39th Fighter Squadron (39th FS) "Cobra In The Clouds"
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 5th Air Force (5th AF), 35th Fighter Group (35th FG)

Background
The 39th Fighter Squadron (39th FS) nicknamed "Cobra In The Clouds" operated the P-39 Airacobra and P-38 Lightning and later the P-47D Thunderbolt and finally the P-51D Mustang in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) during World War II.

Wartime History
On December 22, 1939 the 39th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) was constituted in the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC). On February 1, 1940 activated at Selfridge Field in Michigan assigned to the 31st Pursuit Group (31st PG) operating the P-35. Nicknamed "Cobra In The Clouds". On April 16, 1941 the squadron's emblem was approved of a blue circle with gold border with the head of cobra in clouds.

During 1941, operated the P-39 Airacobra. On June 20, 1941 became part of the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF). On December 6, 1941 moves to Baer Field in Indiana. At the start of the Pacific War on December 10, 1941 moves to Belingham Field in Washington State and began flying anti-submarine patrols off the west coast.

On January 15, 1942 assigned to the 35th Fighter Group (35th FG). On January 23, 1942 deployed overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) to Australia arriving at Brisbane on February 25, 1942. On March 8, 1942 arrives at Brisbane with the P-39 Airacobra. On March 16, 1942 transfers to Ballarat Airfield On April 3, 1942 transfers to Williamtown Airfield. On April 20, 1942 transfers to Woodstock Airfield.

On May 15, 1942 redesignated as the 39th Fighter Squadron (39th FS).

On June 2, 1942 moves to 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby and fly their first combat mission.

On June 16, 1942 in the morning, Airacobras from the squadron and 40th FS scramble to intercept A6M2 Zeros Tainan Kōkūtai on a fighter sweep over Port Moresby. They claim 17 shot down and 2 probables. In fact, 4 shot down and 2 damaged) and lost no aircraft damaged or shot down. In the afternoon, Airacobras from the squadron escort B-26s and B-25s over Lae. Returning, the fighters engage A6M2 Zeros from Tainan Kōkūtai. P-39 Airacobra pilot 1st Lt. Francis "Frank" R. Royal shot down A6M2 Zero pilot Hidaka.

On June 22, 1942 Airacobras from 39th FS, 80th FS, 40th FS, 41st FS conduct a mission to strafe Japanese barges off Buna and Gona.

On July 4, 1942 Airacobras took off on a mission to intercept a Japanese air raid west of Port Moresby. Three Airacobras were shot down including: P-400 Airacobra AP378 pilot 2nd Lt. Frank E. Angier (survived), P-400 Airacobra BX180 pilot 2nd Lt. William R. Marlott (survived) and P-39F Airacobra 41-7148 pilot 2nd Lt James R. Foster (survived).

On July 26, 1942 transfers to Garbutt Field at Townsville and converts to the P-38F Lightning with serial numbers between 42-12567 to 42-12715. By the middle of October 1942, the squadron was operating from 14 Mile Drome (Schwimmer) near Port Moresby.

On September 17, 1942 fourteen P-38 Lightnings from the squadron depart from Amberley Field on a ferry flight to Garbutt Field.

On October 14, 1942 eight P-38s took off on a patrol over Waigela. Lost is P-38F Lightning pilot 1st Lt. Fred Burnam Shifflet, Jr. (survived) experienced engine trouble, ditched and was rescued and returned to duty.

On October 18, 1942 the entire squadron moves to 14 Mile Drome (Schwimmer). During late 1942, the squadron's P-38s were painted with shark mouth motif on each engine and a two digit squadron code on the nose and tail.

On November 4, 1942 eleven P-38 Lightnings took off from 14 Mile Drome on ferry flight to Milne Bay then onward to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. After arriving at Milne Bay, they were recalled and told to return to Port Moresby. During the return flight ditched is P-38F Lightning 42-12649 pilot 2nd Lt. Richard T. Cella (survived).

On December 4, 1942 four P-38s took off from Amberley Field on a training misison. Lost is P-38F "Synchronized Sal" 42-12646 pilot 2nd Lt. Charles F. Rowsey (KIA) after accidentally collision with P-38F Lightning 42-12642 piloted by 2nd Lt. John G. O'Neill managed to land safely.

On December 27, 1942 in their first significant action in the Pacific, a dozen P-38s from 39th Fighter Squadron took off from 14 Mile Drome on a mission to patrol Dobodura and intercepted 35 Japanese planes, in the first P-38 Lightning aerial combat in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA). The formation was led Captain Thomas J. Lynch, 2nd Lt. RIchard Bong, 2nd Lt. Kenneth C. Sparks, 2nd Lt. John Mangas and 1st Lt. Carl G. Planck, Jr.  This was the first aerial combat by the P-38 Lightning in the South West Pacific. Seven enemy planes were immediately shot down.  Two other four-plane flights of P-38 Lightnings from 39th Fighter Squadron joined the melee thereafter claiming another six shot down. Richard I. Bong claims his first two victories a D3A Val and A6M Zeke. 2nd Lt. John Mangas claimed one shot down. Damaged during landing is P-38 Lightning pilot 2nd Lt. Kenneth C. Sparks (survived).

On December 31, 1942 tweleve P-38 Lightnings including nine from 39th Fighter Squadron (39th FS) led by 1st Lt. Thomas J. Lynch plus three P-38s from 9th Fighter Squadron (9th FS) including 2nd Lt. Richard I. Bong, 2nd Lt. Hyland and 2nd Lt. Carl G. Planck escort B-25 Mitchells from 38th Bombardment Group (38th BG) and B-26 Marauders from 22nd Bombardment Group (22nd BG) plus six A-20s from 89th Bombardment Squadron (89th BS) bomb and strafe Lae Airfield.

On January 8, 1943 in the morning, the squadron took off from 14 Mile Drome on an escort mission over Lae. In the afternoon, the squadron conducts another mission over Lae flying top cover for B-17 Flying Fortresses from 43rd BG. Over the target, the formation was intercepted by the Japanese fighters including Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) Ki-43 Oscars from the 11th Sentai plus Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) A6M Zeros from 582 Kōkūtai (582 Air Group) and 252 Kōkūtai (252 Air Group). Lost is P-38F Lightning 42-12665 pilot 2nd Lt. John "Johnny" H. Mangas (MIA).

On January 20, 1943 a U.S. Army Signal Corps photographer at 14 Mile Drome near Port Moresby, snaps photographs of fighter pilots from the 39th Fighter Squadron including Captain Robert L. Faurot, 1st Richard C. Suehr, 2nd Lt. Carl G. Planck, Jr., 2nd Lt Kenneth C. Sparks and 2nd Lt. Norman D. Hyland with P-38G 42-12623, P-37G "Regina I" 42-12654 and P-38G 42-12715.

On January 29, 1943 P-38 Lightnings piloted by Captain Robert L. Faurot, Lt Baker, Rogers, Seuhr, Turick, Widman, Dunbar escort C-47s to Wau Airfield and return by 11:00am. P-38 pilot Lt Bartlett did not fly the mission due to a flat tire.

On March 3, 1943 during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea the squadron flew a patrol over the Bismarck Sea and claim 15 planes shot down. Lost is P-38F Lightning 42-12623 Nose 16  pilot Captain Robert L. Faurot (MIA), P-38F Lightning 42-12633  pilot 1st Lt Hoyt A. Eason (MIA) and P-38G Lightning 42-12715  pilot 1st Lt. Fred Burnam Shifflet, Jr. (MIA).

On July 16, 1943 four P-38s led by Lt. Denton with Lt. Andrews and Lt. Steele and 1st Lt. Morgan escort a F-4 Lightning from 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (8th PRS) on a reconnaissance mission over Madang. Arriving over the target, P-38F 42-12650  pilot Morgan aborted the mission due to engine trouble and force landed and was later rescued. On the return flight, P-38 Lightning piloted by 2nd Lt. James F. Steele (MIA) was lost in extremely bad weather.

On July 21, 1943 the squadron flew a fighter sweep over the Bogadjim area. Over the target area, the P-38s encountered a formation of thirty-seven Japanese fighters including nineteen Ki-43 Oscars from 1st Sentai and 24th Sentai plus eighteen eighteen Ki-61 Tonys from the 68th Sentai and 78th Sentai. Lost is P-38H 42-66517  pilot 1st Lt Paul J. Larson (survived).

On September 20, 1943 sixteen P-38s took off on a mission to escort B-24s over Wewak. Lost is P-38H "Mareelee II" 42-66851 Tail 23  pilot Captain Charles P. Sullivan (survived).

On November 5, 1943 the squadron took off from Kiriwina Airfield with eleven P-38s from 9th Fighter Squadron (9th FS) to escort 27 B-24 Liberators from 43rd Bombardment Group (43rd BG) on a bombing mission over Rabaul. Over the target, the 39th engaged a formation of roughly 20 Zeros and claimed one probable. Lost is P-38E "Sooner" 42-12655 pilot 2nd Lt. George C. Haniotis (MIA).

On November 7, 1943 the squadron took off from Kiriwina Airfield on a fighter sweep over Rabaul. Lost is P-38H 42-66911 Nose 37  pilot 2nd Lt Alphonse "Al" D. Quinones (POW, survived).

On November 13, 1943 the squadron took off from 14 Mile Drome and staged to Kiriwina Airfield on an a escort mission over Rabaul but encountered a front of bad weather. Lost is P-38H 42-66532  pilot 1st Lt. Lee C. Haigler (MIA) over the sea roughly 40 miles northeast of Buna.

On December 15, 1943 transfers to Nadzab Airfield with P-47D Thunderbolts.

On January 27, 1944 transfers to Gusap Airfield.

P-38J 42-103987  pilot Lynch crashed March 8, 1944, 1 missing.

On June 9, 1944 returns to Nadzab Airfield.

On August 7, 1944 moves to Noemfoor Island.

P-38G "Dumbo!" 42-12847 Nose 37 pilot Laing force landed September 2, 1944.

On September 12, 1944 moves to Owi Airfield.

On October 23, 1944 moves to Morotai Island.

On January 22, 1945 moves to Mangaldan Airfield on Luzon in the Philippines.

On April 10, 1945 moves to Lingayen Airfield with P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs.

On April 21, 1945 moves to Clark Field.

On June 30, 1945 moves to Okinawa until the end of the Pacific War.

Commanding Officers (C.O.)
George W. Prentice
Thomas Lynch (March 24, 1943–September 20, 1943)

References
Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II (1982) pages 183-184 (39th Fighter) [PDF pages 195-196]
39th Fighter Squadron Diary by S/Sgt Donald E. Thomas
Stars & Bars (1995) pages 33 (35th FG, 39th FS)
The Missions and P-38 Lightnings of Richard I. Bong: A Synopsis (2002) pages 18