Lt. Lloyd Wenzel - P-38L "Ho-Hum The Second" (F5N) - 474th FG, 428th FS

[Vraciu]

P-38L-1-LO "HO-HUM The Second"
S/N 44-23652 (F5N)
428th FS, 474th FG, 9th AF, USAAF
Lt. Lloyd Wenzel
Florennes, Belgium, March 1945


This is Lt. Lloyd Wenzel's P-38L-1-LO, "Ho-Hum The Second" (S/N listed as 44-23652) coded F5N of the 428th FS, 474th FG.   There is some disagreement as to whether or not it is a late-model P-38J-25-LO with the dive flap kit installed or a P-38L-1-LO.   This has not been resolved by visual evidence of the production number which is obscured in all presently available photos of the aircraft.  The P-38L was deployed in the ETO in limited numbers with several being lost before D-Day and I've depicted it as such.   I leave it to the player to decide which is correct until further data is made available.   

Thanks again to Lyric1 for his help digging up pictures of this airplane.

Converting to jpg and uploading just takes a little something off the images which drives me crazy but here you go.  Click to enlarge.

[oboe]

Pure gorgeousness - nothin Ho-Hum about this one!

[Devil 505]

Very nice.

[lyric1]

 

[Greebo]

Beautiful skin Vraciu, very nicely done.

[Vraciu]

Thanks guys.

[JimmyD3]

Awesome V!!!

[Vraciu]

Thanks, Ken.   Quite a difference compared to the old shape.




Wentzel spoke German and after the war was involved with the jet/rocket scientists we captured.   He wound up working on the F-15's development before retiring as a Colonel. 

[whiteman]

Glad to see more gorgeous 38’s I can crash and burn in being added.

[Vraciu]

Ha ha ha!

Thanks,  man. 

[Guppy35]

Late to the party.  The 474th FG has been a long time history obsession of mine.  I had the pleasure of talking to Lloyd Wenzel, the pilot of Ho Hum the second. 

She as a P38J-25  Serial number 44-23652 F5-N  Images of Wenzel and Ho Hum the second below.


Lloyd Wenzel in the cockpit of his 38


Lloyd on the left with Bobby Rankin standing by Ho Hum the second


Another image of Wenzel with Ho Hum the Second


Ho Hum from the front quarter.  You can see the dive flaps under the wing and the wing edge landing light


Ho Hum from the left side

[Vraciu]

Great pics.  A couple of these I did not have. 

Do we have any pics of the stencils that say J-25?

Since it has the dive flap I'm leaving it in the L category for the game but will update the history.

[Devil 505]

Isn't the landing light position different between the J and L?

[Vraciu]

Isn't the landing light position different between the J and L?

Some lighting is different but the dive flap is more important.   It may be possible to hide the leading edge light on the L.

Looking at the next to last photo... is that an LE light on the left wing?

I'm leaving it in the L box regardless.   

Guppy's picture solved one riddle I could not: the color of the NO STEP stencils.   

[Guppy35]

Great pics.  A couple of these I did not have. 

Do we have any pics of the stencils that say J-25?

Since it has the dive flap I'm leaving it in the L category for the game but will update the history.

No close up of the stencil.  The info comes from a combat report in the 428th FS, 474th FG History "The Geyser Gang".