Italian Air Force Historical Branch

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'clock High!:

Gordon
REQ: info on LW or R.A. use of P-38 in combat
Sun Dec 3 06:37:50 2024


The following is a copy of information posted on another newsgroup. I am relatively certain that this has been discussed before and would like comments. I won't include my
own thoughts at this time, but thanks in advance.

v/r
Gordon
================================================== ==========
"On the other hand, captured aircraft were sometimes flown without
changing their markings, and one such provided one of the few
effective combat missions of the YB-40 (the 'assault' version of the
B-17, with a second upper turret, doubled waist guns, and a chin
turret that later became standard equipment in the B-17). An Italian
pilot was using a captured P-38 to shoot down damaged US bombers on
their way back to bases in North Africa; he would listen to radio
traffic, and fly out to a damaged bomber to 'escort' it home. With a
friendly fighter escorting them, the bomber crew would relax, allowing
him to press home his attack and shoot down the plane quickly. After a
survivor of one of these attacks was recovered, a YB-40 was added to a
bomber group, and turned back with radio traffic suggesting it had
engine trouble. The Italian pilot showed up in his P-38, and knowing
that no P-38s were operating that day, the gunners in the YB-40
allowed him to close in to size up his target before blowing him out
of the sky -- essentially, doing to him what he had been doing to
them."

Please comment.