44-23517
The view of the bombardier through the plexiglass nose of a Droop Snoot P-38 coming in to land. Note the bombardiers feet at bottom of frame. Roger Freeman Collection
Roger Freeman Photo.
RAF Air Commodore Alfred C H Sharp, a former Deputy Chief of Staff HQ 8th AF, was gifted this P-38 Lightning as his personal aircraft when he left to take up a new posting as 54 base commander. Initialy flown soley by Sharp. A 'Droop Snoot*' was lent to No 5 Grp RAF for a month, causing quite an impression, and upon its return to the USAAF, 44-23517 was sent to Langford Lodge for conversion. Used extensively on operations in the master bomber role until AC Sharp left Conningsby for a new posting at Northolt, later transferred to No 51 MU at Lichfield for diposal, thence onto Delft University, Netherlands in 1948 and finally back to the USAAF.
* The 'Droop Snoot' field conversion entailed the removal of the nose armament and associated equipment to make room for a prone bombardiers/observers position with the installation of a plexiglass nose, a Norden bombsight, side windows and an emergency hatch. The theory was for a formation of P-38's to drop their bombs on the formation lead 'Droop snoots' signal with the precision of the Norden bombsight ensuring the accuracy of the formations bombing. An idea championed by Lt Col Cass Hough and Lt Col Dan Ostrander.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Headquarters
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Combat organisation
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: British
- Unit: 1st Air Division Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)
- Service Numbers: 19066
- Highest Rank: Air Vice-Marshal
- Role/Job: Air Liaison Officer
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Field modified |
Langford Lodge, Ireland | 30 August 1944 - 15 September 1944 | Field modified to 'Droop Snoot*' configuration. |
Other Operational RAF use |
R A F Station, Raf Coningsby, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN4 4SY, UK | 15 September 1944 - 19 October 1944 | Used extensively on operations in the master bomber role. 1st mission to Germany with Sq Ldr Owen. 23-9-44. |
Other Gifted as personal A/C |
R A F Station, Raf Coningsby, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN4 4SY, UK | 6 August 2044 | Former Deputy Chief of Staff HQ 8th AF, was gifted this P-38 Lightning as his personal aircraft when he left to take up a new RAF posting |
Manufactured |
Burbank, CA, USA | Built at Lockheed Aviation. | |
Delivered |
Long Beach, CA, USA | Delivered to USAAF. | |
Other Transferred |
Lichfield, Lichfield, Staffordshire, UK | Transferred to No 51 MU. For disposal. | |
Other Passed to |
Delft, Netherlands | Passed onto Delft University Netherlands. | |
Other Returned USAAF |
Germany | Returned to USAAF. |