Tony Schneider became operations officer of Scouting Squadron 11, and earned his first Distinguished Flying Cross leading air strikes out of Henderson Field (Guadalcanal) for three months before returning to the United States to spend a year instructing bomber pilots in Seattle.
 He then became commanding officer of Bombing Squadron 9 and finished the war flying from USS Lexington (CV-16) and USS Yorktown (CV-10).
 He received a second Distinguished Flying Cross leading a successful air strike against an aircraft assembly plant near Tokyo, a third Distinguished Flying Cross leading close air support missions during the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and a second Navy Cross leading Bombing Squadron 9 against Yahagi during Operation Ten-Go.

Bombing Squadron 9 took off from Yorktown and approached Yahagi through the clouds to avoid flak.
A three-plane section dived early and missed.
The remaining ten Curtiss SB2C Helldivers followed Schneider into position for a fore-and-aft no-flaps glide run.
Eight of the twenty 1,000-pound (450 kg) bombs released from a 45° glide scored direct hits.
Yahagi was enveloped in smoke and made a half roll as she plunged beneath the surface.
Tony Schneider became operations officer of Scouting Squadron 11, and earned his first Distinguished Flying Cross leading air strikes out of Henderson Field (Guadalcanal) for three months before returning to the United States to spend a year instructing bomber pilots in Seattle.  He then became commanding officer of Bombing Squadron 9 and finished the war flying from USS Lexington (CV-16) and USS Yorktown (CV-10).  He received a second Distinguished Flying Cross leading a successful air strike against an aircraft assembly plant near Tokyo, a third Distinguished Flying Cross leading close air support missions during the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and a second Navy Cross leading Bombing Squadron 9 against Yahagi during Operation Ten-Go.
Bombing Squadron 9 took off from Yorktown and approached Yahagi through the clouds to avoid flak. A three-plane section dived early and missed. The remaining ten Curtiss SB2C Helldivers followed Schneider into position for a fore-and-aft no-flaps glide run. Eight of the twenty 1,000-pound (450 kg) bombs released from a 45° glide scored direct hits. Yahagi was enveloped in smoke and made a half roll as she plunged beneath the surface.
Tony F. Schneider