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| USAAF 5th AF 5th Fighter Command |
Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Purchased under contract number A-35374. Constructors Number 3207. At the factory, completed with an unpainted aluminum finish with olive drab on the upper nose and inner booms of the engine nacelles for anti-glare. Project Number 96434-R. On February 3, 1944 completed and available. On February 4, 1944 accepted and delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38J-15-LO Lightning serial number 42-103993. On February 5, 1944 flown to Long Beach Airport. On February 6, 1944 flown to Dallas Modification Center at Dallas Love Field and underwent modification. On February 10, 1944 flown to Oakland Airport. On February 14, 1944 flown to Bakersfield then returns to Oakland Airport and disassembled for shipment overseas then loaded as cargo aboard a ship at Oakland. On February 22, 1944 departs across the Pacific to New Guinea and is unloaded and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 5th Fighter Command (V FTR) at Nadzab Airfield. During April 1944 assigned to pilot Major Richard I. Bong after the loss of P-38J "Marge" 42-103993 crashed March 24, 1944. On the left side of the nose below forward cockpit canopy was rectangle with "Maj. R. I. Bong". Below was Bong's scoreboard with Japanese rising sun flags in five rows representing his 27 aerial victory claims in five rows (6+6+5+5+5) inside a white rectangle as of April 12, 1944 on the left side of the nose above the U.S. Army serial number stencil with PR 96434-R (Project Number 96434-R). The plane was painted with red propeller spinners, wingtips, tail and and stub wingtips. Initially, this P-38 did not have a nickname or nose art. Later, nicknamed "Marge" after his girlfriend, Marjorie "Marge" Ann Vattendahl. On the left gun cover panel was the nickname "Marge" with a white outline and nose art of her Superior Teachers College graduation photograph. After Major Richard I. Bong transfered back to the United States, the nickname and artwork was removed but the scoreboard remained. Later, this P-38 operated from the Philippines. Fate During 1945, took off on a test flight after an engine was serviced. In flight an engine caught fire and the pilot bailed out and the P-38 crashed into Manila Bay. The pilot landed safely and was rescued. Officially, excluded from inventory by August 10, 1946 and condemned salvage by October 11, 1946 Edward Guss adds: "Marge did not survive WWII but indeed crashed on a checkout flight over Manila Bay. Service was done on one engine and a test flight ensued. An in flight fire caused the check out pilot to parachute safely from the aircraft however the aircraft crashed into Manila Bay." References Individual Aircraft Record Card (IARC) - P-38J Lightning 42-104380 via AFHRA microfilm reel ACR-76 USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-38J-15-LO Lightning 42-104380 P-38L Lightning 44-53236 at the Bong Heritage Center is painted to represent this aircraft The 421st Night Fighter Squadron in World War II (2001) page 120 (photo) Thanks to Edward Guss for additional information Contribute
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