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| USAAF 5th AF 49th FG 9th FS   17th FS(P) November 1942 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Ralph L. Hays, O-791103 (MIA / KIA) PA MIA October 13, 1943 MACR 1116 Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 222-7132. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38G-5-LO Lightning serial number 42-12698. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Brisbane and reassembled at Amberley Field. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 17th Fighter Squadron (Provisional) at Amberley Field. Nose number 132 in white, last three digits of the constructors number. During November 1942 ferried via Garbutt Field then via Horn Island Airfield to Port Moresby. 49th Fighter Group (49th FG), 9th Fighter Squadron (9th FS) "The Flying Knights". No known nickname or nose art. When lost, engines V-1710-51 and V-1710-55 serial numbers: 42-31764 and 42-29299. Armed with 20mm cannon maker unknown serial number 25385 and four .50 caliber machine guis makers unknown serial numbers 103463, 132054, 127642 and 134516. Mission History On October 13, 1943 at 10:20am took off Kiriwina Airfield piloted by 1st Lt. Ralph L. Hays on an mission to escort B-24 Liberators over Rabaul. The P-38 formation rendezvoused with the B-24s north of Kiriwina. Hays was flying as part of "Green Flight" with wingman P-38G 42-12856 piloted by 1st Lt. Frank G. Wunder Jr. Inbound to the target, the weather was approaching frontal region with precipitation and clouds. The P-38s entered bad weather this aircraft was last sighted by Captain Gerald R. Johnson at roughly Lat 7° S Long 152° E over the Solomon Sea. Likely, lost due to bad weather. When this aircraft failed to return it was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). Also lost were P-38H "Charlcie Jeann" 42-66516 (MIA) and P-38G 42-12856 (MIA). Captain Gerald R. Johnson, MACR 1116 page 6 / MACR 1104 page 6: "Green flight lost Lt. Ralph L. Hays and Lt. Frank G. Wunder, Jr., wingman, and the remainder of the flight returned to Dobodura... I believe the reason for the loss of these pilots was due to mid-air collision. All pilots had sufficient experience to turn out of the rain." Search On October 14, 1943 a search was initiated by P-38s from the squadron the searched between Dobodura and Kiriwina and offshore islands. The search found a B-24 bellied in on a reef whose crew had already been rescued. The aircraft also searched from Kiriwina to Woodlark with nil sightings. The entire search lasted 5-7 hours. Memorial Hays was officially declared dead the day of the mission. He earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. Hays is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Hays also has a memorial marker Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill, PA. References Wunder was credited with a single aerial victory over Salamaua, but it does not appear in the official USAF credits for the destruction of enemy aircraft, World War II. Pilot Roster, 9th Fighter Squadron 1942-1943 via Edward Rogers USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-38G-5-LO Lightning 42-12698 "12698 (49th FG) lost Oct 13, 1943. MACR 1116" Missing Air Crew Report 1116 (MACR 1116) created October 15, 1943 The Journal-Herald "Lt. Frank Wunder Missing In Action" November 4, 1943 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Ralph L. Hays FindAGrave - 1Lt Ralph L Hays (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Ralph L Hays, Jr (memorial marker photo) Fighter Pilot (2006) page 50-51 "My flight was the first to land, and we waited two hours for the rest of the squadron to straggle in. Three planes were missing - Frank Wunder, Ralph Hays and Theron Price, the pilots. I had my ship refueled and four of us searched until dark without finding a trace of them. Early the next morning we received permission to conduct a full-scale search; for three days we combed the area without success. The fourth day [October 17, 1943] we were needed for another Rabaul raid, so the search was called off." Oz@War - Some Photos of P-38's in Australia (photo) Oz@War - Stock Route Airstrip Near Garbutt, Townsville, QLD during WW2 (photo) 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-38 
MIA 1 Missing  Map Oct 13, 1943  Photo Archive |
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