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| USAAF 5th AF 475th FG 432nd FS Former Assignments 35th FG 39th FS |
Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 222-7078. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38F-5-LO Lightning serial number 42-12644. Disassembled and shipped overseas and reassembled in Australia. Wartime History On September 17, 1942 assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 35th Fighter Group (35th FG), 39th Fighter Squadron (39th FS). Assigned to pilot 2nd Lt. John H. "Shady" Lane, O-725168 with crew chief Sgt Grumman. Nicknamed "Thumper". Nose number 15. On the left side of the cockpit was "pilot J. H. Lane" and a scoreboard with four Japanese rising sun flags indicating his aerial victory claims. Below the scoreboard was "Crew Chief Sgt Grumman".On the olive drab paint were marks from the cosmoline corrosion inhibitor used when the plane was shipped overseas. On December 27, 1942 took off from 14 Mile Drome (Schwimmer) near Port Moresby piloted by 2nd Lt. Richard I. Bong on a patrol over Buna. At noon over Dobodura, intercepted engaged Japanese planes including D3A Vals and A6M Zeros from 582 Kōkūtai (582 Air Group) plus -43-I Oscars from 11th Hiko Sentai (11th Flying Regiment). This was the first combat by the P-38 Lightning in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA). During the air combat, Bong claimed his first two aerial victories: the first for a Val and the second for a Zero. For his actions, he earned the Silver Star. By March 3, 1943 the left side of the cockpit had a scoreboard with four Japanese rising sun flags indicating aerial victory claims by 2nd Lt. John H. Lane: the first on December 31, 1942, the second and third January 8, 1943 (double victory) and the fourth on March 3, 1943. On December 16, 1943 assigned to the 475th Fighter Group (475th FG) "Satan's Angels", 432nd Fighter Squadron (432nd FS) "Clover". Ultimate fate unknown, not lost in combat or accident, likely scrapped or otherwise disappeared. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-38F-5-LO Lightning 42-12644 USAF Historical Study No. 85 USAF Credits For The Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II Alphabetical: Lane, John H. page 111 (PDF page 118) Dick Bong (1960, 1980) by General George C. Kenney page 23 (December 27, 1942) (Page 23) "a little towheaded, pink-cheeked kid named Second Lieutenant Richard I. Bong, my former bad boy from San Francisco, got two... [aerial victory claims]" Thanks to John H. Lane, Jr. for additional information (son of John H. Lane) Contribute
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