The B-24-D-90-CO, 42-40735, was (TDY) to the 9th Air Force in Benghazi, Libya, from the 8th Air Force in Britain, and flown down to Benghazi, North Africa, for Operation Tidal Wave, flying in the 389th Bomb Group, and the 566th Bomb Squadron, to bomb the refineries at Campina, north of Ploesti, Romania.

The, Sand Witch, flown by it's pilot, Lt. Robert W. Horton (KIA) was shot down and lost on Operation Tidal Wave. It crashed at the Prahovah River Valley, after bombing it's target at Campina. As they approached Campina, Jack Deiterle, flying, The Little Gramper, next to the, Sand Witch, wrote later, “Aboard, Sand Witch, in the fourth flight, no one fell asleep. A gunner in, The, Little Gramper, one plane over, saw what happened. Some crewmen in, Sand Witch, were waving at him when an antiaircraft shell struck the bomb bay fuel tanks. In an instant, gasoline poured out of Sand Witch and the plane caught on fire. The pilot, Robert Horton, took the plane up to bombing altitude and dropped their bomb load squarely on the target, but, Sand Witch, was finished. It took several more flak hits. The gunner watching from, The Little Gramper, said, “It was a horrible sight watching the burning plane and knowing that the men in there were fighting for their lives, and there was nothing we could do to help.” Sand Witch, the element lead plane, crashed in flames, killing the entire crew, with the exception of Gunner SSgt. Zerril Steen, who survived the crash, though badly burned, and crawled out of, Sand Witch's wreckage and survived. 9 KIA. 1 WIA-POW. 1 Aug 43. MACR 156



Sand Witch's Crew On Operation Tidal Wave -



Pilot - 1st Lt. Robert W. Horton - KIA -

Copilot - 2nd Lt. Charles T. Hull - KIA -

Navigator - 2nd Lt. Richard B. Krug - KIA -

Bombardier - 2nd Lt. Elwood H. Emerson - KIA -

Radio Operator - Sgt. Jack E. Smith - KIA -

Waist Gunner - TSgt. Frank A. Herlevic - KIA -

Waist Gunner - SSgt. James V. Lambert - KIA -

Ball Turret Gunner - Sgt. Robert P. Kaufman - KIA -

Tail Gunner - SSgt. Mack H. Smith - KIA -

Engineer / Gunner - SSgt. Zerrill J. Steen - POW-WIA -