P-40 wreck found under 25 feet of water of Hawaii

There is more info at
http://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/news/p_40k_warhawk_photos.html

The Ops Book of 78th Sqn says

“Only two airplanes were lost operationally on Midway, a phenomenal record
for the amount and kind of flying done at that base. One airplane
was totally lost when controls “froze” while on a mission and the
pilot was forced to bail out. The pilot was recovered. The other
airplane was a partial loss when it crashed on landing with a
30 knot cross-wind at 30 degrees to the runway. The pilot of this plane
suffered only minor injuries.”

The runway incident is probably be P-40K 42-45760 on 16-02-43 Pilot Laughlin, Dale J*

Ray L. Obenshain date and serial unknown, but could be 42-45757 (based on elimination)

Midway is in the state of Hawaii

Trivial Pursuit clarification: Midway is part of the Hawaiian Islands, but it is not part of the US state of Hawaii. Midway, instead, is an unincorporated territory within the United States Minor Outlying Islands. Administered by the US gvmt, but not part of Hawaii.

I liked the quote in the newspaper about the pilot ditching, then parachuting out! Quite the freefall…

The report, then, states that the fighter went down off of Midway — a long way from Hawaii.

Midway is in the state of Hawaii

It was Hawaii or Midway?
He certainly covered all the bases by ditching and then parachuting 🙂