Originally posted by Bodhi
THe P-38F is more significant to have then the M or the G. THe F was the first in combat, and bore the brunt of the 38's fighting until the late J's arrived on scene. If you want another great aircraft that is being left out, how about the P-47D-5. THey also saw massive amounts of combat in the PTO and are largely neglected by their younger brothers.
Well, the P-38F saw combat in SWPA, Guadalcanal and in North Africa. However, by the spring of 1943, very few F models remained in front-line service. The survivors were used to train maintenance personnel or incoming pilots with little or no P-38 time. It was the P-38G that replaced the F model, followed by the P-38H in mid '43. P-38Js came along late in 1943, and most of them went straight to the 55th and 20th FGs in the ETO. Eventually, enough were in service that all theaters received an allocation, but the ETO had first priority.
Lockheed really didn't provide a first-class fighter until the P-38L arrived in mid 1944. By then, the 8th AF was committed to the P-51, so the 15th AF in Italy and the 5th AF in the SWPA received the bulk of P-38L production with a smaller percentage being deployed with the 9th Tactical AF out of Britain, and later on the continent itself. 8th AF units received less than 30 P-38Ls, and all were transferred to the 9th AF by September of '44.
Remember the P-38 raid that shot down Yamamoto? All fighters on that mission were P-38Gs.
I agree that the P-38F would be a great addition, especially for the Guadalcanal and North Africa set-ups in the CT.
My regards,
Widewing
