Flying a new P-38 over the Pacific c 1944 ...

[Mark Allen M]

here's a nice photo set of what looks to be a new P-38 delivery to the South Pacific theater. The actual location is unknown.















And here's another P-38 named 'Busy Lizzie'

[RyanShort1]

Guess an SBD was being used as the photo ship?

[Ken]

Great images and fascinating background. In the first image, it looks as if there may be an airfield in the top of the frame. In other images, some islands and shore area appear to be planted in plantation rows for coconut, banana, etc?

I went to Baugher's serial list and, oddly, it seemed like most serials close to 43-28860 served in Europe. A number of those losses were June 1944. This caused me to look for online lists of Pacific airfields for that time frame. This caused me to look at Google maps to compare general topography with the photo. It is interesting how the islands of New Guinea and the Phillipines tend to have the smaller island fragments around them, whereas the Marianas seem to be more individualized.

I didn't solve the riddle, but it was educational just looking.

Ken

[RyanShort1]

here's a nice photo set of what looks to be a new P-38 delivery to the South Pacific theater. The actual location is unknown.

That little island or peninsula is interesting. It definitely looks like it is deliberately planted with rows of orderly trees.

[Stoney]

photo ship could be a SB2C

[RyanShort1]

photo ship could be a SB2C

Looked at that but I think that the trim tab and holes in the dive flaps are SBD. Just trying to see if we could narrow down where there might have been a photo ship.

[JohnH]

I went through a list of serials last night and it was missing this brand new 38. So no idea what happened to it .

[JohnH]

I went through a list of serials last night and it was missing this brand new 38. So no idea what happened to it .

[Pogmusic]

While it may be an SBD, it could also be an A-24.

[RyanShort1]

While it may be an SBD, it could also be an A-24.

Same airframe - and dive brakes essentially, though.

[lucky52]

From a historical point, would't it have had either a c/n # (or assembly #) painted on the very front of the nose if it was brand new? Of course, it could have been removed but a lot of P-38s seem to have the other number.I think "Glacier Girl" has one and that picture of all the trashed out P-38s in the Philippines all had them.

[lmritger]

These look an awful lot like they came from a set of photos of the 12th FS/18th FG that were up on Ebay a few years back... I wonder if this bird was on a check flight out of Fighter Two at Guadalcanal? Lemme see if I can post the photos I saved from that group.

Lynn

[Mark Allen M]

Maybe these will help at least place the location and explain the neatly aligned rows of palms.










SNJ over Turtle Bay Fighter Airfield on Espiritu Santo October 5, 1943.


SNJ in flight over Turtle Bay Fighter Airfield on Santo.


SBD Dauntless aircraft of Marine Scout Bomber Squadron 234 (VMSB-234) on April 15, 1943, at Turtle Bay Fighter Airfield on Santo.


December 20 1943, and during servicing, ground crew are hand starting with a crank this SBD aircraft at the Turtle Island Fighter strip on Espiritu Santo.


March 28, 1944 at Bomber Airfield #2, which is now Santo International Airport.


Curtiss SO3C-1 from the USS Tangier (AV8) beaches at Espiritu Santo on January 29, 1943.






P-38 banks hard over Middelburg Island.

[Mark Sampson]

Great photos and research. And I never realized that the Curtiss Seagull saw service in a combat zone, or that the Navy took SNJs to the Pacific. Live and learn!

[Mark Sampson]

Great photos and research. And I never realized that the Curtiss Seagull saw service in a combat zone, or that the Navy took SNJs to the Pacific. Live and learn!