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| USAAF 5th AF 475th FG 431st FS |
Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 422-???? (four digits unknown). 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. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38L-1-LO Lightning serial number 44-????? (five digits unknown) in the range of 44-23769 to 44-25058. Disassembled and shipped overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 475th Fighter Group (475th FG) "Satan's Angels", 431st Fighter Squadron (431st FS) "Hades". Assigned to pilot Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. Squadron Number 131 (Red 131) was painted on the nose and tail. Nicknamed "Pudgy IV" after his wife Marilynn who was nicknamed “Pudgy” the fourth aircraft to bear this name. The name was written in red with double quotation marks with roman numeral IV inside the tail of the letter g. Painted on the left side of the cockpit was "Major T. B. McGuire Jr." and below a rectangular scoreboard with Japanese rising sun flags indicating McGuire's 22 aerial victory claims in five rows (5-5-5-5-2). Below were the names of the crew chiefs. The Satan's Angel motif was painted on the outer intercooler doors on both sides of the booms. A pair of diagonal red stripes were on both booms rear of the intercooler doors. The tail had a red upper and lower tips with squadron number 131 painted in red. This was the fourth aircraft that bore the this nickname and squadron number, including P-38H "Pudgy" 42-66592, P-38H "Pudgy" (Pudgy II) 42-66817 and later P-38J "Pudgy III", this aircraft P-38L "Pudgy IV" and P-38L "Pudgy V" 44-24155. Each aircraft had squadron number 131 on the nose and tail. During 1944, this aircraft operated from Mokmer Drome on Biak Island. McGuire did not claim and victories before it was crashed or written off by another pilot. Ultimate fate unknown, likely scrapped or otherwise disappeared. Contribute
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