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| USAAF 5th AF 8th FG 36th FS  via Daniels c1930s |
Pilot 2nd Lt George E. Fenn, O-742992 (MIA / KIA) Oshkosh, WI Crashed October 28, 1943 MACR 1007 Aircraft History Built by Bell in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-39Q-5-BE Airacobra serial number 42-20031. Disassembled and shipped overseas and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 8th Fighter Group (8th FG), 36th Fighter Squadron (36th FS) "The Flying Fiends". No known nose art or nickname. When lost, engine V-1710-85 serial number 42-98338. Armed with .50 caliber machine guns Kelsey Hayes 661654, Kelsey Hayes 741090, Colt 292046, Colt 292229 plus Colt M4 37 mm Automatic Gun serial number 12250. Mission History On October 28, 1943 at 3:10pm took off from 5 Mile Drome (Ward) near Port Moresby piloted by 2nd Lt George E. Fenn on an armed patrol bound for the Nadzab area. The four planes were flying in two plane pairs. The flight leader was P-39Q 42-19987 pilot 1st Lt Francis J. Pitonyak with flight wingman P-39Q 42-19959 pilot 2nd Lt. William H. Melville. The second flight was led by P-39Q Airacobra pilot 1st Lt John J. Perkins with wingman Fenn. During the flight, the formation experienced a violent weather front with 100% overcast with visibility above overcast of twenty miles, and flew along the coast at 20,000' to avoid the weather. At 4:10pm, Perkins spun out of formation and was the last time he saw the other three Airacobras. Perkins was able to recover from the spin at 9,000' roughly 25 miles north of Bulldog in a solid overcast from ground level to 18,000'. When he became lost, the flight had a minimum of two hours flight time. Unable to reach the other planes by radio, Returning alone he landed safely at 5:05pm at 5 Mile Drome (Ward). The other three Airacobras failed to return and were officially listed as Missing In Action: P-39Q 42-19987 pilot 1st Lt Francis J. Pitonyak (MIA, resolved), P-39Q 42-19959 pilot 2nd Lt. William H. Melville (MIA) and this aircraft. Search The next day on October 29, 1943, two P-39s searched for 2.5 hours for the missing aircraft along the coast from Port Moresby to Kermina [sic Kerema) and inland to the mountain range. That same day, four other P-39s patrolled the Bulldog area for the lost planes. On October 30, 1943 an A-24 Dive Bomber searched the mountains beyond Bulldog and the Kokoda Pass area. Also, a PBY Catalina searched for the missing planes along the coast to the Fly River but failed to find anything. On October 31, 1943 an A-24 with two P-39s continued to search, but found nothing. Memorials Fenn was officially declared dead the day of the mission. He earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. Fenn is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. He also has a memorial marker at Riverside Cemetery in Oshkosh, WI at block 236 that reads "In Memory of Lt. George E. Fenn U.S. Fifth Air Force Born July 26, 1920 Missing In Action Oct. 28, 1943". References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - George E. Fenn USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-39Q-5-BE Airacobra 42-20031 "20031 (8th FG) lost Oct 27, 1943, New Britain. MACR 1007" Missing Air Crew Report 1007 (MACR 1007) created October 30, 1943 October 1943 USAAF Overseas Accident Reports October 1943 - P-39Q Airacobra 42-20031 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - George E. Fenn FindAGrave - 2Lt George E Fenn (photo, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 2LT George Edward Fenn (memorial marker photo) PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-39Q Airacobra 42-20031 Attack & Conquer (1995) page 313 Thanks to David C. Daniels for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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 P-39  MIA 1 Missing |
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