Author Topic: Nickname of P38? (Read 6474 times)

jokeri · « **on:** November 03, 2005, 09:29:50 AM »

I have encountered many times that people are nicknaming P38 as an "Lightning"? Is it true nickname to that plane? I have always understand the word "Lightning" comes from the P38L model marking so P38J or P38G isin't really "Lightning"? What is correct nickname for P38 if it's not "Lightning"?

!S
Jokeri

Delirium · « **Reply #1 on:** November 03, 2005, 09:37:41 AM »

The P38 was originally called the 'Atlanta', but with the D and later models it was changed to the 'Lightning'. Later, the Germans called it the 'Forked Tailed Devil'...

Magoo · « **Reply #2 on:** November 03, 2005, 09:50:21 AM »

Actually the Germans called it "Der Gabelschwanz Teufel". Which translates to The Forked Tail Devil.

Magoo

jokeri · « **Reply #3 on:** November 03, 2005, 09:53:16 AM »

Ok, thanks this clears the issue

Treize69 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 03, 2005, 10:58:15 AM »

Only the Germans gave different nicknames to each model of a plane. Most everyone else gave them one nickname early on and it stuck.

Karnak · « **Reply #5 on:** November 03, 2005, 11:03:57 AM »

Names like "Lightning", "Mustang", "Thunderbolt", "Hurricane" and "Spitfire" are not really nicknames. They were official designations. Nicknames were things like "Spit", "'Stang", "Lanc", "Wimpy", "Hurri", "Jug", "Halibag", "Mossie", ect, ect.

Magoo · « **Reply #6 on:** November 03, 2005, 11:14:07 AM »

Quote

Names like "Lightning", "Mustang", "Thunderbolt", "Hurricane" and "Spitfire" are not really nicknames. They were official designations. Nicknames were things like "Spit", "'Stang", "Lanc", "Wimpy", "Hurri", "Jug", "Halibag", "Mossie", ect, ect.

Ensign Eliminator - F4U

Spam Can - P51

Zippo - Sherman tank

MiloMorai · « **Reply #7 on:** November 03, 2005, 11:29:12 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Treize69
Only the Germans gave different nicknames to each model of a plane. Most everyone else gave them one nickname early on and it stuck.

When one uses Anton, Dora, Emil, Kurfurst to descibe a German a/c, one is using the phonetic word used for the model designation.

ie. Fw190A is an Anton model of the Fw.

The Americans and Brits would have used Able, Dog, Echo, Kilo.

ie. P-51D is a Dog model of the P-51.

http://morsecode.scphillips.com//alphabet.html

Grendel · « **Reply #8 on:** November 03, 2005, 12:10:28 PM »

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Originally posted by Magoo
Actually the Germans called it "Der Gabelschwanz Teufel". Which translates to The Forked Tail Devil.

They didn't, though.
That Germans called it so was the invention of American war journalists at Africa.
And even then the "Forked tail devil" was made up as something the German ground pounders called the P-38, when making the ground attack runs.

(The first P-38s were brought into Africa into ground attack jobs and its role as escort fighter in European theatre came only later)

Magoo · « **Reply #9 on:** November 03, 2005, 12:26:36 PM »

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They didn't, though.

Well how about that. It figures

Back then the media was on the same side as the military (except that slapping the soldier thing Patton got busted for). If they did then what the media does now, people would be getting prosecuted for treason...

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for keeping an honest eye on the government, but todays media has a major political agenda at the expense of soldier's lives.

Magoo

BaDkaRmA158Th · « **Reply #10 on:** November 03, 2005, 02:49:23 PM »

Back then it was about survival as a nation so everyone pulled eachothers chains to keep things runing smoth.

Nowa' days its about ubber corperations and $.
no one with power cares what the "soldier" go's thru in war or peace as long as the agendas are fullfilled and the pocket books keep packed with green money, blood money.

Delirium · « **Reply #11 on:** November 03, 2005, 02:58:33 PM »

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Widewing · « **Reply #12 on:** November 03, 2005, 06:44:15 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Grendel

(The first P-38s were brought into Africa into ground attack jobs and its role as escort fighter in European theatre came only later)

This is incorrect. While North African based P-38s did fly missions in support of ground forces, they were also flying escort missions as early as November of 1942.

My regards,

Widewing

Crumpp · « **Reply #13 on:** November 03, 2005, 08:39:02 PM »

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That Germans called it so was the invention of American war journalists at Africa.

The P38 is listed by the Luftwaffe veterans in the book, "The Luftwaffe Fighter Force: A view from the Cockpit" as the USAAF fighter that was the easiest to shoot down. They did rate it as a good plane to fly over water due to the fact it had two engines.

The book is the reprint of the USAAF post war interrogations of dozens of prominent Luftwaffe pilots and leadership.

All the best,

Crumpp

Squire · « **Reply #14 on:** November 03, 2005, 09:04:47 PM »

Grendel is reffering to the escort role in the 8th AF I think, which was the 55th FG starting ops in October 1943 in P-38Hs. The initial batch of P-38s were sent to N. Africa for "Torch", where it was recognised as the best USAAF fighter in theater, being much more suited to air combat than P-40s or P-39s, which were the only other two USAAF fighter types deployed there.