Robert Rosenthal - Lt. Colonel USAAF (June 11, 1917 – April 20, 2007) A highly decorated popular officer of the 100th Bomb Group.one of the great figures of the Air Force; a shy, modest, and patriotic gentleman of truly amazing courage and achievement.” Rosenthal was working as an attorney on December 7,1941. At enlistment, he requested combat duty, and after training joined 100th Bomb Group’s 418 Squadron based at Thorpe Abbotts,England as a B 17 commander. By march 1944, ‘Rosie’s Riveters’ completed their 25 mission tour.Returning to the us Rosenthal requested another tour, eventually flying 52 missions. His third mission with the 100th BG, on October 10, 1943, was Munster. Rosenthals was the only plane to return, with two dead engines, intercom and oxygen non-functional, and with a large ragged hole in the right wing. Rosenthals plane was shot down over Germany in September 1944 during which he broke his right arm and nose. Rescued by the Free French, he returned to duty as soon as he had healed. On his second to last mission on February 3, 1945, Rosenthal led a mission on Berlin. Although in flames from a direct hit, he continued to the target to drop his bombs, then stayed with the plane until after the rest of the crew had bailed out, just before it exploded at only 1,000 feet. He was recovered by the Russians and again returned to duty.[1] This raid also ended the life of Roland Freiser the notorious hanging judge of the People’s Court who tried and convicted many of the July 20th plotters. Rosenthal served at Nuremberg as Asst. to the US Prosecutor at Nuremberg: he interrogated Goering. The following is copied from 100g with thanks: CREW: *** Listed on John P. Ernst MACR (#12046) and Casualty Report -- Flying as Command Pilot. LT ROBERT ROSIE ROSENTHAL P LEGENDARY 100TH AIRMAN WHO FLEW 52 MISSIONS (SEE NOTES BELOW) LT WINIFRED T. PAPPY LEWIS CP CPT MARCH 8, 1944 BERLIN DFC w/OLC LT RONALD C. BAILEY NAV CPT MARCH 8, 1944 BERLIN DFC w/OLC LT CLIFFORD MILBURN BOM CPT MARCH 8, 1944 BERLIN DFC w/OLC SGT MICHAEL BOCCUZZI ROG CPT MARCH 8, 1944 BERLIN DFC w/OLC SGT CLARENCE C. HALL TTE CPT MARCH 8, 1944 BERLIN DFC w/OLC SGT RAY H. ROBINSON BTG CPT MARCH 8, 1944 BERLIN DFC w/OLC SGT LOREN DARLING WG SWA 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER Awarded Silver Star & Purple Heart SGT JOHN H. SHAFFER WG SWA 10 0CT 43 MUNSTER (RETURNED TO STATES) Awarded Silver Star & Purple Heart SGT WILLIAM DeBLASIO TG CPT MARCH 8, 1944 BERLIN * DFC w/OLC ( SEE NOTE ABOUT MUNSTER MISSION) Crew arrived 100th Bomb Group September 28, 1943. 418TH SQDN, CREW FLEW ROSIES RIVETERS SGTS JAMES F. MACK AND M.J. SHELDON REPLACED DARLING AND SCHAFFER. Lt Col Robert Rosie Rosenthal Timeline: Jan 2 1942- Sept 6, 1942 AAFFS (Army Air Force Flight School) Aviation Cadet: Pre-Flight, (Maxwell Field, Alabama-) Pilot Training in PT-17-60 hours ( Primary Flying School, Douglas, Georgia 3/42-5/42) Pilot Training in BT-13-71 hours (BFS-Basic Flying School-Shaw Field, South Carolina-5/42-7/42) Pilot Training in AT-6-9,17,71 hours (AFS-Advanced Flying School, Moody Field Georgia-7/42-9/42) Sept 6,1942-Feb 1, 1943 AAB Ft Meyers (Army Air Force Base Fort Meyers Florida) Pilot AT-6 Gunnery Instructor Feb 1, 1943-May 1, 1943 AAB Sebring (Army Air Force Base Sebring, Florida) Student Officer- Transition Training in B-17, 140 hours May 1, 1943-Jun 1, 1943 19th Bomb Group (H) Pyote, Texas Pilot B-17 Combat Training 80 hours Jun 1, 1943-Aug 15, 1943 19th Bomb Group (H) Dyersburg, Tenn Pilot B-17 Combat Training 160 hours Aug 15, 1943-Sept 15, 1943 Enroute ETOUSAAF (European Theater of Operations, United States Army Air Force) Pilot B-17-Enroute ETO via Aircraft. Departed US 1 Sept 1943, arrived ETO 6 Sept 43 Sept 28, 1943-Mar 5, 1944 418th BS, 100th BG (H) ETOUSAAF (8AF) [European Theater of Operations, United States Army Air Force Pilot B-17-300 hours-Flight Commander (1st Pilot), 25 c/m (combat missions) 240 c/hours (combat hours). 15 Squadron Leads, 5 Element,Leads and 5 Wing Leads. Mar 5, 1944-May 24, 1944 HQ 100th BG (H) ETOUSAAF (8AF) Assistant Group Operations Officer (Lt Col Jack Kidd-Operations Officer). Pilot B-17, Air Leader 5 c/m (combat missions, 45 c/hrs (combat hours), 5 Group Leads, Acting Command Pilot May 24, 1944-Sept 11, 1944 350th BS, 100th BG (H) ETOUSAAF (8AF) Squadron Commander, 190 hours, B-17 Air Leader, 17 c/m (combat missions) 120 c/hrs (combat hours), 5 Group Leads, Acting Command 5 Wing Leads Pilot Sept 11, 1944-Nov 1, 1944 Hospitalized at 91st General Hospital due to injuries sustained on Sept 10, 1944 mission to Nurnburg with Rosenthal as Command Pilot, crash landed in France and sustained a broken arm; internal injuries LEAD CREW SEPTEMBER 10, 1944, NURNBURG PFF A/C 42-97770 MAJOR ROBERT ROSIE ROSENTHAL COMMAND PILOT 1ST LT WILLIAM F. TERMINELLO, JR PILOT 1ST LT MELVIN KODAS FORMATION OFFICER/TAIL GUNNER 2ND LT STEWART J. GILLSON NAVIGATOR CAPT. WOODROW W. MCGILL COMMAND NAVIGATOR LT GREGORY MADDOX RADAR OPERATOR 2ND LT FRANK RUBICK BOMBARDIER S/SGT RUSSELL L. HEGER TOP TURRET ENGINEER S/SGT LOUIS QUIJADA RADIO OPERATOR GUNNER SGT THOMAS A. PALMER WAIST GUNNER SGT GEORGE J. HARTOS WAIST GUNNER Nov 1, 1944-Dec 1, 1944 HQ 13th Combat Wing, ETOUSAAF (8AF) Combat Wing Training Officer. In charge of all Wing training programs Dec 1, 1944-Feb 3, 1945 418th BS, 100th BG (H) ETOUSAAF (8AF) Squadron Commander, 55 hours, B-17 Air Leader 5 c/m (combat missions) 45 c/hrs (combat hours) 1 Division Lead (Berlin Feb 3, 1945, shot down, picked up by Russians and returned to England) Acting Command 4 Wing Leads, Pilot Feb 3, 1945 BERLIN MACR #12046, A/C#44 8379 (Rosenthal bailed out with this crew. Rescued by Russians - toured Moscow.) Feb 3, 1945 Target: BERLIN Again attempts to return to Flight Operations - 100th Commander refused - Rosie had to quit flying combat at 52 missions Maj Robert Rosenthal Command Pilot Landed in Russian Lines Capt John Ernst P POW 1st Lt Arthur I.Jacobson CP POW (from Crew of Lt. G. Brown) 1st Lt Stewart J. Gillison Command NAV EVA (from Crew of Lt W. Terminello) 1st Lt Louis C. Chappel NAV KIA (from Crew of Lt W.J. Wilson) 1st Lt Robert H. Stropp Radar NAV Landed in Russian Lines 1st Lt Eugene E. Lockhart BOM KIA (from the Crew of Lt Oren Hopkins) T/Sgt Charles H. Webber ROG Landed in Russian Lines T/Sgt Dugger C. West TTE POW S/Sgt Warren Winters WG POW S/Sgt G.A. Windisch TG Landed in Russian Lines Mar 28, 1945-May 28, 1945 HQ 100th BG (H) ETOUSAAF (8AF) Group Training Officer. Set up policies for training of new crews, very little operational duty. May 28, 1945-Jun 7, 1945 Returnee-Returned to USA via aircraft and arrived on Jun 7, 1945, leave, processing, and reassignment Nov 30, 1945 Honorably Discharged
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 14:34:23 +0000
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