Cseh Valentin szerk.: „70 éve alakult a MAORT” – tanulmányok egy bányavállalat történetéből (2009)

Valentin Cseh: Allied Air-strikes against MAORT's Facilities in 1944

A couple of weeks later, on March 17, MAORT's observation posts indicated explosions from near Bázakerettye, Pusztaszentlászló, and Újudvar, but MAORT's plants did not suffer any damage this time around either; hostile airborne activity then resumed on the 22nd. When on March 19, 1944 Hitler told Regent Miklós Horthy in Kiessheim that the Wehrmacht's troops are going to occupy Hungary, the Kállay cabinet's efforts to back Hungarv out of the war lost any chance it might have had for success. In light of the newly developed situation the Allies took the necessary steps to commence air-strikes against Hungarv. Although it is true that - as I have mentioned previously - the Allies were already planning to bomb the country regardless of German occupation, bad weather at that point delayed this for the time being. The first Allied air-strike against Hungary on April 3, 1944 already inflicted serious damage. In addition to miscellaneous targets in Budapest, this attack damaged the office building, the loading bridge, and the oil pipeline at MAORT's plant on Soroksári street, resulting from incendiary and demolition bombs, moreover one worker suffered blast injuries. Dr. Simon Papp therefore dispatched a telegram to János Dinda, indicating that Újudvar will need to be switched over to crude oil loading.

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4 The loading station was ultimatelv restored bv April 6, but the compound was already hit by another bomb-raid on April 16, though this went without sustaining any damage. Just a few days later, on April 23,1944, reports came in about two enemy bombers having crashed in the vicinity of Bázakerettye, near Pördefölde and Tófej; one of the English or American pilots was apprehended by the derrick crew of well H-27 next to Pusztaszentlászló, and handed over to the local gendarmerie. After this, MAORT's plants did not incur any damage whatsoever on account of bombing; then, at the start of summer, 26 bombs landed on MAORT's Szőny refinery under construction during the Allied bombing raid against Szőny of June 14. One of the employees of the Kaltenecker firm, performing earthwork, was killed and 3 others injured. Two of MAORT's workers were also wounded, they were taken to the Komárom hospital together with the other casualties, and this was also reported to the National Institute for Social Security (Országos Társadalombiztosítási Intézet - OTI). Antal Gaál, the plant's manager, did not report any substantial damage to MAORT's Director General, Dr. Simon Papp, but work was stopped at the plant for 2 days, so they could disarm the bombs that failed to explode. The company next sustained more serious damage when American bombers practically wiped out the MAORT plant on Soroksári street in the course of the air-raid against Budapest on July 2; according to the company's tally, 303123 Pengő in damage and 7084 Pengő loss of value came about in assets and property at the site. In his letter of August 16, 1944 to Simon Papp, Kálmán Bősze wrote that damage to just the buildings amounted to 948000 Pengő.

375 MAORT then rented buildings for oil warehousing purposes in Solymár.'

6 The better part of the month passed in relative calm after this, then the US Air Force carried out an attack against the oilfields of "MAORT Plants in the use of the Hungarian Roval Treasury" (AIAORT) in Zala MOIM Arch.. PS. 4" d. 2. t. MOIM Arch. Oy. Z. 3. d. 3. t. MOIM Arch. MAORT 24. d. 1.

1., MOIM Arch. Gy. /.. 35. d. 2. t.