"In December, Lt. Richard Bong was assigned to fly with the 39th Squadron in their P-38's. They frequently flew top cover over the American beachhead in the Buna - Dobodura area, on New Guinea's north coast. To reach this area, they had to fly over the cloud-covered 13,000 foot Owen Stanley Range. On Dec. 26, the Japanese air forces attacked the Buna beachhead, and the pilots of the 9th FS knocked down 8 of them. The next day, late in the morning of the 27th, coastwatchers alerted the US forces to another Japanese air raid (12 Vals, 12 Zekes, and 31 Oscars) on Buna. The squadron scrambled three 4-plane flights. Lynch led one flight - with Bong on his wing, Lt. Sparks, and Lt. Mangas. 1st Lt. Hoyt Eason led another. They formed up at 1500 feet over Laloki, climbed over the mountains, and took up positions at their 18,000 foot patrol altitude. Down below ships unloaded supplies for the troops. When the Jap planes appeared, Lynch led the way into the melee, and the Lightning pilots claimed seven victories, including two Ki-43's for Lynch and a Zero & a Val for Bong. Lynch was an ace.
In 1943, Lynch ran up his score and was promoted to Major, and Commanding Officer of the whole 35th Fighter Group. On one occasion, he had to bail out of his P-38 over the water, and broke his arm in the process. On September 4, over the Huon Gulf, he became one of the first in the theater to down a Ki-48 Lily bomber. "
