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| USAAF 5th AF 421st NFS Former Assignments 13th AF 419th NFS |
Aircraft History Built by Northrop in Hawthorne, California. Constructors Number 748. At the factory, painted overall black. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-61A-1-NO Black Widow serial number 42-5516. On January 31, 1944 flown to Sacramento Air Depot (SAD) then to Oakland and disassembled and loaded on a ship as cargo bound for the South Pacific (SOPAC). Wartime History During late April 1944 unloaded and reassembled on Guadalcanal. On April 25, 1944 assigned to the 13th Air Force (13th AF), 419th Night Fighter Squadron (419th NFS). No known nickname or nose art. Later, assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 421st Night Fighter Squadron (421st NFS). Nicknamed "Dame de la Nuit" French for Lady of the Night painted inside a white could on the left side of the nose. Tail Number 317. The rear fuselage had two diagonal stripes painted in white to the rear of the U.S. Star. The regular crew included pilot Lt. Owen M. Wolf, radio operator Lt. Byron N. Allain and gunner Sgt Donald Trabing. On January 24, 1945 took off from Tacloban Airfield piloted by Lt. Owen M. Wolf, O-677389 with radio operator Lt. Byron N. Allain, O-1486142 and gunner Sgt Emil K. Weishar, 36274169 on a mission and claimed to shoot down a "Zeke 52" A6M5 Model 52 Zero and was officially credited with an aerial victory. During March 1945 or April 1945, this P-61 was photographed at low level buzzing the runway at Puerto Princesa Airfield on Palawan Island. On September 27, 1945 officially written off at Clark Field. On December 31, 1945 officially dropped from inventory. Ultimate fate unknown, likely scrapped or otherwise disappeared. Memorials Wolf joined the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and was assigned to the 325th Fighter Wing. On April 1, 1949 he was killed in the crash of a jet fighter. He was buried at Arlington National Cemtery at section 11, site 340 SH. Trabing passed away on June 26, 2016. He is buried at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, CA at col-2, court B, site 20-A. References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Owen M. Wolf NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Byron Allain NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Donald Trabing NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Emil K. Weishar USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-61A-1-NO Black Widow 42-5516 "5516 condemned salvage obsolete Leyte, PI Sep 27, 1945." USAF Historical Study No. 85 – USAF Credits For The Destruction of Enemy World War II, 1978 pages 204, 364, 500, 680 (Page 204) Alphabetical, page 204 (Wolf, Owen M. / 421st / 24/01/45) (Page 364) Alphabetical by Theater of Ops (Wolf, Owen M. / 421st / 24/01/45) (Page 500) Chronological (Wolf, Owen M. / 421st / 24/01/45) (Page 680) Night Fighter Crew (Wolf, Allain, Weishar) FindAGrave - Owen Miles Wolf (photo, obituary, grave photo) FindAGrave - Donald Henry Trabing (grave photo) The 421st Night Fighter Squadron in World War II (2010) page 81 (photo) Contribute
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