All in a Day's Work by Rick Herter

One of the most iconic and effective fighters of WWII was the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The Lightning was extremely recognizable on the ground or in the air because of its distinctive twin tail boom design and the pod between the booms that formed the cockpit.

Though the aircraft was flown in both the European and Pacific theaters it was most successful in the Pacific. The P-38’s long range and twin engines allowed it to operate over vast stretches of ocean to attack Japanese targets in the air or on the islands dotting the Pacific. As a matter of fact, the two leading Aces of the Army Air Corps, Thomas McGuire and Richard Bong, both flew the Lightning.

All in a Day’s Work features a pair of Lockheed P-38 Lightnings of the 475th Fighter Group. Leading the flight is Col. Charles H. McDonald flying his personal ship, Putt Putt Maru. McDonald makes a low-level fighter sweep as he surveys the shoreline of an enemy island. In the foreground lays a downed Japanese Zero and in the background a partially sunken enemy ship. McDonald was credited with 27 aerial victories and sinking several enemy ships during his combat tour.