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  P-38H-1-LO "Skidoo" Serial Number 42-66504 Nose 162
USAAF
5th AF
475th FG
432th FS

PacificWrecks.com
PacificWrecks.com
475th FG c1943

Aircraft History
Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 1015. Order number: AC-24646. Cost unknown. Delivered to the U.S. Army on May 23, 1943 and the same day flown to Sacramento Air Depot (SAD). On June 7, 1943 flown to Fort Mason, San Francisco. On July 2, 1943 disassembled and shipped overseas bound for "Left" and at Brisbane reassembled.

Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 475th Fighter Group (475th FG) "Satan's Angels", 432nd Fighter Squadron (432nd FS) "Clover". Assigned to pilot 1st Lt. Perry "P. J." Dahl. Nicknamed "Skidoo" with the nose art of an American Indian with yellow arm bands and a red loincloth, white headband with a red feather holding an ax in a sprinting pose with "23" in yellow with red outline. Nose Number 162 painted in white. On the left side of the nose below the cockpit was a scoreboard with Dahl's aerial victory claims. Below was stenciled "Pilot Capt. Perry J. Dahl" and below "Crew Chief T/Sgt. Doyle Dowell".

On December 15, 1944 written off as obsolete. Afterwards, likely scrapped or otherwise disappeared.

During 2006, P-38J Lightning 44-23314 at the Planes of Fame Museum was painted in the markings of this aircraft.

References
Individual Aircraft Record Card (IARC) - P-38H 42-66504
USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-38H-1-LO Lightning 42-66504
P-38 Lightning Aces of the Pacific and CBI (1997) page 50 (profile 19, P-38H "Skidoo" 42-66504), 89 (P-38 aces, Dahl), 93 (Profile 19 description)
Possum, Clover & Hades 475th Fighter Group in World War II (2004) pages 96-98 (November 9, 1943), 107 (December 22, 1943), 114 (January 18, 1944), 115-117 (January 22, 1944), 118 (February 7, 1944 R&R Sydney), 121,123 (February 29, 1944), 133 (group photo), 133-134 (April 3, 1944), 157-159 (June 8, 1944), 217-223 (November 10, 1944), 332 (index Dahl)
Thanks to Perry J. Dahl for additional information

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Last Updated
December 3, 2023

 

Tech Info
P-38
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