42-67704 Fubar
* 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.
Object Number - UPL 19706 - Lockheed P-38J Lightning 'Droopsnoot*' aircraft 42-67704 'F.U.B.A.R.' CL-Kbar 388th FS, 55th FG, 8AF USAAF. * The 'Droop Snoot' field conversion...
Built by Lockheed as a P-38J, field modified to 'Droop Snoot*' configuration. Assigned to 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force. Transferred to 56th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force. Transferred to 9th Air Force. * 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
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: 15069842 / T-001369 / O-2045059
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Fighter pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 20th Fighter Group 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron 77th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-731368
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14090993
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 479th Fighter Group 56th Fighter Group Headquarters (479th Fighter Group) Headquarters (56th Fighter Group)
- Service Numbers: O-022353
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Commander; Pilot
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bures / RAF Wormingford / RFC Wormingford / USAAF Station 159 / Wormingford Landing Ground
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Bombing Mission |
Chantilly, France | 30 May 1944 | Flying a glass fronted P-38 “droopsnoot” Lighting fitted with a Norden bombsight and Lt H Ezzel of the 20th BG as bombardier Col Zemke leads 24 Thunderbolts on a bombing mission. 16 of the P-47s carry 1000lb bombs under the fusalage while the remaining 8 fly top cover. The rail bridge at Chantilly is destroyed. 30th May 1944. |
|
Other Bombing Mission |
Gütersloh, Germany | 31 May 1944 | Armed with 500lb bombs the P-47s of the 56th carry out another “Droopsnoot” mission led by Col Zemke. The target today is an airfield at Gutersloh which is attacked with excellent results. 31st May 1944. |
|
Other Bombing Mission |
80500 Montdidier, France | 25 July 1944 | Another “droopsnoot” mission with Schilling leading 35 P-47's and Col Zemke flying the P-38 the group take off at 18.20. Each P-47 carries a 150Gal drop tank filled with oil, with the targets including a fuel dump at Fournival. Zemke's P-38 is hit by flak over Montdidier and he returns to Boxted minus the starboard propeller. 25th July 1944. |
|
Crashed |
Boxted, Colchester, Essex, UK | 25 July 1944 | On landing the P-38's brakes fail and Zemke ends the mission in a field at the end of the runway. 25th July 1944. |
|
Manufactured |
Burbank, CA, USA | Built by Lockheed. | |
|
Delivered |
Long Beach, CA, USA | Delivered to USAAF. | |
|
Other Field Modified |
Langford Lodge, Ireland | Field modified to 'Droop Snoot*' configuration. | |
|
Assigned |
Wormingford, Colchester, Essex CO6, UK | Assigned to 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force. | |
|
Other Transferred |
Boxted, Colchester, Essex, UK | Transferred to 56th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force. | |
|
Other Transferred |
Europe | Transferred to 9th Air Force. |
![French countryside, photographed through the nose of a P-38 Lightning of the 367th Fighter Group on landing. Image stamped on reverse: 'Not to be published 30 Aug 1944.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 31 May 1945.' [stamp] and '354528 .' [censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'P-38s over the Seine. No.1 of a series of pix taken through the nose of the P-38 as it comes in to land. Scherschel LIFE.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-456843.jpg.webp?itok=vyT98_c0)
