Dakota Territory Air Museum’s P-47 Update – April/May, 2021

The 39th fighter Squadron was still getting used to their new P-47D-23RAs that they had received in late June and early July 1944. In fact the pilots had logged no combat hours in July 1944. But that changed rapidly in August when they flew 1,181 combat hours.

As the pilots became more familiar with the new D-23, adaptations were made to better suit the conditions in the SW Pacific. Testing how much fuel could be carried in various drop tank configurations, a change in the location of the microphone, and bomb switches were all important. Perhaps most significant was a change in the position of the water injection switch. A combat evaluation report explains:

That increased range with maximum drop tanks loaded was important as noted in this excerpt from an unofficial squadron history.

“The History of the 39th Pursuit Squadron. Volume One”, by Colonel Frank R. Royal and S/Sgt Roy Seher for the 39th Squadron Association, gives us an idea of the locations and combat activity in late summer of 1944.

“A few new airplanes were coming in, the new D-23 series of the P-47 and they were unpainted, no longer the dull olive drab that we were used to. As the war front moved forward the 39th moved from Nadzab to Owi Island and then to Noemfoor Island in quick succession.  These are small islands near Biak Island in Geelvink Bay, way up near the Vogelkop (eagle head) Peninsula of New Guinea. The squadron still flew many low level bombing and strafing (interdiction) assignments, but they now had the capability to protect the bombers over their targets.”

Protecting the bombers all the way to their targets was a critical step to air superiority, as the fighters and bombers of the 8th Air Force had already demonstrated in the European theater.

On August 23rd of 1944, the squadron sustained its first operational combat fatality, when First Lieutenant Billy Richards was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire over Jefman.¹

In correspondence with his great nephew, Dave Elliot, a retired naval aviator and graduate of the Naval Academy, I found out Lt. Richards was flying P-47D-23RA, AAF serial number 42-27620. This P-47 is only 9 numbers in the Evansville sequence after our restoration, and it arrived in Townsville, Australia on the same day. Both aircraft were shipped to the SW Pacific on the same carrier with 42-27609, the Prince William, CVE 31.

Dave Elliot is working on gaining top priority for a search for his great uncle. He posted in social media:

“His P47 shot in the belly crashed 3 miles North of Jefman Island Indonesia landing in the water as recorded in the “39th Fighter Squadron Daily Logbook” maintained by their Maintenance Chief during the war.”:

“Jon Kreitz Joint POW/MIA Accountability Agency called me and said he is working with Indonesia to gain approval for a new search for my Great Uncle 1st Lt Billy E Richard’s and 7 other MIA/KIAs in the Jefman area and many others across Indonesia.

All of us here at AirCorps Aviation and Dakota Territory Air Museum wish him the best of luck in his important efforts to find MIA pilots.

^{1 Air Force Historical Research Agency, microfilm Reel AO737m, 39th FS history frame 572}

And that’s all for this month. We wish to thank AirCorps Aviation, Chuck Cravens for making this report possible! We look forwards to bringing more restoration reports on progress with this rare machine in the coming months. Be safe, and be well