Bombing of Bucharest in World War II#German operation

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| Railroad targets

| 12px 91 unescorted B-24s of the 15th AF bombed the marshalling yards at Bucharest. No results were observed because of the weather. Flak fire was reported intense and accurate.

USAAF losses: eight B-24s (four from the 455th BG and two each from the 454th and 456th BG).

| Railroad targets

| 12px 207 B-24s of the 15th AF escorted by 48 P-38s bombed the marshalling yards at Bucharest. The bombers damaged repair buildings, a roundhouse, tracks and choke points. Some bombs also fell on the city.

USAAF losses: two B-24s (451st and 461st BG).

| Railroad targets

| 12px 157 B-17s and 272 B-24s under the escort of 163 P-38s and 36 P-51s bombed bombed the Grivița and Chitila marshalling yards. The 449th and 450th, as well as most of the 459th BG returned without bombing. At Grivița, an engine depot, warehouses, workshops, and a fuel storage tank were damaged, while at Chitila freight cars were destroyed. Some bombs also landed in the city.

USAAF losses: one B-17 from 97th BG, and three B-24s (two from the 454th and one from the 98th BG).

| Industrial and railroad targets

| 12px No. 205 Group RAF conducted a night raid on industrial targets and railway yards North West of Bucharest. 76.2 tons of bombs were dropped on the main railway yards and military barracks. Four bombers were lost: two Wellingtons from No. 40 Squadron, one from No. 150 Squadron, and one from No. 70 Squadron.{{cite web|url=https://aircrewremembered.com/clarke-stanley.html|title=No. 150 Squadron Wellington JA515 IN-Q W/O. Clarke|website=aircrewremembered.com|date=October 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://aircrewremembered.com/hanney-sydney.html|title=70 Squadron Wellington X MF144 DU:H Fg Off. Sydney J. Hanney|website=aircrewremembered.com}}

| Româno-Americană oil works, Ploiești

| 12px Raid by US P-38s. P-38s were used as it was felt that a low level dive-bombing attack could be more effective than the Tidal Wave high-level bombing where the targets were obscured by defensive smoke screens. The raid took place with three squadrons of 82d Fighter Group doing the attack (95th, 96th, 97th Squadrons) with three 1st Fighter Group squadrons (also P-38s) providing escorts (27th, 71st and 94th Squadrons). Mission was flown from Foggia airfields in Italy against Româno-Americană oil works in Ploiești. Attack P-38s carried a 1,000 lb bomb under one fuselage and a long-range tank under the other. The 71st FS also attacked the Popești-Leordeni airfield south of Bucharest. The success was described as "an incremental contribution to previous bombing missions."

USAAF losses: 1st FG lost 14 P-38s and 82nd FG nine aircraft, translating to 30% losses – equivalent to those of Tidal-Wave (but fewer manpower losses due to single crew aircraft being used as opposed to heavy bombers).

| Oil refineries

| 12px The 464th BG & 465th BG bombed the Prahova oil refinery (44°27'00"N / 26°08'40"E) and the 460th BG and 485th BG bombed the Titan-Malaxa oil refinery (44°26'10"N / 26°11'13"E).Mission histories for Bombardment Groups:

:464 BG: {{cite web |title=Our Missions: The 464 BG Mission List |url=http://www.zplace2b.com/464/sortie.htm }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

:485 BG: {{cite web |title=tbd |url=http://www.485thbg.org/485th_Missions.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724205041/http://www.485thbg.org/485th_Missions.htm |archive-date=2011-07-24 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80-00810A001200650001-6.pdf|title=Information Report. Rumanian Petroleum Industry|publisher=CIA|date=May 21, 1953|access-date=February 1, 2025}}

USAAF losses: three B-24s (from the 485th BG).

| Oil refineries

| 12px No. 205 Group attacked the Prahova Oil Refinery with 31 Wellingtons, 9 Liberators and 8 Halifaxes. Two Wellingtons of No. 40 Sqr and one Liberator of 31 Squadron SAAF were shot down.{{cite web|url=https://aircrewremembered.com/tichborne-lawrence-franklin.html|title=No. 40 Squadron Wellington X ME990 -R F/O. Lawrence Franklin Tichborne|website=aircrewremembered.com|date=October 2018}}

| Oil refineries

| 12px The Mogoșoaia Oil Storage facility, the Prahova Oil Refinery, and the Titan Oil Refinery were attacked by B-24s. Bombs missed the Titan refinery and hit a nearby brick factory. Thirteen bombers of the 461st BG turned back and bombed the Iron Gate Rail Embankment at Turnu Severin instead.

USAAF losses: two B-24s (451st and 461st BG).

| Oil refineries

| 12px 90 aircraft attacked in two waves, only 50 Wellingtons hit the main target of Prahova Oil Refinery due to the weather. Damage was sustained by The National Bank building, and Băneasa Airport, as well as other buildings. At least one Wellington from No. 150 Sqr was shot down.{{cite web|url=https://aircrewremembered.com/wilkinson-bert-frederick-william.html|title=No 150 Squadron Wellington X LP196 JN-E Sgt. B.F.W. Wilkinson|website=aircrewremembered.com|date=December 2016}}

| Oil refineries

| 12px Two oil refineries at Bucharest, one at Doicești, and oil storage at Târgoviște were bombed.{{cite web|url=http://www.milhist.net/usaaf/ploesti.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090313111659/http://www.milhist.net/usaaf/ploesti.html |archive-date=2009-03-13|title=References to Ploesti, Rumania from a USAAF WWII Chronology}} Twenty B-24s struck the Creditul Minier refinery.

USAAF losses: four P-51s (two from 52nd FG, one each from 31st and 325th FG), two B-24s (451st and 376th BG).

| Railroad targets, airfields

| 12px 60 fighters from Operation Frantic bases in the Soviet Union attacked the Craiova marshalling yard and other railroad targets in the Bucharest–Ploiești area claiming an He 111 and multiple locomotives. The fighters landed at Italian bases.

|Oil refineries

| 12px No. 205 Group targeted oil refineries with 63 Wellingtons from 231, 236, and 330 Wings; 9 Liberators from 2 SAAF Wing; 6 Halifaxes from 614 Sqn. Raid was aimed at destroying remaining intact refineries. Original target for the raid was the Standard Oil Refinery, but this had been successfully attacked during the day by American Forces and at 16:00 the attack was changed to the Xenia refinery. Remaining aircraft reached the target but AA defences were very active as was the smoke screen resulting in no aircraft being able to pinpoint the target. Bombers were attacked by Ju 88 and Bf 109's. 86 tons of bombs dropped but the raid was considered as unsuccessful. Twenty-two aircraft returned to bases because of mechanical failures, 3 performed emergency landings en route and 3 were reported missing.{{cite web|last=Macisaac|first=James, J.|url=http://www.natureonline.com/37/16-op6.html|title=The WWII History of James Macisaac and RAF 37 Squadron|work=Op 6 · Ploesti, Xenia Oil Refinery|access-date=15 July 2011}}

| Various targets

| 12px Luftwaffe He 111, Ju 87 and Bf 110 bombers escorted by Bf 109 fighters based at Otopeni and Băneasa attacked Bucharest between 24 and 26 August, both during the day and night. The National Theatre Bucharest and many other downtown buildings were destroyed while the Royal Palace, the Victoria Palace, and the Romanian Athenaeum were seriously damaged.{{Rp|212}}

ARR claimed 45 German aircraft shot down (22 by fighters and 23 by the anti-aircraft artillery), including three Me 323 Gigants and four Ju 52s transporting Brandenburgers special forces. Another five aircraft were destroyed on the ground. The ARR lost four aircraft in the air (including a friendly fire incident), and another 30 aircraft on the ground.{{cite book|title=Rumanian Aces of World War 2|author-first1=Dénes |author-last1=Bernád |publisher=Osprey Publishing|date=20 June 2003 |isbn=978-1-84176-535-8 |pages=55–56}}{{cite book|last=Axworthy|first=Mark|title=Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945|place=London|publisher=Arms and Armour|date=1995|pages=187, 190}}

| Otopeni, Băneasa

| 12px 228 B-24s of the 15th AF escorted by 151 P-51s attacked Luftwaffe bases at the Otopeni and Băneasa airports and the German positions in the Băneasa Forest. The Germans suffered heavy casualties and Luftwaffe raids on Bucharest stopped. The Romanian 4th Paratroop Battalion also lost half of a company in the bombardment around Băneasa due to inaccuracy and poor coordination.

The hangars, workshops and barracks of Băneasa were damaged and 15 aircraft were claimed destroyed on the ground. Otopeni sustained damages to both runways, administrative buildings, barracks, as well as one hangar, and 6 aircraft were claimed destroyed on the ground.{{cite book|title=Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45 {{!}} Romania|url=https://www.ww2.dk/Airfields%20-%20Romania.pdf|author=Henry L. deZeng IV|date=December 2014|pages=11, 14}}

USAAF losses: three B-24s (two from the 455th BG, one from the 461st BG), one P-51 from the 332nd FG.