World War II Diaries:The Complete War Report
1943 August
E48 Dec 31, 2017
The American planes take off near Benghazi (Libya) and, after flying 2,400 miles to reach the target, find it are heavily defended by German fighters and anti aircraft batteries. Subjected to incessant artillery fire and attacks by Luftwaffe aircraft, the B-24s launch their explosives on the huge Romanian oil installations, which represent one of the lifelines of the Third Reich. Following the operation, the result was far from what was desired: the Americans have lost 53 aircraft and their crews. The Germans repair the damage and production reaches its highest level within a week. Witold Pilecki, cofounder of Tajna Armia Polska (Polish Secret Army), reaches Warsaw and joins the Polish resistance. After scouting near the death camp of Auschwitz, Pilecki sends a report to London recounting the atrocities by the Nazis who have, according to his data, murdered in the death camps more than 3 million people and he calls for an operation to end the suffering of the inmates.