Photo Caption: - "The plastic nose of the Lockheed P-38 photo plane showing K-22 aerial camera with the lens shade of the camera visible. Italy". This is actually Lockheed P-38J 'Droop-Snoot*' Lightning 43-28352 'Lady Lou' 82nd Fighter Group, 15th AF, Vincenzo airfield, Italy early 1945. Either 95th, 96th or 97th Fighter Squadron. Plexiglass nosed and a lead bombardment A/C fitted with a Norden bomb sight for the bombardier. The access hatch panel sits on top of the nose and in this view the emergency escape hatch in front of the nose wheel strut is visible. Also clear in this view is one of the two additional windows let into the nose to let daylight into the nose section. NARA Ref 342-FH-3A24145-60245AC. * 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.