The Fork-Tailed Devil..History of the P-38

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

I do not know if the Germans actually looked at the P-38 that way but compared to what they facing in thousands of P-47s and P-51s they probably did prefer to see the few P-38s that flew in the ETO.
 
In the introduction to the the Osprey "P-38 Lightning Aces of the MTO ETO" the first paragraph reads:

"Sometime during the course of the war in Europe, German aircrew prisioners of war were surveyed as to the fighter types they would most and least prefer to meet in combat. Not suprisingly, the majority chose the Spitfire as the type they would least like to encounter, whilst the P-38 Lightning was selected as the fighter they would prefer to engage"

So maybe it really was the preferred target
 
Gnomey said, "I always thought it was a myth penned later as both Adler and FBJ have pointed out. Other than that it is a good history P-38"

I pointed it out first. Where's the credit? Where's the love?
 
Besides, some people here have reticuled me about not knowing my facts. I think the P-38 is a great fighter especially its service in the Pacific and if some of you need refreshing, Richard Bong and Tommy Mcguire flew the P-38 and became America's leading aces in WWII.
 
P-38 know one redicules your for knowledge that you know, you just dont like being corrected.

Besides as Even put it, you need to source stuff when you take info directly from other peoples works. Otherwise it is called plagerism which guess what can get you sued and even jail time in the United States. You do it at school and you can be suspended or expelled. In College you will be thrown out of school and barred. Most Universities will not even look at you after that. And since it is a federal offense, there is a chance the military will not even look at you anymore, atleast to be an officer.

It would be something like this:

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
http://www.ThisIsNotMyInfoButSomeoneElses.com
Click to expand...
 
The name "Forked Tailed Devil" was first reported by Earny Pile in Africa. It's source was a captured German pilot. It could just be that that pilot was cursing the aircraft that shot him down and it was taken further from there by others. However this was also at the same time Stienhoff complaned to Galland that the P-38 was "Clearly superior in speed and maneuverability to his aircraft. Maybe it was true but only at that time and place, who really knows?

The early P-38s had a complex system that took to much time to go from long range cruise to combat power - they were in trouble if caught in a bounce. Inexperienced pilots probably couldn't maneuver very well. The P-38 had a 3-4:1 kill ratio, the P-51s is about 2:1, so calling the P-38 easy pickings and a preferred target is certainly missguided. Another thig is that if it were the prefered target - why do both bomber crews and P-38 pilots stress that often the bombers that were covered by P-38s were bypassed by German fighters?

As I posted elsewhere, The P-38 flew just under 130,000 sorties in Europe. Roughly 30,000 of those were 9th AF. The 8th AF flew the rest, about 100,000 sorties and lost 451 P-38s, original source AAF Statistical Digest internet location of the 451 is 8th Air Force Combat Losses in World War II ETO Against the AXIS Powers . To put a counter point to it the P-51 lost (8th AF only) 2,201 aircraft in Europe. Including the sorties flown by the 9th AF, flew 214,000 sorties. Using the extended number of sorties but not counting the 9th AFs losses (~350) for the P-51 and the smaller number for the P-38 the P-51 still failed to return to base more than twice as often as the P-38. One final point, these are all the combat related losses including training accidents AND the early P-38s teething problems.

wmaxt
 

I understand plagerism. I know not to do it, and I even did a wriiten(typed) report on WWII Tanks and included all of the copyright information I recieved from the books I got them from. Evan is right I should have included it.

You may not think I should be this but I want to become an Officer in the National Guard when im older. So I understand the huge price in Plagerism now.
 
evangilder said:
. Your posted text came from Lockheed P-38 Lightning
Click to expand...

Just had a look at that site, funniest part-
"May 4-8 The Battle of the Coral Sea ensues, it is the first of six major battles between opposing aircraft carriers. The Japanese claim victory based on 'points' but the battle is nonetheless an operational and strategic defeat for them. The goal was to capture Port Moseby on New Zealand, offering up an Japanese airbase within striking distance of Australia."
 
DerAdlerIstGelandet said:
And if I recall Pile was a reporter.

As stated it was just a myth.
Click to expand...

Pile was a top notch correspondant, very respected and would not make something like that up. I don't know if its a myth or not, it really could be either. If it was true it was probably a local thing though.

wmaxt
 
wmaxt said:
Pile was a top notch correspondant, very respected and would not make something like that up. I don't know if its a myth or not, it really could be either. If it was true it was probably a local thing though.

wmaxt
Click to expand...

Thats what I believe happened.

In my opinion, from evidence, I believe the P-38 was called "The Forked-Tailed Devil" from German ground troops who were attacked by the P-38s doing bombing runs over ammo depots, fuel depots, convoys, etc.
 

I never said I dont want you to join the military. I just think you dont understand as much as you think you do.

Besides P38 this thread needs to get back on topic....
 
wmaxt said:
Pile was a top notch correspondant, very respected and would not make something like that up. I don't know if its a myth or not, it really could be either. If it was true it was probably a local thing though.

wmaxt
Click to expand...

Agreed. As I said before it was probably German ground troops if anything that called them that but the Luftwaffe never did.
 
DerAdlerIstGelandet said:
I never said I dont want you to join the military. I just think you dont understand as much as you think you do.

Besides P38 this thread needs to get back on topic....
Click to expand...

Right. I guess we can all agree that the P-38 was called The Forked Tailed Devil from the ground troops but not the Luftwaffe.
 
I can agree that if anyone did, it was the ground troops. It very well could have been just one German POW who had a bad day with a P-38 and called it that himself.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Similar threads

Effectiveness of the P-38
6 7 8
Replies
145
Views
12K
Thumpalumpacus
Paper comparing the flight performance of the P-40E Warhawk and the A6M2 Zero
Replies
8
Views
861
Ivan1GFP
I
The real combat history of the Ki-43
19 20 21
Replies
411
Views
34K
MiTasol
A
The Myth of the British "Fixing" The Corsair
8 9 10
Replies
183
Views
12K
EwenS
E
A
Was the Hispano-Suiza 12Y the worst ≥25L V-12 of WW2?
2 3
Replies
46
Views
3K
ThomasP
T
Menu
Log in
Register