P-38 or Mosquito?

[Glider]

If you want a
day fighter then the P38 must win
bomber then its the Mossie
fighter bomber then its the mossie
night fighter then its the mossie
Photo Recce then its the mossie
Carrier Strike then its the Mossie
Precision Strike then its the Mossie

Overall ITS THE MOSSIE

 

[evangilder]

I'd call the photo recce a draw. The F5 was a great photo recce plane as well. They were both very capable for that.

 

[wmaxt]

They could both do just about anything the difference is that Any single P-38 could do most of the jobs just by specific load out. The Mossies were modified for specific roles and could not cross those lines as easily. Both aircraft were able to do just about anything envisioned. For aircraft designed for dissimilar missions it'e pretty amazing what they could do.

I chose the P-38 thats all.

wmaxt

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

actually i'm with glider on this one.........

 

[cheddar cheese]

Duh


But the P-38 is far too underrated as a multi-role aircraft and wmaxt hit the nail on the head.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

P-38 8)

Oh, Hedy Lamar is a beautiful gal,
and Madeleine Carroll is too,
but you'l find if you query, a different theory
amonsgt any bomber crew
For the loveliest thing of which one could sing
(this side of the Pearly Gates)
Is no blonde or brunette of the Hollywood set
But an escort of p-38's

Yes in the days that have passed, when the tables were massed
With glasses of scotch and champagne
Yes it's true that the sight was once a thing to delight
Us, intent on feeling no pain.
But no longer the same, nowadays, in this game
When we head north from the Messina Straits
Take the sparkling wine- every time just make mine an escort of P-38's

Byron, Shelly, Keats run a dozen dead heats
Describing the view from the hills,
of the valleys in May when the winds gently sway
In the airs a different story;
We sweat out our track through fighter and flak
We're willing to split p the glory
Well, they wouldn't reject us so Heaven pretect us
and, until all the shooting abates,
Give us the courage to fight'em- and one other small item,
An escort of P-38's

 

[cheddar cheese]

Brilliant!

 

[d_bader]

The mossie was the better of the two. The mossie also looks great!

 

[d_bader]

I dont feel that the mossie and lightning can be put in the same class together because they were mainly used for differnet roles and in different theatres.

 

[d_bader]

As far as I am aware the lightning never did the important job of dropping flares before a bomber raid.

The lightning was only famous because the role of fighter or escort seemed very heroic and popular compared to flare dropping which could make a huge differnece to the effects of the bombing raid.

 

[d_bader]

i think the mossie wins by a clear mile! it was good in most roles that it played and did not gain all the respect it deserved unlike the overated lightning.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

i think the mossie wins by a clear mile! it was good in most roles that it played and did not gain all the respect it deserved unlike the overated lightning.

Obviously you are not aware of the role the P-38 played in the Pacific where it was surpreme. Yes, it is a hard comparison as both aircraft were used in different roles, but to call it over-rated is nonsence. The P-51 was over-rated, if anything the -38 was under-rated.

 

[Glider]

FJ is right. Mossie couldn't shine in the Pacific as the glue came unstuck. not a god situation sitting in a plane at a shade under 390mph and no glue.

Wmax point about the P38 doing most roles with a different load I would disagree with. The P38 nightfighter, PR and bombers were all special builds. If I had to take a standard Mossie VI and Wmax A standard P38 and do a minimum conversion to fit the roles the Mossie would be a much easier task.
A It has 2 crew
B It has an internal bomb bay ideal for putting camerasm fuel tanks or electronic bits and pieces in.

 

[wmaxt]

As far as I am aware the lightning never did the important job of dropping flares before a bomber raid.

The lightning was only famous because the role of fighter or escort seemed very heroic and popular compared to flare dropping which could make a huge differnece to the effects of the bombing raid.

The Lightning not only did pathfinder work, it radar bombed with loads up to two two-thousand pound bombs.

Half of the P-38s roll was as a tac-air or ground pounder where it did an excelent job, many consider it one of if not the best dive bomber of the war. As you say it's known primarily as an escort fighter ang that's only part of the story, think what its rep would be with the whole story!

As a bomber the mossie had an edge, as a fighter the P-38 had an edge.

wmaxt

 

[wmaxt]

Wmax point about the P38 doing most roles with a different load I would disagree with. The P38 nightfighter, PR and bombers were all special builds. If I had to take a standard Mossie VI and Wmax A standard P38 and do a minimum conversion to fit the roles the Mossie would be a much easier task.
A It has 2 crew
B It has an internal bomb bay ideal for putting camerasm fuel tanks or electronic bits and pieces in.

There were night fighter P-38s before the M model without major mods as early as Guaglcanal. Their scores range from 6-36 kills, the limiting factor was not capability but the priority of use of the P-38s available. These same aircraft could be loadded with tanks or bombs the next day and used for any roll desired, even the M models whose modifications were a second seat, black paint and radar.

Recon P-38s were dedicated, yes, but again they could tote a full load if desired.

As for the Droop Snoot version, it was for lead planes in formation bombing and path finding only about 50 were made. The loads varied by model, 3,200lbs on the F models to 4,000lbs on the Ls (5,600lbs field load was common) but EVERY P-38 could carry at least 3,200lbs by hanging the load on the shackle, NO mods needed.

All P-38s except the recon and Drop snoot birds could do ALL the tasks on the same day(recon and droop snoot planes normaly did not have guns). Primarily, Mossies were built, not modified, to do their respective rolls. Modifications took days to months on the Mossie and minutes on the P-38.

The thing is the P-38 was a fighter/bomber the Mossie was a Bomber/fighter, each was better at that prime role. I think the P-38 was a little better bomber that the Mossie was as a fighter, so for me I would go for the P-38.

Lastly, I think they were both great but underated planes.

wmaxt

 

[evangilder]

Let's not forget that the P-38 could carry 2 torpedoes.

 

[Glider]

Also the Mossie had the bouncing bomb. Not used I grant you but I doubt that the P38 was often used as a torpedo bomber.

To be honest we basically agree. One had the edge as a fighter and the other as a bomber. Both were very, very capable aircraft and each airforce would have been considerably poorer without them.

 

[Erich]

as I stated earlier the P-38 in the nf role only scored 12 kills.

the Mossie was superior in all respects, high recon, night fighters as the XIX and XXX and even as a fighter bomber. It was a plague in the side of the German Luftwaffe all during the war and only with advent of the Me 262 could their possibly have been some control

 

[wmaxt]

as I stated earlier the P-38 in the nf role only scored 12 kills.

the Mossie was superior in all respects, high recon, night fighters as the XIX and XXX and even as a fighter bomber. It was a plague in the side of the German Luftwaffe all during the war and only with advent of the Me 262 could their possibly have been some control

There is some debate on the number of night kills, but I grant you the number is low. However the point that is often ignored, is that the reason was not because it couldn't, it wasn't asked to.

Yes, the Mossie was a thorn in the Germans side, and very effective too but the biggest handicapp the P-38 had was it's numbers vrs its demand. It did everything asked of it and normaly as competantly as aircraft designed for that roll specificaly.

I stick to what I said above the Mossie was a better bomber and the P-38 was a better fighter, they were both underrated and did what they were asked beautifuly.

wmaxt

 

[Erich]

The night kills of the P-38 are confirmed and the outfit was a day fighter version. I agree to disagree, the Mossie was second to none and the P-38 doesn't even come close, and it should not even be compared with the Mossie ....

the P-38 was queen in the Pacific in the ETO it was not. It did it's job when it was needed but was replaced by more able craft such as the Jug and Stang.