Robert W Sternfels

Military
media-51352.jpeg UPL 51352 B-24D - THE SANDMAN, and it's pilot, 1st. Lt. Robert Sternfels Left and his Co-pilot, 2nd Lt. Barney Jackson. 1943

Best Web - B-24 - THE SANDMAN

Object Number - UPL 51352 - B-24D - THE SANDMAN, and it's pilot, 1st. Lt. Robert Sternfels Left and his Co-pilot, 2nd Lt. Barney Jackson. 1943

Lt. Robert Sternfels was a B-24D bomber pilot in WWII in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, the Pyramiders, and the 345th Bombing Squadron in the MTO, based out of Benghazi, Libya, starting in mid 1942. Lt. Sternfels flew the famous B-24D bomber, that  he named, The Sandman, on Operation Tidal Wave, the large bombing mission to destroy approximately one third of the total German held oil production facilities that were at Ploesti, Romania, August 1, 1943. Sternfels enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force in 1941 and qualified for training as a cadet pilot. After successfully finishing his advance training as a B-24 bomber pilot, Lt. Sternfels was deployed to North Africa with the 9th Air Force and the 98th Bomb Group based at Benghazi, Libya, where he flew many low level tactical missions against the German and Italian armies in Tunisia, Egypt, finally flying out of the allies’ three air bases at Benghazi, Libya. He also attacked axis shipping, German airfields, and sea ports all over the Mediterranean theater of Operations in preparation for the coming invasion of Sicily and Italy He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Distinguished Service Cross for his valiant role in Operation Tidal Wave to Ploesti. Sternfels plane, The Sandman hit a deadly barrage balloon cable over Ploesti, which damaged his right wing and fuselage ,but Sternfels and Barney Jackson were able to keep their airplane flying all the way to Nicosia, Cyprus, then, to Cairo after the mission, and home to Benghazi several days later. After surviving the Ploesti mission, Lt. Sternfels was awarded the Silver Star medal for a mission he flew later in November,1943. His B-24D, The Sandman,  became famous as a WWII icon in one of the most famous and most reproduced  photographs of the war. It is the photograph of Lt. Sternfels' B-24D Liberator, The Sandman, first appearing in the U.S. on the cover of Time Magazine, flying low through the smoke, fire, and explosions over his target, the Astra Romano refinery complex, code named, White IV. The much copied photograph is famously linked and associated with, not only the Ploesti mission, but also, it became an iconic photo depicting the valor of American fliers, and the destruction and carnage of World War II, itself, and the photo was a lifelong source of great pride for Lt. Sternfels, his copilot Lt. Barney Jackson, and his crew to be so honored for participating in both the Ploesti mission and WWII. Lt. Sternfels was later promoted to the rank of Major before being honorably discharged from the Army Air Corps. For many years after the war, and later in life, Sternfels travelled the United States giving talks and seminars, telling the American people about the dangerous and deadly low level bombing mission he and his fellow airmen fought and flew on, and the sacrifice that so many of his fellow airmen and close friends made, in order to defeat the Axis German and Italian tyranny and to keep America and the western world free. He cherished and greatly enjoyed the many gatherings of Thursday morning breakfasts he was invited to attend with his many friends, admirers and, especially with his WWII fellow pilots and military friends talking about their experiences. Robert always made it clear what the two things he loved most in the world were :  his country and his family.

Connections

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Units served with

Three airmen of the 389th Bomb Group stand with a B-24 Liberator used as a Flight Assembly Ship. Image via Tim Bivens. Handwritten caption from Bivens: 'My friend remembers it being named "Bucksheesh Benny" that it was used to fly Jack Benny around USA shows. Says it flew in North Africa with Benny and was eventually assigned to 389th as a hack and later as a form-up ship. He thinks it was originally with another group (possibly 376th or 98th).' Handwritten caption on reverse: '389th BG Form-up ship.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Ninth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-29680
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Commanding Officer / Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16023226 / O-54160
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 330th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19011662 / O-724654
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-794081
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Navigator / Nose Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18065717 / O-725567
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Sleepy - The Squaw
  • Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Kickapoo
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Hail Columbia - Little Chief Big Dog - Grumpy
  • Unit: 376th Bomb Group 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Hadley's Harem
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - The Sandman
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Bengazi Airfield, Wheelus Airbase

Revisions

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Contributorjmoore43
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Removed extra info in the "Role/job" field.

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Into The Fire  -  Duane Schultz

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" Burning Hitler's Black Gold: Ploesti Low Level Bombing Mission, August 1, 1943. by Frank Way,  in collaboration with  Robert W.Sternfels AUTOGRAPHED                                                                                                                                 "The Sandman" Bombing Ploesti  - 6th Edition

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Removed extra info in the "Role/job" field.

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021 06:56:18

Contributor    Kickapoo

Changes      Changes to biography

Sources  -  Best Web - B-24 - 42-40402 - The Sandman

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ContributorKickapoo
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Connections.   -  People.  -   Sam Neeley

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ContributorKickapoo
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Connections   -  Walter Travis Stewart

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ContributorKickapoo
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Kickapoo

Changes to biography

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Best Web - B-24 - 42-40402 - The Sandman

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ContributorKickapoo
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Connections.  Aircraft.   Sleepy  -  The Squaw

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Connections  -  Added - People - John Simmons young  -   Kickapoo   

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Connections  -  Aircraft.    Changed aircraft names from all capital letters to the first letter of the aircraft name in capital letters with the following letters in lower case letters, for clarity, uniformity, and readability.    -   Kickapoo   

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ContributorKickapoo
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Best Web - B-24 - 42-40402 - The Sandman

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ContributorKickapoo
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Best Web - B-24 - 42-40402 - The Sandman

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ContributorKickapoo
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Best Web - B-24 - 42-40402 - The Sandman

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ContributorKickapoo
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The True Story - Bombing Hitler’s Black Gold by Robert Sternfels                                      Black Sunday-Ploesti by Michael Hill  -  Into The Fire by Duane Schultz

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ContributorKickapoo
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The True Story - Bombing Hitler’s Black Gold by Robert Sternfels                                      Black Sunday-Ploesti by Michael Hill                     Into The Fire by Duane Schultz

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ContributorKickapoo
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Black Sunday-Ploesti   -   Michael Hill  -         Into The Fire - Duane Schultz

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Black Sunday-Ploesti  -  Michael Hill

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ContributorKickapoo
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Black Sunday-Ploesti  -  Michael Hill    

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Changed aircraft names from all capital letters to the first letter of the aircraft name in capital letters with the following letters in lower case letters, for clarity, uniformity, and readability.    -   Kickapoojoyjuice                                                                                

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ContributorKickapoo
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Best Web - B-24 - 42-40402 - THE SANDMAN

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ContributorKickapoo
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Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- Personal Archives - John S Young Jr

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ContributorKickapoo
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Black Sunday - Michael Hill

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ContributorKickapoo
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Black Sunday - Michael Hill

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Contributordecwriter
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Middle initial from NARA files.

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NARA files verified AM w/6 oak leaf clusters. His DFC was awarded for the 1 August 1943 Ploesti low level mission and was presented to him in the field by Major General James H. Doolittle. His Silver Star was for a mission in November 1943 and the general order was issued in March 1944.

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Anatomy Of A Disaster - Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg ---- Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- Into The Fire - Duane Schultz ---- TogetherWeServed.com ---- FindAGrave.com ---- Personal Archives - John S. Young

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ContributorKickapoo
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Black Sunday - Michael Hill

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ContributorKickapoo
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The Orange County Register

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ContributorKickapoo
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The Orange County Register

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ContributorKickapoo
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Black Sunday - Michael Hill

Robert W Sternfels: Gallery (6 items)