P-38 model service dates in Pacific from pacificwrecks.com

Was trying to work out service dates of P-38 models in Pacific and found Pacific Wrecks They have cross matched the crashed planes serial numbers with squadron records to find the date the plane was lost. Given the attrition rate in Pacific its fairly close as to when plane types arrived. The Pacific Wrecks site show first appearances for -
P-38-E 6/42 (Aleutian Islands)
P-38-F 11/42
P-38-G 2/43
P-38-H 7/43
P-38-J 12/43
P-38-L 11/44.

Why this interests me is that there was a P-38 shortage in Pacific in late 1943 (as European theatre had priority for the long range P-38 at that time) causing some squadrons to convert to P-47's and until early 1944 the P-47 was actually the main USAAF fighter in the Pacific! The best information I can find says from 10/43-12/43 only 45 P-38-J arrived, then ~50 from 12/43-2/44. In 3/44 37 P-38-J with the new leading edge fuel tanks arrived, and the remaining 93 early -J were field fitted at Nazdab and Townsville with the leading edge tanks! These tanks could only be fitted to -J models as the leading edge had previously been used as a turbo intercooler in all earlier P-38's.

These P-38-J with the leading edge fuel cells were the only USAAF fighters that could fly all the way to the main Japanese airbase at Hollandia on the north coast of New Guinea.

atached file may have some interesting information
enormous influx of P-47 from late 43
P-51 kept low, only raised in late 44

Thanks for the government data sheets on USAAF strength Asia/Pacific! I have made some Excel graphs for Fighters and Bombers if anyone wants to download and play with them. The huge increase in Bomber numbers from 1943 on is also something surprising!


https://mysimtech.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/usaaf_fighters_list_20171124.xlsx


https://mysimtech.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/usaaf_bombers_list_20171124.xlsx

I suppose the 54th FS in the Aleutians doesn't count as "in" the Pacific? they arrived in June 42 with P-38Es. Just missed the dust up at Dutch Harbor, but remained in theater until the end of the war, flying successive models of Lightnings. Were the only fighters able to reach Attu and Kiska until the occupation of Amchitka. Did not have the range to escort the "Empire Express" raids on the Northern Kuriles.

Sorry I neglected P-38-E series as not known as combat ready in South Pacific! I added it to my first post. PacificWrecks.com does show the first written off P-38-E on 6/42 at Cold Bay Airfield, Aleutian Islands, Alaska on way to combat against Japanese on Kiska Island.

Probably walking around Alaska looking for wrecks is not as pleasant as in tropical Pacific!

Pacific wrecks is a good site but it does have some errors and omissions. As you pointed out, concentrates on the South Pacific.

For the record, the 54th Pursuit Squadron received their first P-38E on Feb 13, 1942. The squadron, redesignated the 54th Fighter Squadron, deployed with 25 P-38Es to Elmendorf Field, AK, with the air echelon departing May 23, 1942, followed by the ground echelon by sea.
First operational mission was patrolling in defense of Anchorage on June 3, 1942.
First P-38 kills awarded 4 Aug 1942, when a flight of P-38s guided by a radar equipped B-17 intercepted a flight of Kawanishi flying boats over Nazan Bay, Atka Island, Territory of Alaska, claiming two. LTs Kenneth Ambrose and Stanley Long were each credited with one.

I've got this on the first P-38 kill...



From the book "Aviation History" 2013

EDIT: I've also found a website that gives the date as Aug. 4th

Read the exciting history of the 54th Fighter Squadron here!
https://www.nps.gov/aleu/learn/historyculture/upload/54th-FS-history-all-pgs.pdf

The USAAF sheet has 24 P-38 in 6/42, down to 21 in 7/42, in 8/42 another P-38 unit must have entered the zone as 51 P-38 were reported on hand.