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  P-39F-1-BE Airacobra Serial Number 41-7148  
USAAF
5th AF
35th FG
39th FS

Pilot  2nd Lt James H. Foster, O-428486 (survived) OR
Crashed  July 4, 1942
MACR  none

Aircraft History
Built by Bell in Buffalo, New York using funds F-1, order number W-535-AC-15675 at a cost of $47,842.00. On December 26, 1941 delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-39F-1-BE Airacobra serial number 41-7148. On February 2, 1942 assigned to "Sumac" Australia and disassembled and shipped overseas then reassembled by April 11, 1942.

Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 35th Fighter Group (35th FG), 39th Fighter Squadron (39th FS). No known nickname or nose art.

Mission History
On July 4, 1942 took off from 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby piloted by 2nd Lt James H. Foster in a line abreast formation on a mission to intercept a formation of Japanese aircraft. Intercepted by A6M2 Zeros from Tainan Kōkūtai (Tainan Air Group). During the air combat, Foster bailed out over the Brown River area northwest of Port Moresby. Also lost were P-400 Airacobra BX180 pilot 2nd Lt. William R. Marlott (survived) and P-400 Airacobra AP378 pilot 2nd Lt. Frank E. Angier (survived). Administratively written off as condemned inventory on October 31, 1944.

Fate of the Pilot
Foster landed in a tree and sustained back injuries. Afterwards, he was found by local people who carried him to the Port Moresby area. Later, he was sent back to the United States for medical treatment. For the remainder of World War II, he was assigned stateside duty as a recruiter. He remained in the military, joined in the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and retired with the rank of Colonel.

Wreckage
This Airacobra crashed in the Brown River area. The crash site seems to have been known since the 1970s, as the serial number was listed by the Pacific Aviation Society with the general coordinate Lat S 9.14 Long E 147.08

Justin Taylan visited the crash site on April 26, 2023:
"For nine years, I heard about an aircraft wreck near the Brown River, but was unable to find on at least two attempts to locate the site. Finally, I located the crash site that is an impact crater with the engine and propeller with pieces of wreckage and portions of the center wing spar. Present at the crash site is the roll bar at the rear of the cockpit with the Bell main dataplate with the contract number, model, serial number and acceptance date, confirming the identity of the plane. According to the locals, two machine guns, probably the .50 caliber machine guns in the nose were recovered from the crash site, to their nearby village where they were used as stands to hold pots over the fire. Once, one of guns exploded as a bullet in the chamber cooked off and knocked the cooking over, without any injury other than a lost meal. Later, someone took the guns and reportedly sold them to a white person."

Memorials
Foster passed away on January 12, 1978 at age 57. He is buried at Riverside National Cemetery at section 7 grave 568.

References
NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - James H. Foster, Jr.

Individual Aircraft Record Card (IARC) P-39F-1-BE Airacobra 41-7148
USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-39F-1-BE Airacobra 41-7148
"7148 pilot bailed out in Brown River area of PNG Jul 4, 1942"
PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-39F Airacobra 41-7148
The Aircraft Wrecks in the South Pacific Area, Pacific Aviation Society - P-39F 41-7148
Cobra In the Clouds (1982) pages 10-11
Thanks to Edward Rogers for research and analysis

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Last Updated
April 30, 2023

 

Tech Info
P-39

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