Pacific Wrecks, a World War II aircraft recovery group, thinks it has found the wreckage of the P-38J flown by Major Richard Bong, America’s top flying ace.
Bong, born in Superior, Wisconsin, shot down 40 Japanese aircraft during WWII.
U.S. WWII Ace Richard Bong’s P-38 Believed Found
The fighter aircraft, which crashed in 1944, has been identified and verified in Papua New Guinea.
Key Takeaways:
- Pacific Wrecks has definitively identified the wreckage of "Marge," the P-38J flown by Major Richard Bong, America's top World War II flying ace, in Papua New Guinea.
- The aircraft, notable for its unique nose art depicting Bong's future wife, crashed in March 1944 after an engine failure while being piloted by 2nd Lt. Thomas Malone, who safely bailed out.
- The discovery, made 80 years after the crash through extensive research and expeditions, was positively confirmed by finding parts stamped with the aircraft's specific serial number.
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