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

[Clayton Magnet]

First combat aircraft to reach 400 mph

Fair enough. It was close though, with an unmodified He100 prototype flown by Ernst Udet just scrapping the edge of 400 mph in 1938. Interestingly, the P-38 was almost named the "Atalanta", before the British coined it "Lightning", and the name stuck .And the rest is history I suppose.

 

[Completeaerogeek]

Did the Germans ever call it that?

Nope. This is a myth.

Basic physics would tell you that the P-38 was an interceptor not a fighter. It had good range and speed but mass and wingspan worked against it. To give you an idea, the Mosquito (which weighed the same) was equal in speed, and superior in firepower and comparable in manoevrability. Rate of role of P-38 was positively sedate. There are numerous stories of P-38 pilots challenging Spitfire guys in Britain only to be extremely embarrassed as the Spitfire flew rings around them. Adolf Galland describes the P-38 at a poor fighter and relatively easy to shoot down. Any time you hear stories like 'Whispering death' for the Beaufighter or Forked Tailed Devil for the P-38 you can be pretty confident it was created by military propaganda people otherwise how is it that far superior fighters like the P-51, and aircraft the wehrmacht troops truly hated like the P-47 or Typhoon/Tempest never had these scary nicknames? beware of stories like these that make you feel good. They are usually usually syspect.

 

[Completeaerogeek]

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning became an important fighter of the Second World War, providing air support, bomber escort and interception capabilities. It earned its value through its long-range capabilities. It did not possess the agility of most of the single-engine piston fighters of the time but found its own place in the history of Classic Warbird aviation.

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was designed in 1937 as a high-altitude interceptor. The first one built for the U.S. Army Air Corps, the XP-38, made its public debut on Feb. 11, 1939 by flying from California to New York in seven hours.

The unconventional layout resulted from the high-demand specifications for a high-altitude, high-performance aircraft capable of heavy armament roles, good climbing rate and exceptional range. These requirements thusly eliminated the possibility that any single engine aircraft would be the solution. The design team (led by Clarence 'Kelly' Johnson of Lockheed) opted for a twin-engine design centered around a central cockpit 'tub', or nacelle, sided by two 'booms' on either side housing the engine components. The wide design also added stability in the extra surface features and provided the aircraft with two vertical rudders instead of a traditional single one.

Because of its unorthodox design, the aircraft evolved for several years before becoming the fighter destined to see combat in all theaters of World War II. The P-38 Lightning introduced a new dimension to American fighters - a second engine. The multi-engine configuration reduced the Lightning loss-rate to anti-aircraft gunfire during ground attack missions.

Late in 1942, it went into large-scale operations during the North African campaign where the German Luftwaffe named it "Der Gabelschwanz Teufel"--"The Forked-Tail Devil."

Equipped with droppable fuel tanks under its wings, the P-38 was used extensively as a long-range escort fighter. A very versatile aircraft, the Lightning was also used for dive bombing, level bombing, ground strafing and photo reconnaissance missions.

As with any long-term production aircraft, the P-38 underwent many modifications. The fastest of the modifications was the P-38J with a top speed of 420 mph, and the version produced in the greatest quantity was the "L," of which 3,735 were built by Lockheed and 113 by Vultee. The P-38J intakes under the engines were enlarged to house core-type intercoolers. The curved windscreen was replaced by a flat panel, and the boom mounted radiators were enlarged. Some were fitted with bombardier type noses, and were used to lead formations of bomb-laden P-38s to their targets. The P-38M was a two-seat radar-equipped Night Fighter, a few of which had become operational before the war ended.

By the end of production in 1945, 9,923 P-38s had been built. Only 27 of the aircraft exist today. The P-38 Lightnings were used to great success in the European and Pacific Theaters of War, and were gradually resolved to the role of close support bomber craft and nightfighters upon the introduction of sleeker and faster aircraft such as the P-51 Mustangs.

Aaahhh not really. This alleged name originated in a propaganda article in LIFE magazine of August 1943. I have not been able to ever find independent or German attestation for this claim. German fighter pilots rated the P-38 poorly as an opponent. It was a poor dogfighter and had very low critical Mach number making it vulnerable to compressibility in a dive from altitude. Quite a number lost control or broke up as a result. In Europe, As soon as they could be replaced by P-51s they were...

 

[Completeaerogeek]

Nope. This is a myth.

Basic physics would tell you that the P-38 was an interceptor not a fighter. It had good range and speed but mass and wingspan worked against it. To give you an idea, the Mosquito (which weighed the same) was equal in speed, and superior in firepower and comparable in manoevrability. Rate of role of P-38 was positively sedate. There are numerous stories of P-38 pilots challenging Spitfire guys in Britain only to be extremely embarrassed as the Spitfire flew rings around them. Adolf Galland describes the P-38 at a poor fighter and relatively easy to shoot down. Any time you hear stories like 'Whispering death' for the Beaufighter or Forked Tailed Devil for the P-38 you can be pretty confident it was created by military propaganda people otherwise how is it that far superior fighters like the P-51, and aircraft the wehrmacht troops truly hated like the P-47 or Typhoon/Tempest never had these scary nicknames? beware of stories like these that make you feel good. They are usually usually syspect.

Quite correct. This alleged name originated in a propaganda article in LIFE magazine of August 1943 that was attempting to reassure the American public that the P-38 had its troubles behind it. I have not been able to ever find independent or German attestation for this claim. German fighter pilots rated the P-38 poorly as an opponent. It was a poor dogfighter and had very low critical Mach number making it vulnerable to compressibility in a dive from altitude. Quite a number lost control or broke up as a result. In Europe, As soon as they could be replaced by P-51s they were...

 

[Completeaerogeek]

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

Quite correct. This alleged name originated in a propaganda article in LIFE magazine of August 1943 that was attempting to reassure the American public that the P-38 had its troubles behind it. I have not been able to ever find independent or German attestation for this claim. German fighter pilots rated the P-38 poorly as an opponent. It was a poor dogfighter and had very low critical Mach number making it vulnerable to compressibility in a dive from altitude. Quite a number lost control or broke up as a result. In Europe, As soon as they could be replaced by P-51s they were...

 

[Snautzer01]

German fighter pilots rated the P-38 poorly as an opponen

Welcome back.

Were did you get that information?

 

[Greyman]

Good thread here that only goes off the rails a few dozen times.

How good (or bad) was the P-38, really?

I have some questions about the P-38, and I’m inviting comments. I’ve always considered the Lightning a super cool craft, both because of the way it looks and performs and because it was one of the earliest products of Kelly Johnson’s team at Lockheed which would become known as the Skunk...

ww2aircraft.net

 

[Clayton Magnet]

Quite correct. This alleged name originated in a propaganda article in LIFE magazine of August 1943 that was attempting to reassure the American public that the P-38 had its troubles behind it. I have not been able to ever find independent or German attestation for this claim. German fighter pilots rated the P-38 poorly as an opponent. It was a poor dogfighter and had very low critical Mach number making it vulnerable to compressibility in a dive from altitude. Quite a number lost control or broke up as a result. In Europe, As soon as they could be replaced by P-51s they were...

Did you just agree with, and reply to your own post from 2 years previous?

 

[GrauGeist]

Quite correct. This alleged name originated in a propaganda article in LIFE magazine of August 1943 that was attempting to reassure the American public that the P-38 had its troubles behind it. I have not been able to ever find independent or German attestation for this claim. German fighter pilots rated the P-38 poorly as an opponent. It was a poor dogfighter and had very low critical Mach number making it vulnerable to compressibility in a dive from altitude. Quite a number lost control or broke up as a result. In Europe, As soon as they could be replaced by P-51s they were...

First of all, "Fork Tail Devil" came from the USAAF.
My Uncle, who flew them in the PTO, was using that reference in his letters to my Grandmother (his sister) in 1942.

The German Pilots referred to the P-38 as "Lightning" - they typically used the Allied name of the aircraft except for the B-17, which was called a "Boeing".

The "compressability" problem was not a fleetwide issue and I'd love to see the source that claims "they broke up in flight".

As a dogfighter, the P-38 was a potent adversary, not sure how you conclude otherwise.

 

[manta22]

First of all, "Fork Tail Devil" came from the USAAF.
My Uncle, who flew them in the PTO, was using that reference in his letters to my Grandmother (his sister) in 1942.

The German Pilots referred to the P-38 as "Lightning" - they typically used the Allied name of the aircraft except for the B-17, which was called a "Boeing".

The "compressability" problem was not a fleetwide issue and I'd love to see the source that claims "they broke up in flight".

As a dogfighter, the P-38 was a potent adversary, not sure how you conclude otherwise.

Didn't Richard Bong fly a P-38?

 

[SaparotRob]

Yes.

 

[GrauGeist]

Didn't Richard Bong fly a P-38?

Yes sir.

Bong: 40

Plus-
McGuire: 38
MacDonald: 27
Johnson: 22
Kearby: 22
Robbins: 20
Westbrook: 20
Lynch: 20

And the list goes on.