Major Progress Update

With the 75th anniversary of the TIDAL WAVE attack on Ploesti only a few months away, I’ve been busting my butt on the three major projects I have underway to commemorate the event and honor the participants. I can freely admit I’m really feeling the pressure!

My three projects are:

• TIDAL WAVE documentary to be released on DVD
• TIDAL WAVE book, to accommodate the MASSIVE amount of new material I’ve discovered in my “leave no stone unturned” research
• A series of TIDAL WAVE aircraft markings decal sets

I’ll start with the book, since that’s the most expansive project, and of course the documentary script will be based on the book. I’d originally intended to produce only a documentary, but I’ve uncovered so much new and detailed material that a documentary alone cannot possibly do the subject justice–which is not to suggest the documentary is abandoned or that it will fail to show some things that are better illustrated in film than on the flat, printed page.

Previous updates here have covered some of the breakthroughs I’ve already seen, and in every case I’ve made even more progress since those first reports. However, some new and really interesting stuff has recently come to life.

FORMATION LEAD. The leader position for the TW formation was finally bestowed on the 376th Bomb Group, but prior to that decision there was a most interesting and shocking counter-suggestion that proceeded much farther than you’d expect. I’m currently working to document this as fully as possible, but have already made quite good progress.

AXIS DEFENSES. I’ve previously uncovered the exact Flak order of battle and battery dispositions for 1 Aug 43, as well as the German & Romanian fighter OOB and most of their activity that day.

However, to both the defenders and attackers the Flak and fighters were not the only defenses of importance. German passive defenses (Luftschutz) were also a major concern. I was surprised how worried the TW planners were about artificial smoke and barrage balloons. I now have the full story on these from original German sources.

One other passive defense activity I’d not adequately considered before was firefighting (Feuerschutzpolizei), which had the potential of dramatically reducing the effect of the bombing if the firefighting efforts were effective. I now have the full German firefighting story from contemporary German sources, and am working to complete the story of the Romanian firefighters. The way the firefighters were controlled and the challenges they faces make compelling reading.

I also now have the full German bomb disposal (Sprengkommando)story for Ploesti, including their bomb disposal manual (which was an extremely lucky and unexpected find). The bomb disposal manual revealed secret that was completely unknown to the Allies at that time.

Finally, and of less importance to the TIDAL WAVE story (although it played a major part earlier in the war) is the dummy oil refinery, which was constructed, maintained, and operated by the Luftwaffe Passive Defense forces (Luftschutz). While it’s true the 376th overflew this installation during their wide circle around the city far outside the Flak defenses, it was actually only effective at night. Nonetheless, Allied intelligence and photo interpreters were very interested in the 376th’s photos of this layout.

All the above are essentially ” technical” issues. If you’ve followed the course of this project you’ll know that I’m extremely interested in the political and military contexts within which this operation was conceived, planned, and executed. This is more than just a “back story;” it formed the framework and guidance within which everything happened.

For example, political concerns affected at both the politicians and most senior officers. This operation occurred at a time of great flux in the Allied camp, and two of the most senior officers directly involved were in very deep trouble even before the attack date–and they were well aware of the trouble they were in.

Allied grand strategy also played a paramount role, but possibly not in ways you might expect. Deep divisions between the British civilian and military leadership on the one hand and the American civilian and military leadership on the other was a strand that ran through the entire operation from origin to execution–and even to the 1944 massive “oil campaign” bombing attacks on Romania.

Delving into German and Romanian defensive activities archives revealed a huge error made by the economic and technical advisors to the TW planners. If one relatively small change had been made the damage would have significantly increased and the economic and practical military impacts would have been instantly and massively magnified. The advisors got it wrong, so the planners did the best they could with the information and advice provided to them.

I’m making progress on finding deeper information on the leading personalities involved in the operation. The hardest nut to crack, without doubt, has been Luftwaffe Generalmajor Alfred Gerstenberg, the commander of the Deutsche Luftwaffenmission in Rumänien, and the man in overall control of all defenses of the Romanian oil district (which included far more area than just Ploesti city itself). There’s a reason why he’s so hard to pin down, but I’m chipping away at the problem and have uncovered useful additional material.

Next is status of my film documentary. All of the above notes apply; obviously the film script will be based on the book’s contents. I’ve already updated you on the original film footage I’ve located and had copied in high-def digital format, and I’m looking for a bit more to round out the necessary visual information. I’ve noted earlier the motion graphics that help tell complicated parts of the story, so that material is ready to go as well.

Finally comes the status of my series of brand-new PYN-ups Decals and Cutting Edge decal sets on the street.

So far we’ve completed the artwork for 21 specific aircraft and have 11 more to go before the project is finished. I selected the specific subjects based on you modelers’ voting in the survey I ran last year. I’ll be honest: I’ve added a couple of subjects you may never have heard of before, but are historically VERY important. When you see my TIDAL WAVE book and documentary you’ll understand why I’ve included them. Their stories are truly amazing.

Most of these subject have extremely cool nose art, in many cases based on clear photos you’ve probably never seen. I’m also including all the formation leaders’ ships as well as the others that garnered the most votes in the survey.

The research and artwork quality and accuracy behind these sets is exactly what you’ve come to expect from PYN-ups and Cutting Edge, and there are a number of significant corrections to what you may have been told about some of these subjects. A few of these subjects have been portrayed in published profiles and decal sheets in the past, but you’ll see some important differences in ours, based on photos of the real things. As usual we’ll provide the documentation!

The subjects completed so far include:

• Black Jack
• Bomerang
• Brewery Wagon
• Buzzin’ Bear/Miss Delores
• Death Dealer
• Flak Alley
• GI Ginnie
• Hail Columbia
• Jersey Jackass/(Bashful)
• Old Blister Butt
• Sneezy
• Snow White
• Suzy Q
• Teggie Ann
• The Sandman
• The Scorpion
• The Witch
• Tupelo Lass
• Utah Man
• Victory Ship
• Vulgar Virgin

The remaining 11 are “secret”–stand by to learn which ones they are!

This collection will also include documented German and Romanian Bf 109s and Bf 110s, and Romanian IAR-80 series fighters.

I’ve made considerable additional progress, but this update has gotten kinda long and you now have a clue to things I’ve been working on since my previous update.

Here’s where my schedule stands at the moment, certainly subject to massive change. I’ve only got about 55 available work days between now and the time I need to have one or more of these projects on the street in time for the 1 August 2018 75th anniversary.

My research is complete except for some clean-up and follow-up activities. I’ve laid out my book structure and am just starting the writing, although some significant technical sections are already finished. Remember that I not only have to finish writing, editing, and laying it out, it also must be peer-reviewed by a few selected experts to help me clarify and tighten the story. Then the book has to go to the printer, etc., etc.

At this point I expect some or all of the model airplane markings decal sets to be on the street sometime fairly early this summer. It’s not completely clear whether the documentary or book will hit the street first, but I’m working like a stevedore (12-14 hour days seven days a week except for the days when I have other commitments). It will be a near-run thing to have it on the street by 1 August, but I’ll do everything within my power to make that happen–CONSISTENT WITH TURNING OUT AN ACCURATE AND CREDITABLE PRODUCT.

Thanks for your consideration. I’ll keep you informed as to my progress.