Transition: P-38, Starting in advanced Flying School, Willie Air Patch, the only P-38 school, after training in AT-9's and gunnery in AT-6's we received 20 hours in the RP-322* with the last flight before graduation was a rat-race up and way down in Grand Canyon. Before the first flight we received extensive ground school, a piggyback ride, and a blindfold check. On the big day, 120-degrees, sweating like a drowned dog, we cranked up, with our legs shaking uncontrollably from trying to hold that thing back with brakes, we rushed out to the runway before engine temps went out of sight past the red, shoved the throttles up to what ever the 91 octane fuel would allow, got the boot in the a**, and with great relief found ourselves in the air. Succeeding flights were formation flying and practicing engine shut downs and prop feathering. After graduation, at Muroc Dry Lake, Salinas, and North Island by San Diego in RTU we were given extensive ground school, Work on the line and in maintenance hanger learning all we could about systems in the hands-on mode, and flight training the other half of the day--about 100 hours. In England, another month of ground school and several orientation flights at Goxhill. We always, made nuisances of ourselves badgering maintenance for all the test-hops, slow times for all the flying time we could beg, borrow or steal.

P-51 Transition: We got the TM's** and especially the Flight 01, tried to memorize it, sat in the airplane until we were able to give each other blindfold checks, then cranked up and went flying. We were to get 5 hours flying time before combat. The P-51 was a new airplane and we were eager to fly it and were happy with it. It was so easy and comfortable to fly. The P-38 had kept us on our toes and constantly busy --far more critical to fly. You never could relax with it. We were disappointed with the 51's rate of climb and concerned with the reverse stick***, if fuel was in the fuselage tank, the rash of rough engines from fouled plugs, and cracked heads which dumped the coolant. With the 38 you could be at altitude before landfall over the continent, but with the 51 you still had a lot of climbing yet to do. The 38 was an interceptor and with both engines, you always knew you could outclimb any other airplane, and that's what wins dogfights. When you are in a dogfight below tree tops, it was way more comfortable in a 38, with its power and stall characteristics and, for that matter at any altitude.

Instrument Formation Flying: Both 38 and 51 had automatic supercharger regulators. On climb out, at around 14/15 thousand feet the super chargers would kicking in to maintain climb power. The 51's two-stage kick-in would really give you a boot and a surge in airspeed. The 38's turbos would always be one engine or the other. Not daring to take your eyes off lead, you would be fighting the yaw by instinctively trying to reduce it with throttle about which time the other engine supercharger would cut in setting up a wild sequence. Now, say you were on an instrument climb-out, hardly able to see your wingtips let alone hold station on lead, add in the turbulence of convective clouds, poor old "Tail-End-Charlie" would likely be whip-lashed out where he could not visually maintain formation. Procedure was for him to pick up a 2-3 degree separation heading and try to join-up on top. During D-day Operations with several hours of night flying, Nav-Lights turned OFF and just the glow of the turbochargers to station-on, in rain and some turbulence, that was another bear.

July 44 brought us (the 20th.FG) the P-51 and major convective storm fronts on the climb-out route. Our flight lost two wing men in a short period they just were not there when we broke out on top. After mission return, we learned one had got caught- up in the Barrage-Balloon cables, and another, W.W. Williams had been blown out of his A/C, seat and all. Unconscious and on the ground, even in his seat, his chute had streamed out and saved his life. As the P-51's recessed fuel gages were always covered with fuel, so it was put off as a lightning strike. As it became known that 51's were coming apart in rough air and violent maneuvers, like Zemke's, we reevaluated Woody's experience. Fix was a dorsal fin addition and the wing may have been strengthened. Wet Fuel gauges?

We had the freedom to just go out and check ourselves out in most any available A/C. My worst time was checking myself out in a C-47. Took the TM out to the A/C, did my walk-around, got in, put the TM on the right seat, cranked up, took off, and found myself the busiest Idiot there ever was. Couldn't turn pages fast enough. The C-47 is a very busy A/C with all its ancient systems. C-47, P-40's and many early WWII A/C had a hydraulic OFF/ON feature. Select the gear or flaps then ON the hydraulics. Most of this was awkward like a go-round in a P-40, no milking up flaps, up with a bang, better have 500' altitude. In the C-47 you had a lock up/down lever, so unlock gear, select up, hydraulic ON. Gear position up, lock lever in, hydraulic off. Just don't get the sequence mixed up or you didn't know where the gear was or how to get it back in sequence. Flaps had a similar sequence but a Flight Engineer was busy pouring red fluid in a big tank mounted behind the Right Seat, and that was where all the levers were. So trying to fly it, all by myself was a big mistake. Think the engineer went and hid about the time he saw me going to the plane with a TM. The C-47 is a kite when empty, but as you increase the load forget "kite." It was handy to put your jeep in for long trips and would easily use 1,500' grass strips.

I never flew a P-39, have about equal time in P-40, 38, and 51. Ten Combat missions in the 51, and I instructed in the 40, 51, and 38. The P-47 was another do it your self project. I spent alot of time in C-45/C, D, E, and G-18's, some time in the C-47 and C-46, a tiny bit in B-25's, B-50's, and T-33's. If someone wanted a warm body in the right seat, I was always eager. ______________________

All the divergence, all the opinions, are mostly honest, but I believe real analysis has to go back to obscure events. While its true that not enough was being done by Lockheed, the Military system, and responsible people there was a great amount of work in progress at Lockheed, Wright-Patterson, and at the theater depots, and in individual units.

After Bolero and Torch, the P-38H was first introduced into the 8th AF. Good aircraft, but didn't have the fuel to deal with going to Berlin. The P-38J5-10s were hard on its heals with Intercoolers designed for N. Africa, and still not enough fuel. They were also plagued with not being suitable for operation in the northern Europe climate environment. Electrically heated suits and electronic supercharger controller priorities were assigned to the bombers. The second generator imperative was lost in the priority shuffle. Installation of the leading edge and wingtip fuel tanks were first on the list. Mods were still being installed for those in Feb 44. At the same time, the interceded problem was still unsolved (Lead separation in the induction system). Hubbard had us running tests with cardboard blocking airflow thru the interceded radiator. Of course, engineering wouldn't sign off on that --to simple.

Compressibility, was a major concern. Every pilot was trying to solve it with only his nerve--no real understanding. Col. Hugh even came by lecturing us on how he had flown thru the sound barrier. Lockheed, and La Vier were unresponsive. It didn't do away.

Late April started to see things come into place. Hot suits, fuel tanks, supercharger regulators and warmer weather. Tactics had been changed with the addition of many more Fighter Groups, We were relieved from attempting to give bomber escort during penetration, target, and withdrawal. We were now just assigned to only one of the responsibilities, and had enough fuel to stay in combat and hit the deck to strafe airfields and other targets. Finally in July, we saw Aileron Boost and Dive Brakes, but were converting to Mustangs.
The Mustangs were having serious problems too. However, they had range and were viable in combat. Bad engines, coming unglued and gun failure were corrected eventually. It did have the K-14 (no-miss-um) gun-sight too.
All of above is fuel for discussion. This could inevitably and did get out of hand. We were lucky to have a P-38 and the conceptual thought that it forced on the world's military mind. Just remember how the Zero turned the world on its head!

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From all these beautiful A/C Paintings we enjoy today, There is a glaring mistake that keeps jumping out at me. That is: most have a Low Frequency Wire antena stretched between the canopy and vertical stabilizer. In the states that was there for we had a little Low Freq. Receiver for the old 4-course ranges. But I believe these were removed in most combat theaters. Early on and in training A/C, I remember Low Freq. Transceivers, some very complex , large and unweildy. In RTU Fighters, stateside, was another strange fore-runner of a Transponder/IFF. This, called a PIP-SQUEEK. consisted of an cockpit-instrument with a wheel with a dot; The wheel/dot turned and at a preselected position which emitted a radio signal which a direction-finder operator kept your location. This radio emission was called a SQUAK. That term is still applied to this day's Transponder codes.

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Another Point of Fact, The most dreaded time of a combat mission...Assembly; after Takeoff for both Bombers and fighters. Into the clouds at 50-feet, can't even see your wingtip, maybe clouds to past 30,000', hoping for the tops to be low ,so you can form up on flares, bombers trying to get their Combat Wings together, knowing that if they didn't German Radar was going to set their fighters on them. From start engines till assembley was the worst part. Like going on stage or pre-game the fear goes away after the event is started.

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In Europe, the 4-group's of 38's were transferred out to the 9thAF and to the 15thAF in Italy. We still had P-38L's in Japan--the 8thFG and 49thFg. These were exchanged for P-51's in 1946. My Crew Chief says the 475th still had P-38's at beginning of Korean War. I have no reference to this, but believe they may have been the unit on Formosa in 45/46.

I went down to Clark Field, PI in 46 and saw those hundreds of 38's, with Engines removed, standing on there nose in long rows. Believe they were starting to burn them then.

45/46 was a sorry time in Far East Command for all military services. Even though all these aircraft, jeeps, trucks and all equipment were being bulldozed and destroyed, there were no spares available, people sitting around waiting to go home, and the only replacements were 2yr draftees were running out of time before they were trained and were worthless in an aviation organization. Remember the situation at the start of Korean War. So disgusting I got out, even though I felt like the service was my home.

The P-47s were N-models on Okinawa. They were a big bird, 15hrs of fuel, and autopilot. F-80's were in the PI in 46.

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Basically, the P-38 had 3+ hours of internal fuel. The P-51 had 4+ hours of internal. This gave approxamately 5hrs mission time in the Lightning and 6hrs in the Mustang. Not to say this wasn't extended or shortened with time in actual Combat. The P-38 had 165 gal, external tanks, which equals about 2.5 hrs including climb-out. The P-51 used 108gal tanks, giving about 3+ hours including climb-out. P-38s were planned at 100GPH (Gallons Per Hour) in Economical Cruise (or EC). P-51 were planned at 40GPH in EC. A very memorable thing was getting the lower body to sleep to avoid the bad painin the A**. We hated those 6-7hr missions. Offered a Sq being formed to go to Iwo Jima, I refused after seeing their mission profile.

Can't remember the indicated air speed in EC at altitude and used in the "back-and-forth" during escort. This was somewhat faster than the bombers so there was a lot of manuver planing so when downstream the 180-degree turn could be made without falling behind the bombers. Long time to catch-up, but short time to get to the rear.

Don't remember anything in particular concerning aerodynamic differences, except That the P-51's EC was maybe 10-IAS (Indicated Air Spped) faster.

Due to fuel consumption, and concern with engine reliability, METO power was seldom used unless going into an obvious combat. Much more so with the Merlin, as it thrived on 61"Hg. and was constantly used to clear sparkplug fouling. Note that is compared to the Allison's 54"Hg. Looking at a power chart for high altitudes, that 54"Hg was further reduced, but not on the Merlin.

Note, too, that in 43 & early 44, missions were planned with only 5-min of METO power in the 20th/55thFG's. WEP (Emergency Power) you were on your own, and in unmentionable country.

Have no memory of briefed forward sweeps, but suppose there were often a certain amount of these excursions depending on a variety of things.

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Years ago when I hadn't yet admitted that my mind had turned to mush, I wrote that Multi-engine training in WWII bordered on the ridiculous. I was just reading the Operating Instructions on the P-38 on the above site. That made me recall one of the reasons I had written that.

This was the GO-AROUND instructions. No Go-Around initiated with full flaps below 500' especially on single-engine due to the settling effect. Routinely today, single-engine go-arounds are practiced, even on instruments, with ease from 200'. Now taught, maintain Vyse (max S/E climb speed) T/O POWER--FLAPS 15 degrees--GEAR UP. Then, we were screwing around trying to MILK UP flaps and the rest. Seems no one ever mentioned that 15 degrees gave lift, but the rest was all drag and best get rid of that as fast as possible. Easy now to see why there was so much aluminum bent up. The 38's MANEUVER FLAP position was 15 degrees. Wonder why we didn't use it? The P-40 was a real B***H on a go- around, flaps came up with a bang when selected, so 500' was always required. OLD airplanes!