43-28352 Lady Lou
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.
Object Number - UPL 19730 - 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....
Built by Lockheed as a P-38J, field modified at Langford Lodge into a 'Droop Snoot*' configuration. Assigned to 82nd Fighter Group, 12th AF, either to 95th, 96th or 97th Fighter Squadron.
* 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: Group
- Air Force: Twelfth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 82nd Fighter Group
- Service Numbers: O-690157
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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 |
Lecce LE, Italy | Assigned to 82nd Fighter Group, 12th AF, either to 95th, 96th or 97th Fighter Squadron. Lecce airfield, Italy. |
![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)
