Quote:
Originally Posted by Edward
Tommy Lynch was a very popular officer as well as successful P-38 pilot from the 39th Fighter Squadron. He had flown combat missions over New Guinea since mid-May 1942. He was part of the team who first began flying the P-38 Lightning during the Buna campaign in November & December 1942. He later served as Squadron Commander in 1943. Tommy Lynch was revered by the men of his Squadron and was regarded as a hero back in the U.S.. He went out on that final mission with Dick Bong on 9 March 1944 and did not come home. Bong lived and returned to base while Lynch died. Regardless of what actually happened many of the men of V Fighter Command and especially those of the 39th Squadron had lost a hero and resented Bong.
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Thanks; that's the sort of stuff I never read about as a kid during the late 1960s and 1970s before my interest switched to the Jagdwaffe.
I had a similar experience on Youtube with somebody talking about P47s; we had a misunderstanding and he blocked me, but I learned that the 4th FG had some real performance and leadership issues as well as issues with the P47. I had never heard that about these issues before but sadly I shall probably never learn more due to this 'rupture'.