The South West Pacific Theater - Part I

[Scott Rose]

Originally posted by Mark Allen


P-40 Warhawk of the 7th FS at 30 Mile strip


Walter Beane of the 39th FS/35th FG and his P-38 Lightning at 14 Mile strip.


P-38 Lightning of the 39th FS in a log revetment at 3 Mile strip


P-38H Lightning/42-66905/#33/Japanese Sandman II of the 39th FS at 14 Mile Strip. 1943.
(Source: Lt. Richard E. Smith via Mark Allen Collection)


P-38F Lightning/42-12652/#3, flown by 2nd Lt. Kenneth Sparks of the 39th FS at 14 Mile Strip. Photo was taken immediately following the December 31, 1942 mission in which a Ki-43 collided with the aircraft's right wing during a dogfight. Sparks was able to safely return to 14-Mile Drome ("Schwimmer Drome") and the aircraft would be repaired and reassigned to the 475th FG in early 1943, eventually being damaged beyond repair at Finschafen Airfield in early 1944, where it remained until it was discovered in the late 90's and recovered.
(Information from Pacific Wrecks)


P-38F Lightning/#27 of 39th FS.


Pilot Curran Jones of the 39th FS and his P-38 Lightning at 14 Mile airstrip, Port Moresby


Captain Robert Faroon, 20th January 1943


P-38 Lightnings of the 39th FS.


Bell P-39D-2-BE Airacobra/41-38499, damaged from collapsed gear at Milne Bay.


Bell P-39D-2-BE Airacobra/41-38499, wrecked at Milne Bay.


F5C Lightning of the 8th PRS, crashed at Tadji airstrip on the north coast of New Guinea


P-40N Warhawk of the 44th FS, crashed at Munda


P-40K Warhawk of the 7th FS/49th FG, bellied in at Dobodura


P-39 Airacobra gassing up at 30 Mile strip, Rarona


P-39 Airacobra having it's propeller removed, 27th Air Depot, Port Moresby


Looking down the Flightline Gurney Airstrip Milne Bay


P-38 Lightnings of the 80th FS taxi by on Cape Gloucester airstrip


F-4 Lightning/Eager Beaver II of the 8th PRS at 14 Mile airstrip, Port Moresby.


P-40 Warhawk of the 8th FS, after gear failure at Sorido airstrip, Biak


P-40 Warhawk of the 8th FS after suffering a gear failure, Sentani Strip


P-40E Warhawk of the 8th Fighter Squadron 'Black Sheep'/49th FG


P-40 Warhawk/Princess Pat II/129 of the 44th FS, Munda airstrip, December 1943.


P-40 Warhawks (42-105288 in the foreground) of the 35th FS/8th FG parked on an airstrip at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, February 6, 1944.


P-40 Warhawks on New Guinea


80th FS Pilot Ken Ladds P-38 at Dobodura airstrip Borio _15 Dobodura


Bell P-39N Airacobra/42-19027/Little Sir Echo.


Bell P-39Q Airacobras of the 82nd Recon Squadron, New Guinea, May 28, 1944.


P-39 Airacobras at Milne Bay


P-39 Airacobra being serviced in less than ideal conditions.

[JohnTerrell]

The 4th photo down is P-38H "Japanese Sandman II" 42-66905. Photo is credited to the aircraft's original pilot, Lt. Richard E. Smith, taken in 1943. The aircraft was later reassigned to the 475th FG and operated until a forced landing brought it down in early December 1943 near Embi, in New Guinea, where it remained until being discovered in the mid 1990's. (Information from Pacific Wrecks)

The 5th photo down is P-38F 42-12652 (not "Japanese Sandman II"), which was assigned to 2nd Lt. Kenneth Sparks. That particular photo was taken immediately following the December 31, 1942 mission in which a Ki-43 collided with the aircraft's right wing during a dogfight. Sparks was able to safely return to 14-Mile Drome ("Schwimmer Drome") and the aircraft would be repaired and reassigned to the 475th FG in early 1943, eventually being damaged beyond repair at Finschafen Airfield in early 1944, where it remained until it was discovered in the late 90's and recovered. (Information from Pacific Wrecks)

Both had the tail/nose number of "White 33", though the style/design of the numbers/stenciling was different between the two. Both were assigned to the 35th FG, 39th FS at the different times the photos were taken.

Today, both airframes still partially survive - The P-38F 42-12652 (known as "White 33") of course has now been fully restored by Westpac and flies (almost entirely newly built to authentic WWII spec, with several parts incorporated from the original 42-12652), owned by Jim Slattery. The remains/sections of the P-38H "Japanese Sandman II" are reportedly both in New Guinea and Australia, with the sections recovered to Australia being attributed to Jerry Yagen ownership.

[lucky52]

I am no P-38 expert, but I thought P-38 canopys flipped back with the sides going down.On some of those pictures it looks like the top is flipped over to the right.Am I seeing that right?

[Scott Rose]

The 4th photo down is P-38H "Japanese Sandman II" 42-66905. Photo is credited to the aircraft's original pilot, Lt. Richard E. Smith, taken in 1943. The aircraft was later reassigned to the 475th FG and operated until a forced landing brought it down in early December 1943 near Embi, in New Guinea, where it remained until being discovered in the mid 1990's. (Information from Pacific Wrecks)

The 5th photo down is P-38F 42-12652 (not "Japanese Sandman II"), which was assigned to 2nd Lt. Kenneth Sparks. That particular photo was taken immediately following the December 31, 1942 mission in which a Ki-43 collided with the aircraft's right wing during a dogfight. Sparks was able to safely return to 14-Mile Drome ("Schwimmer Drome") and the aircraft would be repaired and reassigned to the 475th FG in early 1943, eventually being damaged beyond repair at Finschafen Airfield in early 1944, where it remained until it was discovered in the late 90's and recovered. (Information from Pacific Wrecks)

Both had the tail/nose number of "White 33", though the style/design of the numbers/stenciling was different between the two. Both were assigned to the 35th FG, 39th FS at the different times the photos were taken.

Today, both airframes still partially survive - The P-38F 42-12652 (known as "White 33") of course has now been fully restored by Westpac and flies (almost entirely newly built to authentic WWII spec, with several parts incorporated from the original 42-12652), owned by Jim Slattery. The remains/sections of the P-38H "Japanese Sandman II" are reportedly both in New Guinea and Australia, with the sections recovered to Australia being attributed to Jerry Yagen ownership.

Thanks John!

[Dan K]

I am no P-38 expert, but I thought P-38 canopys flipped back with the sides going down.On some of those pictures it looks like the top is flipped over to the right.Am I seeing that right?

Yep. I believe the backwards-opening canopy was implemented during P-38F production.

"Glacier Girl" is one example that was early enough in the production run to bear the earlier style.





http://www.kazoku.org/xp-38n/articles/ggfirstflight.htm

[Kyleb]

Those parked P-38's really have their front struts pumped up. The ones I see today, and the ones that normally operated off of paved surfaces during the war are/were at a very different attitude on the ground. Some of the P-39's look the same.

[Dan Jones]

Interesting wartime pic of the POF's P-39N, 42-19027.

[lucky52]

Now I have to dig out my old books to see if I can spot some early P-38s.

[gemmer]

"Gassing up-30 mile" is a P-400.

[Scott Rose]

"Gassing up-30 mile" is a P-400.

How can you tell?

[JohnTerrell]

There are three deffinitive clues - the number of exhaust stubs (12 per side rather than 6), evidence of the RAF type camo pattern, and the Hispano 20-mm cannon rather than the 37-mm cannon, pointing to it as being a P-400.

(P-39D-1's also had a 20-mm cannon, but had 6 exhaust stubs per side and had standard OD/grey paint schemes. The P-39F had the 12 exhaust stubs per side, but had the 37-mm cannon.)

[gemmer]

There are three deffinitive clues - the number of exhaust stubs (12 per side rather than 6), evidence of the RAF type camo pattern, and the Hispano 20-mm cannon rather than the 37-mm cannon, pointing to it as being a P-400.

(P-39D-1's also had a 20-mm cannon, but had 6 exhaust stubs per side and had standard OD/grey paint schemes. The P-39F had the 12 exhaust stubs per side, but had the 37-mm cannon.)

100% correct.

[Scott Rose]

There are three deffinitive clues - the number of exhaust stubs (12 per side rather than 6), evidence of the RAF type camo pattern, and the Hispano 20-mm cannon rather than the 37-mm cannon, pointing to it as being a P-400.

(P-39D-1's also had a 20-mm cannon, but had 6 exhaust stubs per side and had standard OD/grey paint schemes. The P-39F had the 12 exhaust stubs per side, but had the 37-mm cannon.)

100% correct.

Thanks! Always good to learn new things!

[Claymore]

In the photo titled "P-40 Warhawks on New Guinea", I was interested to see the Razorback P-47 in the background. My Dad's cousin, Lt Gene Smith, disappeared over eastern New Guinea in August 1944, while flying an early model P-47D. Every time I see a photo of a Razorback on or around that area I wonder if it might be the one he flew. I have the serial number of that plane, but most pics don't show the serial number of the subject aircraft. Closest I have come is a photo of Col. Neal Kearby's "Fiery Ginger" which was about a dozen numbers later.

[bdk]

Interesting wartime pic of the POF's P-39N, 42-19027.

Seems to be undergoing some additional restoration in Chino. It is outside getting the paint stripped for the past few months.