the only one which offered a reasonable chance of the air forces making an important contribution to the land battle during the first vital weeks of OVERLORD
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: CS1 maint: location (
link) Kuter quotes an Air Ministry memorandum for the July 5 meeting. (cited by Mets note 60, pp. 269, 394: "staff meeting the British Chiefs of Staff ... 5 July 1944 ... Portal had tried to move Harris away from area bombing to join in the attacks on oil. ... the recommendation that emerged was a gigantic attack on Berlin")The German rail and waterborne transportation systems; tank production plants and depots, ordnance depots; and M.T. (motor transport) production plants and depots
{{
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help) (cited by Mets, pp. 212,386,392: "copy provided to author by Justice
Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Another copy is in the National Archives". p. 343: "Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. was a member of General Spaatz's staff in England in World War II.")
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UNCLASSIFIED [from SECRET] … on 9 Feb 88
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