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 positively identified the wreckage of "Marge," the P-38J flown by Major Richard Bong, America's top WWII flying ace, in Papua New Guinea.
- The aircraft, named after Bong's girlfriend and future wife, crashed in March 1944 while being flown by another pilot, Second Lieutenant Thomas Malone, who successfully bailed out.
- Identification was confirmed through fragments bearing the aircraft's serial number (42-103993) and model type found at the remote jungle crash site.
- The discovery resulted from a collaborative expedition by Pacific Wrecks, supported by the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center, following extensive research and challenging recovery efforts.
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