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43-28823

P-38 Lightning

  • Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group on the wing of P-38J-15-LO, s/n 43-28823 coded J2-Z. Aircraft was later transferred to the 428th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group. This ship was lost to flak just south of Manhay, Belgium on 25 December 1944. The pilot, 1Lt. Bobby R. Rankin, was KIA (MACR 11900).

    Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group on the wing of P-38J-15-LO, s/n 43-28823 coded J2-Z. Aircraft was later transferred to the 428th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group. This ship was lost to flak just south of Manhay, Belgium on 25 December 1944. The pilot, 1Lt. Bobby R. Rankin, was KIA (MACR 11900).

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On Strafing run at La Roche, Belgium, hit by flak as A/C leveled off, bursting into flames. A/C climbed 2-300ft before diving into ground and exploding on impact. Pilot 1st Lt Bobbie R Rankin KIA. MACR 11900.

Service

Units

People

  • Bobbie Rankin

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 474th Fighter Group
    Pilot P-38. Assigned to 428th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, 9th AF. On Strafing run at La Roche, Belgium, hit by flak as A/C leveled off, bursting into flames. A/C climbed 2-300ft before diving into ground and exploding on impact. KIA. MACR...

  • Hubert Zemke

    Military | Colonel | Fighter Group Commander; Pilot | 479th Fighter Group
    17 air victories with 56th FG flying P-47s, 2 1/2 with 479th FG flying P-51s. Lost 30 October 1944 when P-51 broke up in storm. Prisoner of War (POW) in Stalag Luft I. Was appointed as head of American Prisoner of War (POW)s while in camp. Retired from...

Places

  • Warmwell

    Military site : airfield
    Originally named Woodsford, the station opened as a grass airfield Armament Practice Camp in 1937. Subject to a change of name in 1938, to avoid confusion with the Avro factory airfield of Woodford, RAF Warmwell was used as a training, fighter and ASR...

Events

Event Location Date
Assigned Warmwell, Dorchester, Dorset DT2, UK March 1944

428th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, 9AF USAAF.
Crashed 1490 La Roche, Belgium 25 December 1944 – 25 December 1944

On Strafing run at La Roche, Belgium, hit by flak as A/C leveled off, bursting into flames. A/C climbed 2-300ft before diving into ground and exploding on impact. Pilot 1st Lt Bobbie R Rankin KIA. MACR 11900.
Nicknames
Not yet known
Production block number
P-38J-15-LO
Manufacturer
Lockheed
Markings and paint scheme/livery
Not yet known

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
07 January 2016 11:13:23 Al_Skiff Changes to production block number, description, events, unit associations, person associations and place associations
Sources

AAM DB Entry.
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbmsn.asp?SN=43-28823&Submit6=Go
MACR 11900
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:41:20 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

MACR 11900 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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