''Scarce early official US AIR FORCE PHOTO dated 1 Aug ’43 photograph shows a dramatic on board view from a B-24 Liberator bomber, flying a low level attack on the Astra Romana Refinery in Ploesti, Rumania. One of the many small oil installations in the Ploesti region is here seen receiving its share of the devastating attack - U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO”. This early attack occurred on August 1, 1943 and was code named “Operation Tidal Wave”. Operation Tidal Wave was an air attack by bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) based in Libya and Southern Italy on nine oil refineries around Ploesti Romania on 1 August 1943, during World War II. It was a strategic bombing mission and part of the "oil campaign" to deny petroleum-based fuel to the Axis. The mission resulted in "no curtailment of overall product output". This mission was one of the costliest for the USAAF in the European Theater, with 53 aircraft and 660 air crewmen lost. It was the worst loss ever suffered by the USAAF on a single mission, and its date was later referred to as "Black Sunday". Five Medals of Honor and numerous Distinguished Service Crosses were awarded to Operation Tidal Wave crew members''