Editing Lockheed P-38 Lightning (section)

====North Africa and Italy====
[[File:Lockheed F-5 Lightning.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Reconnaissance P-38 with bold black and white [[invasion stripes]] participating in the [[Operation Overlord|Normandy Campaign]]]]

After the [[Battle of Midway]], the USAAF began redeploying fighter groups to Britain as part of Operation Bolero, and Lightnings of the 1st Fighter Group were flown across the Atlantic via Iceland. On 14 August 1942, [[Second Lieutenant]] Elza Shahan of the 27th Fighter Squadron, and Second Lieutenant Joseph Shaffer of the 33rd Squadron operating out of Iceland shot down a [[Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor]] over the Atlantic. Shaffer, flying either a P-40C or a P-39, scored the first hit, causing a fire on the Condor; Shahan in his P-38F finished it off with a high-speed gunnery pass.{{sfn|Stanaway|Mellinger|2001|p=43}} This was the first Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed by the USAAF.{{sfn|Stanaway|1998|p={{page needed|date=February 2024}}}}

After 347 sorties with no enemy contact, the 1st and 14th Fighter Groups transferred from the UK to the [[12th Air Force]] in North Africa as part of the force being built up for [[Operation Torch]]. The Lightning's long range allowed the pilots to fly their fighters over the [[Bay of Biscay]], skirting neutral Spain and Portugal to refuel in Morocco. The P-38s were initially based at [[Oran Tafraoui Airport|Tafaroui Airfield]] in Algeria alongside [[P-40 Warhawk]]s and the rest of the 12th Air Force. P-38s were first involved in North African combat operations on 11 November 1942. The first North African P-38 kill was on 22 November, when Lieutenant Mark Shipman of the 14th downed an Italian airplane with twin engines. Shipman later made two more kills&nbsp;– a [[Messerschmitt Bf 109]] fighter and a very large [[Messerschmitt Me 323|Me 323 Gigant]] transport.{{sfn|Stanaway|2014|p=71}}

Early results in the Mediterranean theater of operations were mixed. Some P-38 pilots scored multiple kills to become aces, while many others were shot down due to inexperience or tactical strictures. Overall, the P-38 suffered its highest losses in the Mediterranean theater. The primary function of the P-38 in North Africa was to escort bombers,{{sfn|Blake|2012|p=14}} but the fighters also targeted transport aircraft, and later in the campaign, they were sometimes given ground-attack missions. When tied to bomber-escort duties, the P-38 squadrons were vulnerable to attack from above by German fighters, which selected the most advantageous position and timing. The initial tactical doctrine of the American units was for the P-38s to fly near the bombers at all times rather than to defend aggressively or to fly ahead and clear the airspace for the bombers, and many American pilots were downed because of this limitation. Losses mounted, and all available P-38s in the UK were flown over to North Africa to restore squadron strength.{{sfn|Stanaway|2014|p=71}} After this painful experience, the American leadership changed tactics, and in February 1943, the P-38s were given free rein in their battles.{{sfn|Stanaway|2014|p=72}}

The first German success against the P-38 was on 28 November 1942, when Bf 109 pilots of [[Jagdgeschwader 53|''Jagdgeschwader'' 53]] claimed seven Lightnings for no loss of their own.{{sfn|Stanaway|2014|p=72}} Further one-sided German victories were noted on several occasions through January 1943.{{sfn|Bergström|2019|pp=315–316}} The first P-38 pilots to achieve ace status were Virgil Smith of the 14th FG and [[Jack M. Ilfrey|Jack Illfrey]] of the 1st FG, both credited with five wins by 26 December. Smith got a sixth enemy aircraft on 28 December, but was killed two days later in a crash landing, likely after taking fire from ''Oberfeldwebel'' [[Herbert Rollwage]] of JG 53, who survived the war with at least 71 kills. This was Rollwage's first victory over a P-38, and his 35th claim at the time.{{sfn|Stanaway|2014|p=73}}

The two squadrons of the 14th Fighter Group were reduced so badly in December 1942 that the 82nd FG was flown from the UK to North Africa to cover the shortage. The first kill by the 82nd was during a bomber-escort mission on 7 January 1943, when William J. "Dixie" Sloan broke formation and turned toward six attacking Bf 109s to shoot one of them down. Known for his maverick style, Sloan racked up 12 victories by July 1943.{{sfn|Stanaway|2014|p=73}} After another heavy toll in January 1943, 14th FG had to be withdrawn from the front to reorganize, with surviving pilots sent home and the few remaining Lightnings transferred to the 82nd.{{sfn|Blake|2012|p=14}} The 14th was out of action for three months, returning in May.{{sfn|Stanaway|2014|p=74}}

On 5 April 1943, 26 P-38Fs of the 82nd claimed 31 enemy aircraft destroyed, helping to establish air superiority in the area and allegedly earning it the German nickname "''der Gabelschwanz Teufel''"&nbsp;– the Fork-tailed Devil, coming from a recently downed German aviator, as described by ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' in August 1943. However, the reliability of this attribution is doubtful, as the clear intent of the article was to rehabilitate the P-38's reputation in the minds of the American public. No earlier independent or German attestation exists for this claim.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RVAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA51 |last=Gray |first=William P. |date=August 16, 1943 |title=P-38: Lockheed's Twin-tailed Fighter Lives Down Its Hoodoo to Sweep Enemy Skies |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]] |page=51 }}</ref> The P-38s remained active in the Mediterranean for the rest of the war, continuing to deliver and receive damage in combat. On 30 August 1943, 13 P-38s were shot down by German and Italian fighters while escorting B-26 and B-17 bombers on raids against targets in Italy.{{sfn|Shores|Massimello|Guest|Olynyk|2018|pp=321–323}}{{sfn|Scutts|1994|p=61}} On 2 September, 10 P-38s were shot down in combat with Bf 109s of JG 53, with four Bf 109s, including that of 67-victory ace [[Franz Schieß]], who had been the leading "Lightning killer" in the Luftwaffe with 17 destroyed.{{sfn|Scutts|1994|p=61}}{{sfn|Shores|Massimello|Guest|Olynyk|2018|pp=326–329}}

The Mediterranean theater had the first aerial combat between German fighters and P-38s. German fighter-pilot appraisal of the P-38 was mixed. Some observers dismissed the P-38 as an easy kill, while others gave it high praise, a deadly enemy worthy of respect. [[Johannes Steinhoff]], commander of [[JG 77]] in North Africa, said that the unit's old Bf 109s were "perhaps, a little faster" than the P-38, but a dogfight with the twin-engined fighter was daunting because its turning radius was much smaller, and it could quickly get on the tail of the Bf 109. [[Franz Stigler]], an ace with 28 kills, flew Bf 109s against the P-38 in North Africa. Stigler said the Lightning "could turn inside us with ease and they could go from level flight to climb almost instantaneously. We lost quite a few pilots who tried to make an attack and then pull up... One cardinal rule we never forgot was to avoid fighting the P-38 head on. That was suicide." Stigler said the best defense was to flick-roll the Bf 109 and dive, as the Lightning was slow in the first 10° of roll, and it was not as fast in a dive.{{sfn|Laurier|2016|p=54}} [[Herbert Kaiser]], eventually a 68-kill ace, shot down his first P-38 in January 1943. Kaiser said that the P-38 should be respected as a formidable opponent, that it was faster and more maneuverable than the Bf 109G-6 model he flew, especially since the G-6 was slowed by underwing cannon pods. [[Johann Pichler]], another high-scoring ace, said that the P-38 in 1943 was much faster in a climb than the Bf 109.{{sfn|Stanaway|2014|p=74}} [[Kurt Bühligen]], third-highest scoring German pilot on the Western front with 112 victories, recalled: "The P-38 fighter (and the B-24) were easy to burn. Once in Africa, we were six, and met eight P-38s and shot down seven. One sees a great distance in Africa and our observers and flak people called in sightings and we could get altitude first and they were low and slow."{{sfn|Sims|1980|pp=134–135}} ''General der Jagdflieger'' [[Adolf Galland]] was unimpressed with the P-38, declaring, "it had similar shortcomings in combat to our [[Messerschmitt Bf 110|Bf 110]], our fighters were clearly superior to it."{{sfn|Galland|1954|p={{page needed|date=February 2024}}}} [[Heinrich Bär|Heinz Bäer]] said that P-38s "were not difficult at all. They were easy to outmaneuver and were generally a sure kill".<ref name="rymaszewski199407">{{Cite magazine |last=Rymaszewski |first=Michael |date=July 1994 |title=Playing Your Aces |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=120 |magazine=Computer Gaming World |pages=102 }}</ref>

On 12 June 1943, a P-38G, while flying a special mission between [[Gibraltar]] and [[Malta]], or perhaps, just after strafing the radar station of Capo Pula, landed on the airfield of Capoterra ([[Cagliari]]), in [[Sardinia]], from navigation error due to a compass failure. ''[[Regia Aeronautica]]'' chief test pilot ''Colonnello'' (Lieutenant Colonel) Angelo Tondi flew the captured aircraft to [[Guidonia Montecelio|Guidonia]] airfield, where the P-38G was evaluated. On 11 August 1943, Tondi took off to intercept a formation of about 50 bombers, returning from the bombing of [[Terni]] ([[Umbria]]). Tondi attacked B-17G ''Bonny Sue'',  42–30307, that fell off the shore of [[Torvaianica]], near [[Rome]], while six airmen parachuted out. According to US sources, he also damaged three more bombers on that occasion. On 4 September, the 301st BG reported the loss of B-17 ''The Lady Evelyn,''  42–30344, downed by "an enemy P-38".<ref>Garello, Giancarlo. ''Prede di guerra. Aerei jugoslavi, inglesi, statunitensi, belgi 1940–1943.'' Torino: La Bancarella Aeronautica, 2007. p. 68 No ISBN. (in Italian)</ref> War missions for that plane were limited, as the Italian petrol was too corrosive for the Lockheed's tanks.<ref>Dimensione cielo. ''Caccia Assalto 3 – aerei italiani nella 2a guerra mondiale'' (in Italian). Rome: Edizioni Bizzarri, 1973. No ISBN. p. 72.</ref> Other Lightnings were eventually acquired by Italy for postwar service.

[[File:342-FH 000142 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Herbert Hatch pointing to the five victory marks on his P-38]]
In a particular case when faced by more agile fighters at low altitudes in a constricted valley, Lightnings suffered heavy losses. On the morning of 10 June 1944, 96 P-38Js of the 1st and 82nd Fighter Groups took off from Italy for [[Ploiești]], the third-most heavily defended target in Europe, after [[Berlin]] and [[Vienna]].{{sfn|Cesarani|Kavanaugh|2004|pp=234–235}} Instead of bombing from high altitude as had been tried by the [[Fifteenth Air Force#Oil Industry Targets|Fifteenth Air Force]], USAAF planning had determined that a dive-bombing surprise attack, beginning at about {{convert|7000|ft|m|-2}} with bomb release at or below {{convert|3000|ft|m|-2}},{{sfn|Cesarani|Kavanaugh|2004|pp=234–235}} performed by 46 [[82d Operations Group|82nd Fighter Group]] P-38s, each carrying one {{convert|1000|lb|kg|-2|adj=on}} bomb, would yield more accurate results.{{sfn|Stanaway|1998|pp=43–46}} All of [[1st Operations Group#Italian operations|1st Fighter Group]] and a few aircraft in 82nd Fighter Group were to fly cover, and all fighters were to strafe targets of opportunity on the return trip, a distance of some {{convert|1255|mi|km|-1}}, including a circuitous outward route made in an attempt to achieve surprise.{{sfn|Cesarani|Kavanaugh|2004|pp=234–235}} Some 85 or 86 fighters arrived in Romania to find enemy airfields alerted, with a wide assortment of aircraft scrambling for safety. P-38s shot down several, including heavy fighters, transports, and observation aircraft. At Ploiești, defense forces were fully alert, the target was concealed by [[smoke screen]], and [[Anti-aircraft warfare|antiaircraft fire]] was very heavy; seven Lightnings were lost to antiaircraft fire at the target, and two more during strafing attacks on the return flight. German Bf&nbsp;109 fighters from I./JG 53 and 2./JG 77 fought the Americans. Sixteen P-38s, called "''Indieni cu două pene''" (Indians with two feathers) by the Romanians, of the [[71st Fighter Squadron]] were challenged by a large formation of Romanian [[IAR 80#IAR 81C|IAR.81C]] fighters of the [[Grupul 6 Vânătoare|6th Fighter Group]]. The fight took place below {{convert|300|ft|m|-2}} in a narrow valley and lasted 12 minutes.{{sfn|Hatch|2000|pp=59–67}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ziare.com/cultura/arta-romaneasca/dan-vizanti-despre-iar-80-si-batalia-din-10-iunie-1944-780483|title=Dan Vizanti, despre IAR 80 și bătălia din 10 iunie 1944|date=June 9, 2009|language=ro|website=ziare.com}}</ref> Herbert Hatch saw two IAR&nbsp;81Cs that he misidentified as [[Focke-Wulf Fw 190]]s hit the ground after taking fire from his guns, and his fellow pilots confirmed three more of his kills. Three of his victories were confirmed by [[gun camera]]. The outnumbered 71st Fighter Squadron took more damage than it dished out, though, losing nine aircraft. In all, the USAAF lost 22 aircraft on the mission. The Americans claimed 23 aerial victories. The Romanians and Germans lost five Bf 110s, four [[Junkers Ju 52|Ju 52]]s, and one [[Savoia-Marchetti SM.79]] on the ground, as well as three [[Focke-Wulf Fw 58]]s, three [[IAR 38]]s, and three IAR.81Cs in the air.{{sfn|Neulen|2005|pp=113–114}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iar80flyagain.org/iar-80-vs-p-38-10-iunie-1944/|title=IAR 80 contra P 38 – 10 iunie 1944 – rapoarte despre misiune – USAAF|language=ro|website=iar80flyagain.org|date=2022-07-14}}</ref> Eleven enemy locomotives were strafed and left burning, and flak emplacements were destroyed, along with fuel trucks and other targets. Results of the bombing were not observed by the USAAF pilots because of the smoke. The dive-bombing mission profile was not repeated, though the 82nd Fighter Group was awarded the [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation]] for its part.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.82ndfightergroup.com/82mr440610.htm|title=Mission No. 702 / 10 June 1944 / Romana Americana Oil Refinery, Ploesti, Rumania|work=82ndfightergroup.com|access-date=27 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009055756/http://www.82ndfightergroup.com/82mr440610.htm|archive-date=9 October 2011}}</ref>