I picked this up from an AW newsgroup. I like the Lightening (alot) and found it worthy enough to share:
From (soc.history.war.world-war-ii)
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..... some of the top "experten" state that the P-38 was the most deadly of the Allied fighters (Galland differs, but even Steinhoff commented, " I cannot understand Galland's comments on the Lightning, Especially when he was nearly killed by this fighter on at
least two occations."
>From page 44 of the 8th AF News June 2000 Lt.Gen Johnnes Steinhoff, Luftwaffe fighter pilot. 176 victories.
Interviewer: "Of all the Allied fighters you encountered, which was the most difficult to handle with a good pilot at the controls?"
Steinhoff: "The Lightning. It was fast, low profiled and a fantastic fighter, and a real danger when it was above you. It was only vunerable if you were behind it, a little below it and closing fast, or turning into it, but on attack it was a tremendous aircraft. One shot me down from long range in 1944. That would be the one, although the P-51 was deadly because of it's long range, and it could cover any base in Europe. This made things difficult, especially later when flying jets."
In a personal letter to Trevor Constable, "Macky" Steinhoff responds to a similar question:
"I would state, without reservation, that the toughest Allied fighter was the Lockheed Lightning. Many of my war time comrades have stated that they found the Lightning to be an easy victory. Perhaps this is true if you were able to attack without being detected. My experience has been that if the Lightning was attacking you, you were in serious trouble. The Lockheed was faster than our Messerschmitt of Focke Wulf. Never was I able to match this large fighter in a tight turn. When in trouble, a common tactic was to begin a tight climbing spiral. This was a sure method to dislodge the P-51 and the Thunderbolt. They could do nothing to counter this other than try quick shots at very poor angles. But, if you attemped to escape the Lightning by this method, you would be shot down in short order because the Lockheed could follow you while climbing at a greater angle and turning a much tighter spiral."
"In every encounter I had with the Lightning, I came away very thankful to be alive. When I recall that I was shot down by a Lockheed and had two of my ships damaged beyond repair on other occations, I am grateful to the Americans that these fighters were not deployed in greater numbers."
Steinhoff also wrote:
"....the Lightnings loomed up terrifyingly fast in front of me, and it was only for the space of seconds that I was able to get into firing position behind one on the outside of the formation. And, as if they had received prior
warning, they swung around smartly as soon as I opened fire."
".... I tried to follow a Lightning's tight turn, but gravity pressed me down on my parachute with such force that I had trouble keeping my head in position to line up the sight on him... Then a shudder went through my aircraft as my leading edge flaps sprang out: I had exceeded the permissible gravity load."
".... If a Lightning turned into your attack, it was advisable to continue on past. If you chose to try to follow the Lightning's turn, you would find the American behind you within seconds. At this point, only poor gunnery would allow you to escape unharmed."
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-Westy
