P-38 -- "The Forked-Tail Devil"

[fjaloma]

I found the following excerpt at : http://www.aviation-history.com/bristol/beaufite....

Quote:
"To the Japanese, the Beaufighter became known as "The Whispering Death" (not be confused with "Whistling Death F4U Corsair) which gives some idea of the speed at which one could suddenly appear, strike and turn for home. Beaufighters were also flown by the air forces of Australia, New Zealand and, in small numbers, the US. In Britain they remained flying as target tugs throughout the 1950s".

It's all about who wrote it and which book/article you read.

Disco

[Scherf]

Of all the sins one can lay at Martin Caiden's door, I'm not sure "forked-tail devil" is down to him.

I'm looking at a copy of "AAF Manual 51-127-1   Pilot Training Manual for the P-38 Lightning", apparently published 1 August 1945, which claims "the men of the Luftwaffe" called the P-38 "The Forked Devil."

No citations are provided...

[gripen]

Originally posted by Ack-Ack
My mistake, the P-38 was supposedly referred to by Japanese pilots as The Whispering Death.  

AFAIK the Whispering Death was a nick name of the Beaufighter (due to relatively silent sleeve valve engines).

http://www.aviation-history.com/bristol/beaufite.html


gripen

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by gripen
AFAIK the Whispering Death was a nick name of the Beaufighter (due to relatively silent sleeve valve engines).

http://www.aviation-history.com/bristol/beaufite.html


gripen

some British journalist coined that name for the Beaufighter and not the japanese.


ack-ack