389th Bomb Group, 566th Bomb Squadron, B-24, Sand Witch, #42-40735

During World War II, Romania was a valued ally of Nazi Germany. Governed by Marshal Ion Antonescu, the country was among the world’s largest oil producers. United States air commanders believed that a solid strike against Ploesti’s refineries would deprive the Fuhrer of his black gold and shorten the war. In June, 1943, five bomb groups from the 8th and 9th Air Forces assembled in Benghazi, Libya. Their mission, known as Operation Tidal Wave, was regarded as the most intensively prepared mission ever flown in aerial warfare.

On August 1, 1943, 165 Liberators arrived over Ploesti after a 1,200 mile journey. Planned as a surprise attack under strict radio silence, the groups were ordered to drop bombs from 200 to 800 feet. But an inbound navigational error had scattered the aircraft formations. Moreover, German General Alfred Gerstenberg had cracked Allied codes and was waiting with hundreds of flak guns in concealed emplacements, a deadly anti-aircraft train and German and Romanian fighter planes.

Waist Gunner, Staff Sergeant James Vincent Lambert:

The son of George and Anna Lambert, James Vincent Lambert was born on January 29, 1909, in Jersey City, New York. He was one of four children of the couple’s blended families. James completed his elementary education and joined the civilian workforce when he reached eligible work status. On April 20, 1936, he married Grace Fox. The couple had one son, George, and made their home in Harrison, New York. James supported his family as a utilities worker for New York’s vast Department of Sanitation.

Lambert, 31, registered with the United States Selective Service on October 16, 1940 and on July 1, 1942, James, then separated from Gracie, enlisted as a private at Fort Jay Governors Island, New York. During his tenure with the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF,) Lambert was promoted to staff sergeant and specialized in heavy bomber gunnery.

Attached to the newly activated 389th Bomb Group, S/Sgt. Lambert’s 566th Bomb Squadron was sent from its base in England for temporary duty with the Ninth Air Force and transferred to Libya. On August 1, James was aboard B-24, #42-40735, named Sand Witch, manning one of two .50 caliber machine guns. Standing in an open window, S/Sgt. Lambert maintained the most vulnerable position to enemy fire and frigid elements. Exposed to a 150 mph windstream, waist gunners used tremendous upper body strength to maneuver their weapons while withstanding its recoil.

Even If You Lose Every Plane:

For two weeks in July 1943, the 8th Air Force’s 44th, 93rd and 389th trained with the 9th Air Force’s 98th and 376th bomb groups in low level flights over the refineries’ replica in the Libyan desert. Their crews took the B-24s, designed for long range, high altitude missions, at near ground level, often blowing over local citizens’ tent dwellings. The desert environment played havoc with engines’ maintenance, keeping ground crews occupied around the clock.

At the final briefing on July 31st, General Lewis H. Brereton, Commander, Ninth Air Force, spoke to 1,736 men to boost their confidence. But in his closing, Brereton stated: “If you do your job right, it is worth it, even if you lose every plane. You should consider yourself lucky to be on this mission.” Death was an understood, silent presence on bomb runs but Brereton’s words conjured an ominous premonition. Throughout that night, men delivered their last letters and family mementoes to security officers and chaplains.

In the summer of 1943, Ploesti was more heavily defended than Berlin. The USAAF did not fly reconnaissance, fearing the Germans would be alerted, though Gerstenberg had long suspected and prepared for an USAAF attack. Operation Tidal Wave stumbled out of the gate on what came to be known as “Black Sunday.” In the morning sun, desert sand rose almost 3,000 feet and cast a red hue on 177 overloaded B-24s. Ten planes aborted due to mechanical malfunctions. Two planes crashed, one while making an emergency return to Benghazi.

When assembled in formations, the Liberators stretched five miles over the Mediterranean Sea, moving steadily toward Romania. Targets White I – V were in Ploesti. Target Blue was five miles away in Brazi. The 389th, known as the Sky Scorpions, was assigned to strike Red, Steaua Romana, in Campina, 18 miles north of Ploesti.

As they approached Steaua, 1Lt. Jack Dieterle was flying The Little Gramper next to Sand Witch. He wrote later, “Crew was waving at us when an anti-aircraft 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, ascended to bombing altitude and 2Lt. Emerson salvoed the bomb load squarely on the target. It took several more flak hits but Sand Witch was finished.”

In the fifth wave just behind Sand Witch, Captain Horace H. “Chris” Christensen was co-piloting B-24, Blondes Away; he recalled seeing the plane’s last moments: “We caught up with Horton's airplane which appeared to be in bad shape with a major fire in the fuselage. Just as we were even with it, perhaps fifty feet higher and one hundred feet to the left, the airplane hit the vertical bank of a stream bed just beyond the village.”

Lt. Horton attempted a crash landing in the Prahova riverbed near Bobolia, Romania approximately two miles southwest of Campina. Sand Witch disintegrated upon impact, killing five crew members. Ball turret gunner Sgt. Robert Kaufman and waist gunner S/Sgt. James Lambert died of their wounds days later. The plane’s top turret gunner, S/Sgt. Steen (1907-1973,) miraculously escaped but was severely burned and interred as a prisoner for the duration of the war. (Missing Air Crew Report 156.)

Pilot: 1st Lt. Robert W. Horton

Copilot: 2nd Lt. Charles T. Hull

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Richard B. Krug

Bombardier: 2nd Lt. Elwood R. Emerson

Radio Operator: Sgt. Jack E. Smith

Waist Gunner: T/Sgt. Frank A. Herlevic

Waist Gunner: S/Sgt. James V. Lambert (DOW)

Ball Turret Gunner: Sgt. Robert P. Kaufman (DOW)

Tail Gunner: S/Sgt. Mack H. Smith

Engineer/Top Turret: S/Sgt. Zerrill J. Steen (POW)

The air assaults on Ploesti, Brazi and Campina lasted roughly 30 minutes. The USAAF never again attempted a low level mission against German air defenses. Operation Tidal Wave would become the most highly decorated mission in U.S. history including awards for five Medals of Honor. Of the bombers that reached Ploesti, only 88 aircraft returned. Among the 1,763 airmen who left Libya, over 500 crewmen were lost from all causes. One hundred eight airmen were taken prisoner in Axis-allied countries. In May 1944, a high altitude raid struck Ploesti again and Soviet troops overran the refineries in August, capturing General Gerstenberg and closing Hitler’s “gas station.”

S/Sgt. James Vincent Lambert died of his wounds on August 4, 1943, likely at a Romanian hospital as a prisoner of war. He was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Air Medal, the American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Medal and the Purple Heart. He was survived by his family and is memorialized at the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial at Plot A, Row 36, Grave 39.

To the Fallen of Ploesti, by John Riley Kane, Colonel, USAF, (Ret.)

To you who fly on forever, I send that part of me which cannot be separated and is bound to you for all time. I send to you those of our hopes and dreams that never quite came true, the joyous laughter and showery tears of our boyhood, the marvelous mysteries of our adolescence, the glorious strength and tragic illusions of our young manhood, all these that were and perhaps would have been, I leave in your care, out there in the Blue.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars Project (SBTS.) SBTS is a national effort of volunteers to write stories about all 400,000+ U.S. WW II fallen service personnel on Together We Served and on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Stories will be accessible via smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen serviceperson’s name and read his/her story. If you have details, photos or corrections for this story, please contact drbaker50@charter.net. Stories Behind the Stars: Pamela C. Baker, Ph.D., Contributing Author. SBTS Project/New York/Queens (https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/)

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James V Lambert