98th Bomb Group
Group
The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942.
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42-40402
B-24 Liberator
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B-24 42-40402 The Sandman 345th BS 98th BG.
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B-24 Liberator 42-40402 'The Sandman'.
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B-24 Liberator 42-40402 'The Sandman' on the bomb run over Ploesti oil refinery.
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B-24 Liberator 42-40402 'The Sandman'.
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B-24D-55-CO
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B-24D "The Sandman" Flown By Lt Robert Sternfels Behind "Hail Columbia" Over White IV Aug 1, 1943
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Robert Sternfels B-24D "The Sandman" 1943
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B-24D "The Sandman" Over Ploesti 1943
Crew of "The Sandman" on the Ploesti raid:
1st Lt. Robert W. Sternfels - Pilot, 2nd Lt. Barney Jackson - CoPilot
2nd Lt. Anthony W. Flesch - Navigator, 2nd Lt. David A. Polaschek - Bombadier
T/Sgt. William W. Stout - Flight Engineer/Gunner, T/Sgt. Frank Just - Radio Operator/Gunner
Sgt. Raymond E. Stewart - Gunner, Sgt. Harry Rifkin - Waist Gunner
Sgt. Merle B. Bowen - Waist Gunner, S/Sgt. John T. Weston - Ball Turret Tail Gunner (WIA - 2nd degree burns on lower right leg)
Service
Units
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345th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron and trained by Third Air Force. Deployed to Egypt in June 1942 over South Atlantic Transport Route transiting from Morrison Field, Florida though the Caribbean to Brazil; performed trans-Atlantic... -
9th Air Force
Misc
People
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John Kane
Military | Colonel | B-24 Command Pilot - 98th Bomb Group Commander | 98th Bomb Group
John Riley Kane (January 5, 1907 – May 29, 1996) was a colonel in the United States Army Air Corps and later the United States Air Force. He received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor, in World War II, for his... -
Harold Korger
Military | Colonel | Bombardier | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Harold Korger was a bombardier in the 344th Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bomb Group, 9th AF on Capt. John Young's crew in a B-24 named 'Kickapoo'. He flew on the famous mission, Operation Tidal Wave, to knock out the oil refineries at Ploesti,... -
Robert Sternfels
Military | Major | B-24 Command Bomber Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Robert Sternfels was a B-24D command bomber pilot in WWII who flew the famous B-24D bomber, 'The Sandman' on the mission Operation Tidal Wave to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, August 1, 1943. After enlisting as an Air Force pilot in... -
Norman Whalen
Military | Major | Navigator / Nose Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Norman Whalen joined the Army Air Corps in 1941. After graduating from Navigator School in Monroe, Louisiana, he received his commission as a Second Lieutenant and was assigned to the 9th Air force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron... -
John Young
Military | Major | B-24 Command Bomber Pilot | 376th Bomb Group
Lieutenant John S. Young from Dallas Texas was a WWII B-24D Liberator bomber pilot with the 9th Air Force, the "Force For Freedom", the 98th Bomb Group the, "Pyramiders", and the 344th Bombing Squadron, based at Cairo, Egypt, Tobruk, and Benghazi,...
Missions
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Operation Tidal Wave
1 August 1943
Operation TIDAL WAVE. B24D Liberators attack the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. The bombers flew low to avoid radar detection and dropped time delayed bombs. Out of the 177 B24Ds that took part in the raid 167 managed to attack their targets. 57...
Places
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Benina Airfield
Military site : airfield
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Mellaha Airbase
Military site : airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Shot Down | Augsburg, Germany | 19 December 1943 |
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Lost on a mission to Augsburg, Germany on December 19th 1943. Pilot John W Viers, Co-Pilot William Smyser & Navigator Stanley Napierala. MACR 1641. |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 25 September 2018 17:06:56 | Kickapoo | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Black Sunday - Michael Hill |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 25 September 2018 17:05:33 | Kickapoo | Changes to manufacturer and markings |
| Sources | ||
Black Sunday - Michael Hill |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 12 March 2018 12:58:27 | Kickapoo | Changes to person associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
Burning Hitler's Black gold by Robert Sternfels |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 November 2016 05:07:19 | 466thHistorian | Changes to nicknames, events, unit associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 April 2016 09:24:49 | mgs | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/28702353?ann=694c3280-38df-11e2-0d37-594e0e6... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 11 March 2015 19:13:55 | Al_Skiff | Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, description, events, unit associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.b24bestweb.com / Wikipedia commons |
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