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an image of a book with a picture of a plane flying over a riveran open book with a picture of a plane flying in the skyan open book with a black and white photo of a man on a planean open book with pictures of military equipment on itan open book with pictures of mountains and a river in itan open book with a picture of a plane flying in the skyan open book with a picture of a plane on itan open book with a bunch of pictures on it
Maître Lydie BRIOULT

37 - Book: ‘Black Sunday: PLOESTI’ A definitive historical work b…
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Estimate €20 - €40
Sale commission
Description
Book: ‘Black Sunday: PLOESTI’ A definitive historical work by Michael Hill, published by Schiffer. Published in 1993 to mark the 50th anniversary of Operation ‘Tidal Wave’, one of the most daring, intense and costly air raids of the Second World War. On 1 August 1943, a day dubbed ‘Black Sunday’ by American bomber crews, the USAAF launched a massive, very low-altitude raid on the oil refineries at Ploiești, in Romania, which supplied a large part of Nazi Germany’s war machine. In total, 177 B-24 Liberator heavy bombers flew over the site at the height of the factory chimneys to drop their bombs, facing extremely fierce German anti-aircraft defences (Flak) and enemy fighter aircraft. The operation resulted in the loss of 53 aircraft and more than 600 aircrew, making it one of the deadliest missions in the history of American aviation. This book contains previously unpublished photographs and brings together an exceptional collection of period images, often printed from the original negatives, illustrating the ferocity of the fighting and the spectacular sight of the bombers skimming the ground amidst the flames. The author, Michael Hill, conducted numerous interviews with veterans and survivors from the various Bomb Groups (the 44th, 93rd, 98th, 376th and 389th), lending a deeply human and immersive quality to the narrative. The book includes a comprehensive inventory of all the aircraft involved, as well as a list of the names of the crew members who took part in the mission. 248 pages. Published in English. (Grégory Pons Collection)
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About the sale Sale of the Grégory Pons collection and miscellaneous items (Aviation and WW2 Militaria)
Auction location
Auction time 11/14/2026 at 1:30 PM
Lot description modified on 10/07/2026 at 9:31 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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