Blood Red Skies: P-38 Lightning Squadron

The P-38 Lightning’s comparatively long range proved invaluable in the Pacific Theatre and for escort duties in deep penetration raids over occupied Europe, enjoying considerable success as a ground attack strike fighter.

The twin-engined fighter enjoyed its most extensive deployment and successes in the Pacific theatre. Though it could not outmanoeuvre the A6M Zero at sub-200mph speeds, its speed and rate of climb lent it the capability of making several high speed passes in combat, and Japanese aircraft armour was more susceptible than German aircraft to the tight groupings of the P-38s guns.

It was P-38s that engaged in the fighter-intercept mission that claimed the life of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, architect of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In this engagement, 16 P-38G lightnings met two G4M “Betty” transports and six escorting Zeros. Both transports were lost as well as two Zeros, for the loss of one P-38.