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| USAAF 13th AF 347th FG 339th FS  USAAF 1942 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Adam Serwat, Jr., O-734004 (MIA / KIA) La Grange, IL MIA January 28, 1944 MACR 1948 Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 1371. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38H-5-LO Lightning serial number 42-66860. Disassembled and shipped overseas to the South Pacific (SOPAC) and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 13th Air Force (13th AF), 347th Fighter Group (347th FG), 339th Fighter Squadron (339th FS). No known nickname or nose art. When lost engines V-1710-91 serial number 42-94365 and (right) V-1710-89 serial number 42-30443. Armed with a 20mm cannon maker and serial number unknown and four .50 caliber machine guns makers and serial numbers not listed in Missing Air Crew Report 1948 (MACR 1948). Mission History On January 28, 1944 took off from Stirling Airfield piloted by 1st Lt. Adam Serwat, Jr. as one of fourteen P-38s escorting B-25 Mitchells from 42nd Bombardment Group (42nd BG) on a bombing mission over Tobera Airfield south of Rabaul. The weather was clear with good visibility. Over the Gazelle Peninsula, the P-38 formation flying at 15,000' were intercepted from above by roughly 60-80 Zeros including Zeros from Ryuhō Air Group that dove down from above. During the air combat, the P-38s claim five Zeros shot down. Zeros from Ryuhō Air Group claim eight P-38s shot down. In fact, five P-38s were lost and three damaged including two that returned on a single engine and one P-38 damaged by fourteen 20mm cannon hits. This plane was last seen by P-38 pilot 2nd Lt. William R. Thomas. When this plane failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Also lost was P-38J 42-67173 pilot 2nd Lt. Garland C. Schrock (MIA) and P-38J 42-67783 pilot 2nd Lt. Kenneth I. McCloud (survived). Recovery of Remains On April 13, 2026 Schrock was accounted for by the Department of Defense (DoD). Memorials Serwat was officially declared dead the day of the mission. He earned the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters and Purple Heart, posthumously. Serwat is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. References NARA WWII Draft Registration Cards - Garland Clair Schrock USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-38H-5-LO Lightning 42-66860 Missing Air Crew Report 1948 (MACR 1948) created January 29, 1944 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Adam Serwat, Jr. FindAGrave - 1Lt Adam Serwat Jr. (photo, tablets of the missing photo) South Pacific Air War (2024) pages 527-528 (January 28, 1944) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated May 20, 2026 |
 P-38  MIA 1 Missing |
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