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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 sides 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 42-104380. 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 bound for Australia and is unloaded and reassembled. Wartime History During late March 1944 assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 5th Fighter Command (V FTR) at Nadzab Airfield. Assigned to pilot Major Richard I. Bong after the loss of P-38J "Marge" 42-103993 (first Marge) that crashed March 24, 1944. On March 30, 1944 Bong ferried a new P-38J to New Guinea arriving the next day, possibly this plane. Bong had the plane painted with red propeller spinners, wingtips, and tail stub wingtips. 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 (6-6-5-5-5) inside a white rectangle representing his 27 aerial victory claims 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. This P-38 was known as "Marge" (Second Marge) but never had the nickname painted on the nose. The left gun cover had a 20" x 24" photograph of his girlfriend Marjorie "Marge" Ann Vattendahl yearbook portrait enlarged and color tinted then glued and varnished to the panel. But, the photograph kept falling off in flight. the rectangular outline of varnish and glue where the photograph was adhered. Bong would get a replacement photograph but it continued to fall off and need replacement. On April 3, 1944 this P-38 may have been piloted by Bong over Hollandia when he claimed a Ki-43 Oscar his twenty-fifth aerial victory claim. On April 12, 1944 took off piloted by Major Richard I. Bong and joined P-38 Lightnings from 80th Fighter Squadron (80th FS) including P-38J "Corky IV" pilot Captain Cornelius M. "Corky" Smith escorting B-24s over Hollandia. On the mission, Bong was piloting either this plane or P-38J "Down Beat" 42-104012. Over the target, he claimed three Ki-43 Oscars his twenty-sixth, twenty-seventh and twenty-eight aerial victory claims. With these three victory claims, he exceeded the 26 aerial victory claims of American World War I ace Captain Edward "Eddie" Rickenbacker and Bong became America's highest scoring ace pilot and was promoted to the rank of Major. After breaking Rickenbacker's record, another Marge yearbook portrait was hastily attached to the plane next to his scoreboard for publicity purposes. The photo position would not allow the gun cover to be opened to access the armament and was likely removed after the photo shoot. On April 24, 1944 took off from Nadzab Airfield piloted by Col. Robert L. Morrissey with P-38J 42-104004 piloted by Brigadier General Paul B. Wurtsmith and were were the first American planes to land at newly captured and repaired Tadji Airfield. The pair of Lightnings were photographed parked at the edge of the runway. In early May 1944 when Major Richard I. Bong departed for the United States, this P-38 remained at Nadzab Airfield and was flown by other pilots. After Bong's departure, the photograph of Marge was either removed or fell off and never replaced. Bong's scoreboard remained on the left side of the nose. During June 1944, flown by Charles A. Lindbergh during his second tour in South West Pacific Area. Fate During 1945, took off piloted by an unknown pilot on a checkout flight after an engine was serviced. During the test flight, an engine caught fire and the pilot bailed out and landed safely. The P-38 crashed into Manila Bay. Officially, excluded from inventory by August 10, 1946 and condemned salvage by October 11, 1946 Edward Guss adds: "It 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." Bong had three different P-38 Lightnings painted in the markings of P-38 "Marge". This first P-38J "Marge" 42-103993 in New Guinea. This aircraft was the second. The third P-38J "Marge" 44-23491 in the United States 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 Memories: The Story of Dick and Bong: A Love Story (1995) by Bong Drucker pages 27 (second ) The 421st Night Fighter Squadron in World War II (2001) page 120 (photo) The Missions and P-38 Lightnings of Richard I. Bong: A Synopsis (2002) pages 19, 33 (April 3, 1944) 34A (lower photo), 34 (April 12, 1944), 35 (Commentary No. 4), 35A (photos), 36 (Commentary No. 4 continued), 36A (upper photo temporary photo) Protect & Avenge: The 49th Fighter Group in World War II (1995) pages 247 (photo parked Tadji) Ace of Aces: The Dick Bong Story (1985, 2019) pages 117 (P-38 Marge photos), 147 (Appendix C: Aircraft of an Ace) Thanks to Edward Guss for additional information Contribute
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