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

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

following at around this time: Shell Kőolaj Rt. - Csepel, Vacuum Oil Co. Rt. - Almásfüzitő, Péti Nitrogénművek, Fanto, Magyar Petróleumipar Rt. - Budapest, MOLAJ (Hungarian Oil Works), and the MAORT refinery - Szőny, moreover those in Marosvásárhely, Dés, Csap, and Nyírbogdány. The MAORT oilfields in Budafapuszta, Lovászi, and Pusztaszentlászló counted as important, although not key targets. The Hungarian Air Defence Forces Command set up the Inland Air Defence Artillery Group Command in Lispe to defend the Zala oilfields back on February 12,1943, under the command of Colonel Árpád Somlyódi. The Artillery Group's command-post was inside the MAORT directorate's office building in Bázakerettye, and was equipped with the following weapons and military stores: 3 Type 29/38 M 80 mm and 4 Type 39 M 85/88 mm anti-aircraft guns. As per regulations, there were 360 rounds per tube for the anti-aircraft guns, and 480 rounds per automatic guns, but the fact that the arms industry could only commit to the production of 88 mm guns that would have afforded the chance to shoot down Anglo-American bombers by die beginning of 1945 caused serious problems. The fact that the artillery could only be commanded with what was referred to as "sound-location" in the lack of radar also meant difficulties. The air-defence organisation was also set up at MAORT plants in the meantime, dividing the company's compounds into nine districts. The Anglo-American sorties that began as early as 1943 started to become more intensive from January 7, 1944. A number of stores were dropped in the vicinity of wells L-35, L-64, L-75,

371 and L-76 in MAORT's Lovászi oilfield on January 7, 1944. A couple of weeks later - on January 23 - MAORT's observation units from the Bázakerettye, Lovászi, Pusztaszentlászló, and Salomvár regions reported entries and sporadic bombing at the following places: in the vicinity of Bázakerettye, Szentadorján, Nagylengyel and Pajzsszeg, moreover Csörnyeföld and Vörcsökpuszta. On month later, on February 22,1944, the Inland Air Defence Artillery Group shot down one of the 450th Bombardment Group's B-24H Liberator type aircraft - which lost its wav along with several other heavy bombers - in the vicinity of Csáktornya. The aircraft's fuselage and its inside right engine were both hit. The 10 member flight crew of the aircraft that carried out an emergency landing was successfully apprehended, and kept from their intent to set the Liberator on fire; but some of them were injured during air combat, and so a part of the crew now in Hungarian captivity'

2 required medical care. This aeroplane was one of the first'

73 enemy aircraft to have crashed in Hungary. The next day, on February 23, air-raid alerts were called in Bázakerettye, Lovászi, Pusztaszentlászló, and Újudvar between 11.30 AM and 1.30 PM, but nothing else worth mentioning happened during this alarm. 1 ' Vic know from Dr. Count Gábor Bethlen, MAORT geologist's notes that he found refined aviation gas in a 15 litre tank jettisoned from one of the American aircraft at well L 75. MOIM Arch. PS. 47 d. 2 t. ' : On April 18, 1944, the Hungarian Royal 5th Army-Corps Command in Szeged issued orders about the procedures to be followed with respect to the crew of hostile aircraft that landed, as well as the hostile aircraft themselves. "Everyone trim is nearby shall hurry to the spot inhere the aircraft carried out the emergency landing, and take its crew prisoner in case they belong to the hostile forces, livery device shall be used to prêtent their using their firearms, escaping, setting their aeroplane on fire or removing and destroying I-.burning:/ anything from it at all. Kolbing may be taken away from air crews taken prisoner apart trom their firearms

, and handcuffing them or lying them up shall be prohibited foras long as they do not attempt escape. "The order provided a list of objects and implements that were used to outfit American pilots and aircraft: parachute, c rvcrall, heated overall, pilot's helmet, heated shoes, lambskin lined shoes < >r boots, heated lined gloves, silk gle ives, rubber life-vests, armoured vests, first-aid kits: which contained strength pills, a compass, a sea-water desalinating tablet, rubber cup, and a wound dressing package: with bandages and a hypodermic shot, a hack-saw, maps, and an assortment of currencies. Aircraft were et] uipped with rubber life rafts, rockets, flares.amachete.a flare gun,and a tool-kit. PMLIV. 401. d. 188/Om. biz.fi/

1944. 1 ' On November 2, 1945, L'S heavy bombers also crashed between Muraszombat and the German border, as well as in the vicinity of Szentgotthárd. III. VKF 1. 0.320/6.