Operation Frantic
Encyclopedia
Airfields
In February 1944, the USAAF received access to six air bases in Ukraine, but it turned out only three were set up for the effort. In haste, the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe established a headquarters detachment at Poltava Airfield, near KievKiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
in the Soviet Union in late April, 1944. Poltava was designated as USAAF Station 559 for security purposes and was referred to as Station 559 in all messages and written correspondence. Poltava was one of three Ukraine installations operated by Headquarters, Eastern Command USSAF. The others were Piryatin Airfield
Piryatin Airport
Piryatin Airport is an airport located approximately south of Piryatin, Ukraine. Its current status and use is undetermined.-History:During World War II, the airport was provided to the United States Army Air Forces during the summer of 1944 as a heavy bomber airfield, used by the Eighth and...
(AAF-560) and Mirgorod Airfield
Mirgorod Airport
Mirgorod Airport is an airfield located approximately Southeast of Mirgorod, Poltava Oblast, Ukraine. The date the airfield was constructed is not known....
(AAF-561). Poltava and Mirgorod were to be used for heavy bombers (B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s, B-17 Flying Fortresses), while Piryatin would be used for long-range escort fighters (P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
s, P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
s).
The bases were farther from the eastern front than the USAAF liked, and they were also in a poor state of repair. All this could be chalked up to the strains of war, as everything in the regions the Germans had retreated from was in a poor state of repair, if it hadn't been totally demolished. However, the American officers trying to direct the effort found themselves dealing with an unfriendly and suspicious Soviet bureaucracy that raised every obstacle. Allies or not, the Americans were foreigners, and Stalin did not like having foreigners around at all. Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
had not been very enthusiastic about Frantic, believing that it was placing a lot more trust on Stalin than was wise, and events were bearing him out.
Heavy equipment and bulky supplies went by sea to the port of Archangel
Archangel
An archangel is an angel of high rank. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Michael and Gabriel are recognized as archangels in Judaism and by most Christians. Michael is the only archangel specifically named in the Protestant Bible...
, north of Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
, and then by freight train to the airfields in the Ukraine. Additional supplies and key personnel would fly in on Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
transports from the ATC base at Mehrabad Airport, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Delicate negotiations finally fixed a total of forty-two round-trip ATC missions to make the bases operational for the AAF, and allowed an additional rate of two weekly support missions to sustain the U.S. contingent. The issue of flight communications eventually ended with a compromise, allowing U.S. crews to carry out navigation and radio duties with a Soviet observer resident at all related communications
centers. Eventually, the ATC in support of FRANTIC delivered some 450 personnel and thirty-six thousand pounds of cargo by June 1944.
Known units
- Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
- 45th Combat Wing (at Poltava Airfield, ca 75 bombers)
- 96th Bombardment Group, RAF Snetterton HeathRAF Snetterton HeathRAF Snetterton Heath is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located on the A11, 6 miles SW of Attleborough in Norfolk.-Overview:...
, B-17 Flying Fortress - 388th Bombardment Group, RAF KnettishallRAF KnettishallRAF Knettishall is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 6 miles SE of Thetford in Suffolk between the villages of Knettishall and Coney Weston, which lies to the south...
, B-17 Flying Fortress - 452d Bombardment Group, RAF Deopham GreenRAF Deopham GreenRAF Deopham Green is a former Second World War airfield in England. The field is located near Deopham Green 2 miles north of Attleborough in Norfolk.- USAAF use:...
, B-17 Flying Fortress
- 13th Combat Wing (at Mirgorod Airfield, ca 75 bombers)
- 95th Bombardment Group, RAF HorhamRAF HorhamRAF Horham is a World War II era airfield in England. The field is located next to the village of Horham, England, and 4 miles SE of Eye in Suffolk. The large site straddled the parishes of Denham, Horham and Hoxne.-USAAF use:...
, B-17 Flying Fortress - 100th Bombardment Group, RAF Thorpe AbbottsRAF Thorpe AbbottsRAF Thorpe Abbotts is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles E of Diss in Norfolk.-Overview:Thorpe Abbotts airfield was built during 1942 and early 1943 for the RAF as a satellite airfield for RAF Horham but the rapid buildup of the 8th Air Force resulted in both...
, B-17 Flying Fortress - 390th Bombardment Group, RAF FramlinghamRAF FramlinghamRAF Framlingham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Framlingham in Suffolk.-USAAF use:...
, B-17 Flying Fortress
- Escort Fighter (at Piryatin Airfield)
- 4th Fighter Group, RAF DebdenRAF DebdenRAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...
, P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts... - 352d Fighter Group352d Fighter GroupThe 352d Fighter Group was one of the most highly decorated USAAF Fighter Groups in World War II, producing many leading aces of the war. The 352d was composed of three squadrons: . Once deployed to the European Theater of Operations , the group was eventually headquartered in Bodney, England...
, RAF BodneyRAF BodneyRAF Bodney is a former World War II RAF Station and USAAF airfield in England. The field is located 4½ miles west of Watton in Norfolk.-RAF Bomber Command use:...
, P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts... - 355th Fighter Group, RAF Steeple MordenRAF Steeple MordenRAF Steeple Morden is a former World War II airfield in England. The field was located 3½ miles W of Royston in Cambridgeshire, near the village of Steeple Morden.-RAF Bomber Command use:...
, P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts... - 357th Fighter Group357th Fighter GroupThe 357th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. The 357th operated P-51 Mustang aircraft as part of the U.S. Eighth Air Force and its members were known unofficially as "The Yoxford Boys" after a village near their base...
, RAF LeistonRAF LeistonRAF Leiston is a former airfield in the United Kingdom. The airfield is located northwest of Leiston and south of Theberton in Suffolk.-USAAF use:...
, P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
- Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
- 2d Bombardment Group, Amendola Airfield, B-17 Flying Fortress
- 97th Bombardment Group, Amendola Airfield, B-17 Flying Fortress
- 99th Bombardment Group, Tortorella Airfield, Italy, B-17 Flying Fortress
- 14th Fighter Group, Triolo Airfield, P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
- 31st Fighter Group, San Servero Airfield, P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
- 82nd Fighter Group, Vincenzo Airfield, P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
- 325th Fighter Group, Mondolfo AirfieldMondolfo AirfieldMondolfo Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, located about 6 km southeast of Fano and 4 km east of Mondolfo in the Marche region....
, P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
- Attached from: Twelfth Air Force
Operations
After much preparation at the three Ukrainian airfields by advance elements of Headquarters, Eastern Command USSAF and Air Transport Command, the first shuttle mission was for Fifteenth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses and their P-51 Mustang fighter escorts taking off from airfields around Foggia, Italy, raiding the railroad marshalling yards at DebrecenDebrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
, Hungary, and then flying on to the Ukraine.
- First Shuttle Mission (Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
)
- 2 June 1944
- 130 B-17s, escorted by 70 P-51 Mustangs, takeoff from Italy and bomb the marshaling yard 47°31′10"N 021°37′41"E at DebrecenDebrecenDebrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
, Hungary and land in the USSR, the B-17s at Poltava and Mirgorod and the P-51s at Piryatin. One B-17F (42-30319, 97th BG, 414th BS) is lost over the target; 27 other B-17s, forced off course en route to the OradeaOradeaOradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
marshaling yard, also hit Debrecen.
- 130 B-17s, escorted by 70 P-51 Mustangs, takeoff from Italy and bomb the marshaling yard 47°31′10"N 021°37′41"E at Debrecen
- 6 June 1944
- 104 B-17s and 42 P-51 Mustangs (having flown to the USSR from Italy on 2 June) attack the airfield at GalațiGalatiGalați is a city and municipality in Romania, the capital of Galați County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, in the close vicinity of Brăila, Galați is the largest port and sea port on the Danube River and the second largest Romanian port....
, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and return to their shuttle bases in the USSR. Eight enemy fighters are shot down and two P-51Bs (42-103369, 42-103432, 325th FG, 318th FS) are lost.
- 104 B-17s and 42 P-51 Mustangs (having flown to the USSR from Italy on 2 June) attack the airfield at Galați
- 11 June 1944
- 126 B-17s and 60 P-51s depart Russian shuttle bases for Italy to complete the first Operation Frantic operation. On the way 121 B-17s bomb the FocşaniFocsaniFocşani is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the shores the Milcov river, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population of 101,854.-Geography:...
, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
airfield 45°46′29"N 027°11′31"E. 1 B-17F (42-3383, 97 BG) is lost.
- 126 B-17s and 60 P-51s depart Russian shuttle bases for Italy to complete the first Operation Frantic operation. On the way 121 B-17s bomb the Focşani
- Second Shuttle Mission (Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
)
After the first shuttle mission, the consensus reached by USSTAF that all seemed to go well enough. The second shuttle raid planned was for Eighth Air Force B-17s to attack synthetic oil facilities in Eastern Germany and proceed on to the USSR.
- 21 June 1944
- 145 of 163 B-17s begin shuttle bombing missions between the United Kingdom and bases in the USSR. 72 P-38 Lightnings, 38 P-47 Thunderbolts and 57 P-51 Mustangs escort the B-17s to the target ( synthetic oilSynthetic oilSynthetic oil is a lubricant consisting of chemical compounds that are artificially made . Synthetic lubricants can be manufactured using chemically modified petroleum components rather than whole crude oil, but can also be synthesized from other raw materials...
plant 51°29′00"N 013°53′36"E at RuhlandRuhlandRuhland is a town in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district, in southern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 12 km southwest of Senftenberg....
, Germany ); 123 B-17s bomb the primary target, 21 bomb the marshaling yard 51°27′32"N 013°30′57"E at ElsterwerdaElsterwerdaElsterwerda is a town in the Elbe-Elster district, in southwestern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 48 km northwest of Dresden, and 11 km southeast of Bad Liebenwerda.-External links:...
and a lone B-17 bombs the marshaling yard 51°18′34"N 013°16′46"E at RiesaRiesaRiesa is a town in the district of Meißen in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is located at the river Elbe, approx. 40 km northwest of Dresden.The world's first 110 kV power line was inaugurated between Riesa and Lauchhammer in 1912....
, Germany due to a bomb rack malfunction. 4th Fighter Group P-51s accompany the B-17s to the USSR (including 486 Squadron "borrowed" from the 352nd FG). 20 to 30 Luftwaffe fighters attack the force; in the resulting battle a P-51B (43-6784, 4th FG, 335th FS) and six German fighters are destroyed; an F model B-17 42-3490B-17 42-3490B-17F 42-3490 - The career of a notable aircraft.B-17F 42-3490 started out its life as a H2X radar pathfinder plane. It was a late Douglas B-17F fitted with a chin turret. It flew missions with the 482nd bombardment group Pathfinder, RAF Alconbury 812th Squadron from October 1943 till March 1944...
, 385th Bombardment Group, 549th Bomb Squadron piloted by Matthew Totter is damaged by flack and loses three engines on the flight and flies to Sweden where it is interned and later converted to SE-BAN, a Swedish airliner. 144 B-17s land in the USSR, 73 at Poltava, and the rest at Mirgorod; the 64 remaining P-51s land at Piryatin.
- 145 of 163 B-17s begin shuttle bombing missions between the United Kingdom and bases in the USSR. 72 P-38 Lightnings, 38 P-47 Thunderbolts and 57 P-51 Mustangs escort the B-17s to the target ( synthetic oil
-
- What was unknown at the time was that after the raid on Ruhland, the attacking B-17s were being shadowed from a distance by a LuftwaffeLuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
Heinkel He-111 bomber, which identified the Ukrainian airfields where they landed. On the night of 21 June the Combat Wing of B-17s which earlier landed at Poltava sustained severe losses as the result of an enemy air attack on the airfield. Personnel were alerted at approximately 2330 hours when it was announced that German bombers had crossed the front lines in the general direction of Poltava. At 0030 hours Pathfinder aircraft released flares directly above the airfield and 10 minutes later the first bombs were dropped. For almost two hours an estimated 75 Luftwaffe bombers attacked the base, exhibiting a very high degree of accuracy. A very large majority of the bombs were dropped in the dispersal area of the landing ground where only B-17s were parked, indicating without question that the B-17s constituted the specific objective of the raiders. Of the 73 B-17s which had landed at Poltava, 47 were destroyed and most of the remainder severely damaged. One American combat crew member was killed and one other was severely wounded; several others suffered minor injuries. In addition to the aircraft suffering heavy damage, the stores of fuel and ammunition were also attacked and a large amount destroyed. Three days after the attack, only nine of the 73 aircraft at Poltava were operational. Joseph Stalin's plan to defend the shuttle bombing operation airfields entirely with Soviet defenses failed entirely. The truck mounted 50 caliber machine guns that the Soviet high command insisted would be adequate had no effect on the Luftwaffe, as no aircraft were shot down or disabled. Also, Russian and American piloted fighter aircraft were not allowed to take off (by Soviet high-command) to engage the Luftwaffe during this attact at Poltava. Why is a good question.
- What was unknown at the time was that after the raid on Ruhland, the attacking B-17s were being shadowed from a distance by a Luftwaffe
- 22 June 1944
- Because of the attack on USAAF Eighth Air Force B-17s at Poltava, the B-17s at Mirgorod and P-51s at Piryatin are moved to Soviet air bases farther east; they are to be returned to Mirgorod and Piryatin and be dispatched to bases in Italy as soon as the weather permits; the move is fortunate as German bombers strike both Piryatin and Mirgorod during the night of 22/23 June. However the airfields which were used for dispersal had very short runways and had no fuel or munitions for the aircraft. Aircrews of destroyed aircraft are picked up by Air Transport CommandAir Transport CommandAir Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
and ferried back to UK via Mehrabad Airport, Tehran, Iran.
- Because of the attack on USAAF Eighth Air Force B-17s at Poltava, the B-17s at Mirgorod and P-51s at Piryatin are moved to Soviet air bases farther east; they are to be returned to Mirgorod and Piryatin and be dispatched to bases in Italy as soon as the weather permits; the move is fortunate as German bombers strike both Piryatin and Mirgorod during the night of 22/23 June. However the airfields which were used for dispersal had very short runways and had no fuel or munitions for the aircraft. Aircrews of destroyed aircraft are picked up by Air Transport Command
- 26 June 1944
- Losses and damage sustained by the Luftwaffe bomber attack on Poltava and damage suffered on route to Russia had reduced the number of operational B-17s to a total of 73. All available aircraft were formed into one composite Combat Wing of three groups for the execution of the return mission to Italy. The aircraft at the dispersal airfields were flown back to Mirgrod and Poltava for servicing, rearming and refueling. This delayed the takeoff times to mid-afternoon which meant that the aircraft would not arrive in Italy until the early evening twilight. The B-17s rendezvous with 55 P-51s from Piryatin, bomb the oil refineryOil refineryAn oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
and marshaling yard 49°20′18"N 023°29′07"E at DrohobyczDrohobychDrohobych is a city located at the confluence of the Tysmenytsia River and Seret, a tributary of the former, in the Lviv Oblast , in western Ukraine...
, Poland (one returns to the USSR because of mechanical trouble), and then proceed to Italy; Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
P-51s meet the formation 1 hour after the attack and escort the B-17s to Foggia. It was planned for the Eighth Air Force aircraft to return to bases in England on 27 June or as soon thereafter as weather conditions permitted, but unfavorable forecasts persisted. During the period the B-17s participated in one Fifteenth Air Force mission and the P-51s in two missions.
- Losses and damage sustained by the Luftwaffe bomber attack on Poltava and damage suffered on route to Russia had reduced the number of operational B-17s to a total of 73. All available aircraft were formed into one composite Combat Wing of three groups for the execution of the return mission to Italy. The aircraft at the dispersal airfields were flown back to Mirgrod and Poltava for servicing, rearming and refueling. This delayed the takeoff times to mid-afternoon which meant that the aircraft would not arrive in Italy until the early evening twilight. The B-17s rendezvous with 55 P-51s from Piryatin, bomb the oil refinery
- 2 July 1944
- The Eighth Air Force P-51 Group joined with other Fifteenth Air Force fighters in escorting 509 heavy bombers on a mission to three objectives in the BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary area; a marshaling yard 47°27′56"N 019°05′37"E (253 aircraft); Vecses Airfield 47°26′02"N 019°15′33"E (142 aircraft) and the Shell Oil Refinery 47°26′23"N 019°03′43"E (114 aircraft). The P-51s preceded the bombers and conducted a free-lance sweep in the target area. Aggressive enemy opposition was encountered and 4 P-51s were lost in combat and one other P-51 failed to return. USAAF bombers and fighters claim 50+ fighters shot down.
- The Eighth Air Force P-51 Group joined with other Fifteenth Air Force fighters in escorting 509 heavy bombers on a mission to three objectives in the Budapest
- 3 July 1944
- Fifty-Seven Eighth Air Force B-17s were dispatched, escorted by the P-51 Mustang group (38 aircraft) in conjunction with 44 Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers, attacking a marshaling yard and railway shops 46°11′39"N 021°19′21"E at Arad, RomaniaArad, RomaniaArad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
.
- Fifty-Seven Eighth Air Force B-17s were dispatched, escorted by the P-51 Mustang group (38 aircraft) in conjunction with 44 Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers, attacking a marshaling yard and railway shops 46°11′39"N 021°19′21"E at Arad, Romania
- 5 July 1944
- 72 Eighth Air Force B-17s complete the shuttle mission (UK-USSR-Italy-UK) and attack a marshaling yard 43°19′49"N 003°14′15"E at BéziersBéziersBéziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
, France (with Fifteenth Air Force B-24s) while on the last leg from Italy to the UK; 42 P-51s return to UK with the B-17s (of the 11 P-51s remaining in Italy, 10 return to the UK the following day and the last several days later)
- 72 Eighth Air Force B-17s complete the shuttle mission (UK-USSR-Italy-UK) and attack a marshaling yard 43°19′49"N 003°14′15"E at Béziers
Upon their return to England, the American crews reported that the Soviets failed to put up any effective resistance to the raid. In hindsight, given the occasional gross blunderings of the Soviet war machine, and the fact that in the Soviet military few dared take initiative without approval from the leadership, that impression might have been incorrect. In the aftermath of the Poltava disaster, the USAAF wanted to move the P-61 Black Widow
P-61 Black Widow
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first operational U.S. military aircraft designed specifically for night interception of aircraft, and was the first aircraft specifically designed to use radar. It was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design developed during World War II...
-equipped 427th Night Fighter Squadron from Italy to Poltava to provide night air defense over the fields. However, the Soviets refused to allow USAAF night fighters to defend the bomber bases, insisting that air defense was their responsibility. The shuttle bombing missions were not abandoned for the moment, but they were suspended until the mess on the ground could be cleaned up and the defenses of the airbases improved. Realizing that the Soviets could not adequately protect the heavy bombers from night raids, the Americans abandoned plans to permanently station three heavy bomber groups on Soviet airfields.
- Third Shuttle Mission (Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
)
To keep the project alive, Fifteenth Air Force next shuttled P-38 and P-51 fighters to the Soviet Union in late July.
- 22 July 1944
- 76 P-38s and 58 P-51s begin the second Fifteenth Air Force shuttle mission, attacking airfields at Zilistea (Jiliste) 45°34′23"N 027°09′43"E and BuzăuBuzauThe city of Buzău is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Wallachia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carpathian Mountains and the lowlands of Bărăgan Plain.The city's name dates back to 376 AD when the name...
, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
45°12′59"N 026°58′42"E and landing at bases in the USSR.
- 76 P-38s and 58 P-51s begin the second Fifteenth Air Force shuttle mission, attacking airfields at Zilistea (Jiliste) 45°34′23"N 027°09′43"E and Buzău
- 25 July 1944
- Operating from USSR bases, 34 P-51s and 33 P-38s attack the airfield 50°19′20"N 021°27′24"E at MielecMielecMielec is a city in south-eastern Poland with a population of 60,979 inhabitants, as of June 2009. It is located in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship ; previously it was in Rzeszów Voivodeship...
, Poland and return to the USSR.
- Operating from USSR bases, 34 P-51s and 33 P-38s attack the airfield 50°19′20"N 021°27′24"E at Mielec
- 26 July 1944
- Fighters leave USSR bases, strafe enemy aircraft in the BucharestBucharestBucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
–PloieștiPloiestiPloiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
area, and return to bases in Italy.
- Fighters leave USSR bases, strafe enemy aircraft in the Bucharest
- Fourth Shuttle Mission (Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
)
- 4 August 1944
- In an attempt to comply with the first direct Soviet request for USAAF air strikes, 70+ P-38s and P-51s of the Fifteenth Air Force leave Italy, attack the airfield 45°41′59"N 027°07′56"E and town of FocşaniFocsaniFocşani is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the shores the Milcov river, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population of 101,854.-Geography:...
, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and land at bases in the USSR.
- In an attempt to comply with the first direct Soviet request for USAAF air strikes, 70+ P-38s and P-51s of the Fifteenth Air Force leave Italy, attack the airfield 45°41′59"N 027°07′56"E and town of Focşani
- 6 August 1944
- 60 fighters of the USAAF Fifteenth Air Force take off from bases in the USSR, attack the CraiovaCraiovaCraiova , Romania's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube . Craiova is the chief...
marshaling yard 44°20′22"N 023°47′25"E and other railroad targets in the BucharestBucharestBucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
–PloieștiPloiestiPloiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
area, and land at Italian bases.
- 60 fighters of the USAAF Fifteenth Air Force take off from bases in the USSR, attack the Craiova
After balancing losses and battle damage against the value of the targets, U.S. military leaders at the Soviet bases discontinued the fighter-bomber operations.
- Fifth Shuttle Mission (Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
)
- 6 August 1944
- 75 B-17s hit Rahmel aircraft factories 54°34′50"N 018°31′53"E at GdyniaGdyniaGdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
, Poland and proceeds to bases in the USSR. Escort is provided by 154 P-51s
- 75 B-17s hit Rahmel aircraft factories 54°34′50"N 018°31′53"E at Gdynia
- 7 August 1944
- A shuttle mission is flown in accordance with a Soviet request; 55 B-17s and 29 P-51s attack an oil refineryOil refineryAn oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
at Trzebina, Poland without loss; the aircraft return to bases in the USSR.
- A shuttle mission is flown in accordance with a Soviet request; 55 B-17s and 29 P-51s attack an oil refinery
- 12 August 1944
- The second shuttle-bombing mission flown by Eighth Air Force from UK-USSR-Italy-UK is completed, with all aircraft flying to Fifteenth Air Force bases in Southern Italy.
- 13 August 1944
- 72 B-17s take off from Fifteenth Air Force bases in Italy, 3 have various problems; the others bomb Francazal Airfield, 43°32′39"N 001°22′04"E, just south of ToulouseToulouseToulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, France and then proceed to the UK; 62 P-51 Mustangs (part of the shuttle-mission force) and 43 from the UK provide escort; no aircraft are lost; 70 B-17s and 58 P-51s land in the UK; 5 B-17s and 6 P-51s, either left in Italy or returning there during this mission, subsequently return to the UK.
- 72 B-17s take off from Fifteenth Air Force bases in Italy, 3 have various problems; the others bomb Francazal Airfield, 43°32′39"N 001°22′04"E, just south of Toulouse
- Sixth Shuttle Mission (Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
)
- 11 September 1944
- 75 Eighth Air Force B-17s bomb oil refineriesOil refineryAn oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
50°21′22"N 012°55′24"E at ChemnitzChemnitzChemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
, Germany along with 64 P-51 Mustangs, continues on and lands in the USSR
- 75 Eighth Air Force B-17s bomb oil refineries
- 13 September 1944
- 73 B-17s, escorted by 63 P-51s, continuing the UK-USSR-Italy-UK shuttle-bombing mission, take off from USSR bases, bomb steelSteel millA steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
and armament works 48°05′31"N 020°43′03"E at DiósgyőrDiósgyorDiósgyőr is a historical town in Hungary, today it is a part of Miskolc. The medieval castle in Diósgyőr was a favourite holiday residence of Hungarian kings and queens; today it is a popular tourist attraction. The city part has a heavy industrial background...
, Hungary and proceed to US Fifteenth Air Force bases in Italy.
- 73 B-17s, escorted by 63 P-51s, continuing the UK-USSR-Italy-UK shuttle-bombing mission, take off from USSR bases, bomb steel
- 15 September 1944
- Eighth Air Force in England dispatches 110 B-17s to drop supplies to the Warsaw UprisingWarsaw UprisingThe Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
Polish Home Army and then proceed to bases in the USSR. However a weather front is encountered over the North Sea and the bombers are recalled back to England. Escort is provided by 149 P-51 Mustangs; 2 P-51s (42-106783, 43-24842, 363d FS) collide in a cloud and are lost.
- Eighth Air Force in England dispatches 110 B-17s to drop supplies to the Warsaw Uprising
- 17 September 1944
- Shuttle mission is completed as 72 US Eighth Air Force B-17s and 59 P-51s fly without bombs from Italy to the UK.
- Seventh Shuttle Mission (Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
)
- 18 September 1944
- After turning back due to bad weather on 15 September, the last Eighth Air Force UK-USSR-Italy-UK mission sends 107 B-17s to supply the Polish Home Army in WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
with 1,248 paradropped containers. Fewer than 250 are on target for pick-up by the Polish forces; 1 B-17 is lost (43-38175 390th BG 568th BS); escort is provided by 137 P-51s 64 P-51s continue to the USSR 2 P-51s are lost (42-26386, 44-19735, 355th FG 386th/368th FS).
- After turning back due to bad weather on 15 September, the last Eighth Air Force UK-USSR-Italy-UK mission sends 107 B-17s to supply the Polish Home Army in Warsaw
- 19 September 1944
- 100 B-17s and 61 P-51s takeoff from bases in the USSR and bomb the marshaling yard 47°10′55"N 020°10′25"E at SzolnokSzolnokSzolnok is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in central Hungary. Its location on the banks of the Tisza river, at the heart of the Great Hungarian Plain, has made it an important cultural and economic crossroads for centuries....
, Hungary and continue to bases in Italy. Aircraft remain in Italy due to bad weather until 23 September when they fly without bombs from Italy to the UK.
- 100 B-17s and 61 P-51s takeoff from bases in the USSR and bomb the marshaling yard 47°10′55"N 020°10′25"E at Szolnok
Summary
The bombing raid on the railroad marshalling yards at SzolnokSzolnok
Szolnok is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in central Hungary. Its location on the banks of the Tisza river, at the heart of the Great Hungarian Plain, has made it an important cultural and economic crossroads for centuries....
would be the end of FRANTIC as the original targets had been taken by the rapidly advancing Soviet offensives. The USAAF, citing logistical problems and becoming weary of growing Soviet intransigence announced a suspension of Frantic shuttle missions. A reluctant Stalin agreed to the winter intermission of operations, however the operation was not to resume. The U.S. and Soviet advances by the spring of 1945 ended the need for shuttle missions and the ATC flew out the last U.S. contingent of personnel from its headquarters at Poltava in June 1945.
Operation Frantic demonstrated the flexibility of airlift equipment and personnel. It also demonstrated the political role of airlift logistics in terms of operational support that would have been impossible
by conventional ground-based means. However it had not been a good use of Allied resources. The Germans judged it to be a propaganda exercise to impress the Soviets, but all it really accomplished was to make the strains in the Allied alliance more obvious.