Us Official Photographs
B-24 Liberators attack Borneo oil installations
1944-12-09
Three Consolidated B-24 Liberator "Snoopers" of the "Fightin' 13th" AAF, the jungle AF, delivered an accurate attack against Sangga-Sangga oil installations 45 miles north of Balikpapan, Borneo, and thus dealt another smashing blow at the enemy's diminishing resources. This picture shows how the Liberators slipped in on 9 December 1944 and with four direct hits blew up Dondang Bridge, which supports a huge, crude oil pipeline leading to the refineries at Balik-papan. Although destruction of the bridge was the formation's primary target, the Libs attack caught the enemy so unprepared that they went ahead to strafe the oil installations area, ignited eight storage tanks and set fire to a ship in the harbor.
