P-38 captured!

I share with you some rare pictures (in color and w/b) of fighters Lockheed P-38 Lightnings captured and with German and Italian markings during World War II. Does anyone know how many were captured and how they came to Europe once they have been used in the Pacific? To view the photos visit the link below:

http://aviacaoemfloripa.blogspot.com.br/2011/02/p-38-lightning-capturados.html

Best Regards.

They were in Europe before the Pacific.......ferried over the North Atlantic in groups with external fuel tanks attached. Not all made it and the now restored and flying 'Glacier Girl' was one. She was recovered from her icy grave in Greenland. Some were shipped over also as deck cargo.

Wasn't the P-38 found to be ineffective in the type of air war that was being fought in Europe (high altitude), but well suited to what was needed in the Pacific - long range?

I can remember my father telling me that while he was in the Pacific, he was taken for a ride in a P-38 by a Yank who gave him a real aerobatic work-out in it.

OME

Bf109s and the Fw190 were much better fighters than the P38. but the P38 was still a reasonable good gun platform but also a decent dive bomber which was effective against merchant shipping.

Yes. I think that it was used in both Theatres as a ground attack - ground support weapon. It's only really famous air-to-air victory was the operation to get Yamamoto, and that relied on long-range and a slow bomber type as its target.

OME

Wasn't the P-38 found to be ineffective in the type of air war that was being fought in Europe (high altitude), but well suited to what was needed in the Pacific - long range?I can remember my father telling me that while he was in the Pacific, he was taken for a ride in a P-38 by a Yank who gave him a real aerobatic work-out in it.

 

OME

In the Pacific the P-38s were told not to engage with the Zero as it was much more manoeuvrable, however the P-38s nose armament ( 30 cal and Cannon) was far superior, so the Zeros had no chance against that.

The intercept of Yamamotos' Betty bomber was only made possible with the help of Charles Lindberg who was then an engineering advisor for the Allison V12 engines. Now well into his 40s, he flew as a civilian non-combatant with a frontline P-38 Fighter group to teach the much younger pilots how to best lean out the Allison's, which gave them the required range for the long- range intercept of Yamamoto.

During this time in the P-38s he shot down one of the best Zero aces of the war after the Ace and two others had run his other P-38 friends out of ammo. After two of the three Zeros had been shot down the third attacked Lindberg, who had no choice but to let loose. The Jap had attempted a head-on ramming of Lindbergs ' P-38 which proved a fatal mistake, as Lindberg still had full ammo. He also flew the Corsair in this theatrer during this time which was one of his favourite aircraft. He had done the test flying in the Corsair and P-47 Thunderbolt, another of his favourites. After some R&R in Brisbane ( Gen Macarther had ordered him to Brisbane after he shot the Jap ace down....he thought he was in big trouble, but Macarther just wanted to meet the legend )...he went to Eagle Farm to select a fighter in which to fly back to PNG. He selected a P-47 and filed non-stop Eagle Farm to Port Morsbey.....the line office refusing to accept it saying the Thunderbolt didn't have that range. They accepted one from Eagle Farm to Cairns. He flew the aircraft non-stop Eagle Farm to one of the allied strips on the north coast of PNG !.

He was actually a trained US Army combat pilot ( Capt/ Col) Lindberg, but was too late to see service in WW1.

Refer.: The wartime diaries of Charles Lindberg......which is a great read.

I can remember seeing the P38s flying low over our farm buildings during the war. thay must have been based at Heston, which was the home of Fairey Aviation