Richard I. Bong
Second Tour of Duty

In early February 1944, Bong returning to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) for his second tour of duty, Bong was assigned to 5th Fighter Command (V FTR), Headquarters as assistant operations officer in charge of replacement airplanes. Assigned a a newly arrived P-38J 42-103993, Bong continued to fly combat missions with Lt Col Thomas J. Lynch. Flying together, Lynch-Bong were dubbed the "Flying Circus" and sought out air combat to score more aerial victories.

During February 1944 Bong flew a total of fifteen combat missions in P-38J-15, likely P-38J 42-103993 assigned to him.

February 15, 1944
Seventh and eight aerial victory claims. He also claimed a probable Zero and a Betty as damaged.

On February 28, 1944 took off from Nadzab Airfield piloting P-38J 42-103993 with P-38J piloted by Lt Col Thomas J. Lynch on a mission over Wewak. Over the target, Bong strafed a Betty transport [sic Japanese Army Air Force twin engine bomber] that had just landed. Although the bomber was claimed as destroyed, it was not recorded as an aerial victory. Some sources state a Japanese Major General, Brigadier (not a rank in Japanese Army) and staff were killed in the bomber. These claims seem highly unlikely, no Major General is known to have died in Wewak. Japanese records note nothing on February 28, 1944. On February 29, 1944 Japanese records note two P-38s intruding over Wewak but do not mention any ground losses.

During March 1944 Bong flew a total of twenty-one combat missions in P-38J-15 most likely piloting P-38J "Marge" 42-103993 until lost.

On March 3, 1944 took off from Nadzab Airfield piloting P-38J 42-103993 with P-38J Lightning pilot Lt. Col Thomas J. Lynch on a mission over Tadji Airfield. Over the target, Bong claimed two Ki-21 Sallys his twenty-third and twenty-fourth aerial victory claims. He also claimed a Ki-61 Tony damaged but it was shot down by Lynch. References: Bong's Individual Flight Record lists this mission as March 2, 1944 incorrectly.

On March 5, 1944 took off from Nadzab Airfield piloting P-38J 42-103993 with P-38J Lightning pilot Lt. Col Thomas J. Lynch on a mission over Dagua Airfield. Over the target, Bong claimed a Ki-43 Oscar as probable and another Ki-43 Oscar as damaged. Japanese records confirm the loss of a single Ki-43 Oscar from 77th Sentai (77th Flying Regiment).

On March 8, 1944 took off from Nadzab Airfield piloting P-38J 42-103993 with P-38J 42-103987 pilot Lt. Col Thomas J. Lynch on a fighter sweep over Tadji Airfield. Observing no planes in the air or on the ground, the pair flew westward towards Aitape and spotted Japanese vessels including three small vessels with masts and two barges in Aitape Harbor. Both pilots made a single strafing run and claimed to set at least one of them on fire. As the pair turned, anti-aircraft fire opened up from below, and hit Lynch's P-38 in the right engine, and caused it to burst into flames and crashed as he attempted to bail out at low altitude and went Missing In Action (MIA). Bong's P-38 also sustained damaged and witnessed Lynch bail out then return safely but was visually shaken and nervous when he returned. His ground crew including Cpl Herman Ladner counted 87 bullet holes in one engine and the other had a blown oil line but none of the bullets hit any vital spots. References: General Kenney Reports pages 364-365 (March 9, 1944 sic March 8, 1944).

While this P-38 was being repaired and serviced, Bong requested Cpl James "Jim" Nichols to create nose art for his P-38 and provided the wallet sized photograph of his girlfriend, Marjorie "Marge" Ann Vattendahl yearbook portrait. The P-38’s left gun cover was removed and cleaned in preparation for the application of a nickname and nose art. Nichols had the wallet sized Marge photograph enlarged to 20" x 24" and color tinted then glued and varnished to the panel. Her nickname "Marge" was painted in a red cursive font with a white outline.


By March 10, 1944 the nickname and nose art were finished and first photographed at Nadzab Airfield. By this time, the plane's unpainted aluminum was beginning to show the effects of being in the tropics. Nose number 993 was very worn or was in the process of being removed. At some point in the middle of March 1944 a photo shoot was conducted Bong sitting in the cockpit, touching the edge of the Marge photograph and other poses. It is unclear if these photographs were taken by U.S. Army photographers or war correspondents, or both.

Afterwards, Bong flew on early morning weather reconnaissance flights to Tadji with a pair of P-38s from 421st Night Fighter Squadron (421st NFS). Bong flew on March 13, 1944, March 14, 1944, March 15, 1944 and March 16, 1944 with Major Walter S. Pharr and March 17, 1944 with Major Walter Pharr. Likely, Bong hoped to shoot down Japanese planes on these missions while training pilots of the newly arrived squadron.

On March 24, 1944 his plane P-38J "Marge" 42-103993 was flown by 2nd Lt. Thomas E. Malone from 421st Night Fighter Squadron (421st NFS) on a weather reconnaissance mission but suffered mechanical and electrical issues and bailed out. Afterwards, Bong was angry about the loss of his plane, but acknowledged it had some issues when he flew it previously. Next, Bong was assigned P-38J 42-104380 and also nicknamed "Marge" and operated from Nadzab Airfield.

That same day, Bong was a passenger aboard a B-25 flying to Garbutt Field then onward to Brisbane. On March 30, 1944 Bong ferried a new P-38J to New Guinea arriving the next day. Likely this was P-38J "Marge" 42-104380 (Second Marge) assigned to Bong. Meeting 2nd Lt. Thomas E. Malone who bailed out of P-38J "Marge" 42-103993 he was angry that his plane was lost but admitted he had experienced similar electrical issues with the plane.

During April 1944 Bong flew eighteen combat missions in P-38J-15, most missions piloting P-38J "Marge" 42-104380 (Second Marge) that was painted with his scoreboard but no nickname. The enlarged photograph of Marge was adhered to the nose but repeatedly fell off.

On April 1, 1944 at Nadzab Airfield Bong was to fly P-38J "Down Beat" 42-104012 but the mission was aborted. Crew Chief Sam Scher remembered Bong who complimented him about the maintenance of the plane.

On April 3, 1944 took off from Gusap Airfield piloting a P-38J Lightning (Stars and Bars page 155 states flew P-38J per combat report / Dick Bong page 122 footnote 8 states he flew P-38J 42-104380) and joins eighteen P-38s from 432nd Fighter Squadron (432nd FS) over Annenberg then escort B-25s and A-20s on a mission over Hollandia. Over the target, claims a Ki-43 Oscar to the west of Lake Sentani, his twenty-fifth aerial victory claim.

On April 12, 1944 Bong took off piloting borrowed P-38J "Down Beat" 42-104012 or P-38J 42-104380 with P-38J "Corky IV" pilot Captain Cornelius M. "Corky" Smith joined a formation of twenty P-38s from the 80th Fighter Squadron (80th FS) "Headhunters" on a fighter sweep over Hollandia and claimed three aerial victories. The first victory claim was for a Ki-43 Oscar claimed over Tanamerah Bay his twenty-sixth aerial victory claim. Plus two more Ki-43 Oscars his 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 Edward "Eddie" Rickenbacker and Bong became America's highest scoring ace pilot and was promoted to the rank of Major by General George C. Kenney. References: General Kenney Reports page 387

In early May 1944, Bong was sent back to the United States.

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