Captain Richard I. Bong Aerial Victory Claim, February 15, 1944
Second Tour of Duty

Mission History
On February 15, 1944 Captain Richard I. Bong took off from Nadzab Airfield piloting P-38J 42-103993 with P-38J Lightning pilot Lt Col Thomas J. Lynch on a mission to escort A-20s over Kavieng on New Ireland. Roughly ten miles north of Cape Hoskins, At 10:55am Bong claimed a Ki-61 Tony.

Claim
Bong was officially credited with his twenty-second aerial victory claim, the first victory of his second tour of duty.

References
Major Richard I. Bong Aerial Victory Claims
USAF Historical Study No. 85 USAF Credits For The Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II Alphabetical: Bong, Richard I. pages 25 (PDF page 30) Chronological List: 02/15/44 page 418 (PDF page 423)
Captain Richard I. Bong Individual Flight Record (Form 5) February 1944
Combat Report Mission No. 430, 26 July 1943 via Dear Mom: So We Have A War page 257
Dear Mom: So We Have A War (1991) by Carl Bong pages 328-329 (Credit for Destruction of Enemy Aircraft 2/15/44), 332 (Letter to Mom 02/19/44 "I got number twenty-two the other day [2/15/44]. All very interesting without sticking our necks out.").
Stars & Bars: A Tribute To The American Fighter Ace 1920–1973 (1995) page 155 (Bong victories 22: February 15, 1944)

Return to Second Tour of Duty | Richard I. Bong

Contribute Information
Do you have photos or additional information to add?