Julius served as a First Lieutenant, 853rd Engineer Battalion, Aviation, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He resided in Essex County, New Jersey prior to the war.

Julius was a passenger on the HMT Rohna.
The Rohna and four other troop ships left Oran in French Algeria with cargo and troops. Off Béjaïa, Algeria the convoy was attacked by an estimated 60 German Luftwaffe Heinkel 177's. One of the 177's, piloted by Hans Dochtermann, released a glide bomb that hit Rohna on her port side and she eventually sank.

1,138 men were killed, including 1,015 U.S. personnel. The attack is the largest loss of US troops at sea due to enemy action in a single incident. 35 U.S. troops of the 2,000 originally embarked later died of wounds.

Julius was declared "Missing In Action" in this sinking during the war. He was awarded the Purple Heart. Service # O-530241

( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
------------------------------------------------------
Veterans of Foreign Wars FaceBook Page

November 27, 2020

On this day in 1943, a young dentist from Yonkers, New York, went Missing in Action and has never been recovered.

Julius L. Epstein grew up at 236 Hawthorne Ave., in Yonkers. His parents were Isaac and Bessie Epstein. Julius was a graduate of School Twelve, Yonkers High School and Columbia University. Julius was a former President of the Chester Club of the Jewish Community Center on south Broadway. He continued his education and was a 1934 Graduate of Columbia College Dental and Oral Surgery.

Julius practiced in offices in Steinway Hall, on West 57th Street, in New York City. He married the former Irene Pine of East Orange New Jersey, July 1940. (There is an unconfirmed report that the couple had a son, Robert, born in April 1943--but that has not been verified).

Julius Epstein entered military service and was commissioned a First Lieutenant, in the United States Army Dental Corps, in August of 1943. Three weeks after he entered service, Lt Epstein was assigned to a unit going overseas. It was the 853rd Engineer Battalion (Aviation), United States Army Air Forces.

On November 25, 1943, Lt. Epstein was aboard Troop Transport Ship, HMT Rohna. The Rohna, along with four other transport ships departed Oran, Algeria, and met up with Convoy KMF 26 in rout to Alexandra, Egypt. The next day, off of the Mediterranean port city of Bougie, the convoy was attacked by fourteen Luftwaffe Heinkel He 177A heavy bombers escorted by Junkers Ju 88 aircraft, followed by between six and nine torpedo bombers. The He 177As carried Henschel Hs 293 radio-guided, rocket-boosted glide bombs, almost thirty of which they launched at the convoy.

The convoy's combined anti-aircraft fire seems to have impeded most of the attackers' attempts to guide their glide bombs onto their targets. Rohna's DEMS gunners contributed with her machine guns, Oerlikon autocannons and about twenty rounds from her twelve-pounder gun. The convoy shot down at least two aircraft and damaged several others.

Rohna was the only casualty. About 1715 or 1725 hour later, a He 177A piloted by Hans Dochtermann released a glide bomb that hit Rohna on her port side, at the after end of her engine room and Number Six troop deck. Men poured on deck, many of them badly wounded. 1,015 U.S. Soldiers plus thirty-five U.S. Soldiers later were lost to wounds. Three civilian Red Cross Members from the U.S. plus 124 crew members. Total loss from this sinking: 1,177!

On 27 November 1943, 1st Lt Julius L. Epstein was reported as Missing in Action/ Lost at Sea. After a year the classification status was changed to Unrecoverable Presumed Dead. He was just thirty-five years old.

Julius L. Epstein was never located. Another Yonkers son who left to serve the nation and never returned home. There is a memorial with his name on the Tablets of the Missing, North African Cemetery, in Carthage, Tunisia.

Let Us Never forget this Officers Service and Sacrifice to our Great Nation. Let Us Never Forget Lieutenant Julius L. Epstein.
----------------------------
According to the 1910 census, Julius was born in New York, along with his younger sister Edith.
Julius' parents--Ike and Bessie were both born in Russia about 1873 and 1875 respectively, and spoke Yiddish. They lived in Yonkers in 1910. Ike's parents were Bernard and Rebecca and they all lived at the same address.

Julius served as a First Lieutenant, 853rd Engineer Battalion, Aviation, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He resided in Essex County, New Jersey prior to the war.

Julius was a passenger on the HMT Rohna.
The Rohna and four other troop ships left Oran in French Algeria with cargo and troops. Off Béjaïa, Algeria the convoy was attacked by an estimated 60 German Luftwaffe Heinkel 177's. One of the 177's, piloted by Hans Dochtermann, released a glide bomb that hit Rohna on her port side and she eventually sank.

1,138 men were killed, including 1,015 U.S. personnel. The attack is the largest loss of US troops at sea due to enemy action in a single incident. 35 U.S. troops of the 2,000 originally embarked later died of wounds.

Julius was declared "Missing In Action" in this sinking during the war. He was awarded the Purple Heart. Service # O-530241

( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
------------------------------------------------------
Veterans of Foreign Wars FaceBook Page

November 27, 2020

On this day in 1943, a young dentist from Yonkers, New York, went Missing in Action and has never been recovered.

Julius L. Epstein grew up at 236 Hawthorne Ave., in Yonkers. His parents were Isaac and Bessie Epstein. Julius was a graduate of School Twelve, Yonkers High School and Columbia University. Julius was a former President of the Chester Club of the Jewish Community Center on south Broadway. He continued his education and was a 1934 Graduate of Columbia College Dental and Oral Surgery.

Julius practiced in offices in Steinway Hall, on West 57th Street, in New York City. He married the former Irene Pine of East Orange New Jersey, July 1940. (There is an unconfirmed report that the couple had a son, Robert, born in April 1943--but that has not been verified).

Julius Epstein entered military service and was commissioned a First Lieutenant, in the United States Army Dental Corps, in August of 1943. Three weeks after he entered service, Lt Epstein was assigned to a unit going overseas. It was the 853rd Engineer Battalion (Aviation), United States Army Air Forces.

On November 25, 1943, Lt. Epstein was aboard Troop Transport Ship, HMT Rohna. The Rohna, along with four other transport ships departed Oran, Algeria, and met up with Convoy KMF 26 in rout to Alexandra, Egypt. The next day, off of the Mediterranean port city of Bougie, the convoy was attacked by fourteen Luftwaffe Heinkel He 177A heavy bombers escorted by Junkers Ju 88 aircraft, followed by between six and nine torpedo bombers. The He 177As carried Henschel Hs 293 radio-guided, rocket-boosted glide bombs, almost thirty of which they launched at the convoy.

The convoy's combined anti-aircraft fire seems to have impeded most of the attackers' attempts to guide their glide bombs onto their targets. Rohna's DEMS gunners contributed with her machine guns, Oerlikon autocannons and about twenty rounds from her twelve-pounder gun. The convoy shot down at least two aircraft and damaged several others.

Rohna was the only casualty. About 1715 or 1725 hour later, a He 177A piloted by Hans Dochtermann released a glide bomb that hit Rohna on her port side, at the after end of her engine room and Number Six troop deck. Men poured on deck, many of them badly wounded. 1,015 U.S. Soldiers plus thirty-five U.S. Soldiers later were lost to wounds. Three civilian Red Cross Members from the U.S. plus 124 crew members. Total loss from this sinking: 1,177!

On 27 November 1943, 1st Lt Julius L. Epstein was reported as Missing in Action/ Lost at Sea. After a year the classification status was changed to Unrecoverable Presumed Dead. He was just thirty-five years old.

Julius L. Epstein was never located. Another Yonkers son who left to serve the nation and never returned home. There is a memorial with his name on the Tablets of the Missing, North African Cemetery, in Carthage, Tunisia.

Let Us Never forget this Officers Service and Sacrifice to our Great Nation. Let Us Never Forget Lieutenant Julius L. Epstein.
----------------------------
According to the 1910 census, Julius was born in New York, along with his younger sister Edith.
Julius' parents--Ike and Bessie were both born in Russia about 1873 and 1875 respectively, and spoke Yiddish. They lived in Yonkers in 1910. Ike's parents were Bernard and Rebecca and they all lived at the same address.