Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Single-seat fighter / photo-reconnaissance aircraft

Power Plant:

[P-38F] Two 914 kw (1,225 hp) Allison V-1710-49 or –53 twelve-cylinder VEE turbocharged liquid-cooled engines

Specifications:

Armament:

One 20 mm type Madsen M1 cannon with 150 rounds; four 12.7 mm (0.50 in) Colt MG-53 machine guns with 500 rounds per gun, all in nose. No external stores

History:

In 1937 the team of Hal Hibbard and Clarence “Kelly” Johnson commenced the design of a new twin-engine fighter for the USAAF powered by two 858 kw (1,150 hp) Allison V-1710-C engines fitted with a General Electric turbo-supercharger, featuring twin-booms, a tricycle undercarriage, and cannon armament. The aircraft, the Lockheed Model 22, was of all metal construction and, known as the XP-38, made its first flight on 27 January 1938. Subsequently, thirteen test aircraft were built, the first production aircraft being the P-38D. The type was also supplied to the RAF as the Lightning I but, as the turbo-superchargers were not installed, it did not meet RAF requirements and was only supplied in small numbers. The P-38E appeared in 1941 and a number were modified by Lockheed for photo-reconnaissance work with four cameras replacing the armament, these becoming the F-4.

Development continued through a variety of models to the P-38F, G, H to M.  Armament consisted of two 23 mm Madsen cannon with fifty rounds of ammunition, and four 12.7 mm (0.5 in) Colt MG-53 machine guns with 1,000 rounds per gun. Although slightly slower and less manoeuvrable than the more widely used Mustang and Thunderbolt, the Lightning offered the advantage of twin-engines and a good operational range. A number of L and M models were converted to two-seat configuration with SCR-5430 radar in a drop tank and saw service as night fighters. The type saw much service on escort duties in the European Theatre.

Probably one of the most notable operations of the type in the Pacific Theatre was in April 1943 when sixteen Lightnings of the 339th Fighter Squadron, USAAC, based on Guadalcanal, flew 885 km (550 miles) and intercepted Admiral Yamamoto’s Mitsubishi Ki.21 Sally transport, shooting it down in flames. A total of 9,923 P-38s of all variants was built but very few saw much service after 1945. Only 28 complete aircraft are known to survive with warbird enthusiasts and in museums but a couple of wrecks have been recovered for restoration.

The P-38 served extensively in this region with the USAAC and many squadrons of the US 5th Air Force received their aircraft in Brisbane, QLD the P-38s being shipped from the United States, assembled and flown to the front line from Brisbane. One of the pilots who served in Australia was Major Richard Ira Bong, who arrived in Brisbane on board a B-24 Liberator in September 1942 and went on to be the top American ace of World War II, with 40 victories in the Pacific Theatre, all achieved during three combat tours on P-38s.

A few P-38s served with the RAAF, although the type saw extensive service with the USAAF in this region. Reports abound of USAAC pilots flying their P-38s under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Three F-4-LOs were transferred to the RAAF to meet photo-reconnaissance requirements. Some 86 P-38s were converted to F-4-LO configuration. The first RAAF machine, an F-4-1-LO (A55-1 – c/n 5376 – ex 41-2158), was received on 31 August 1942 at RAAF 1 AD Laverton, VIC and was issued to No 1 Photo Reconnaissance Unit, leaving Laverton in company with A55-2 on 30 October. It arrived at Hughes, NT the following day.

This unit moved to Coomalie Creek, NT on 6 December and commenced reconnaissance flights on 2 January 1943. It was flown to Laverton for servicing in February. On return it made flights to Cape Helvetius, Timor, Wessel Island, Portuguese Timor etc. In November 1943 it was flown to Townsville for an overhaul. In May 1944 it had a double engine change. On 1 September that year on landing at Coomalie Creek it swung violently to port, the nose-wheel collapsed, the auxiliary fuel tanks burst into flames and it was destroyed.

A55-2 (c/n 5377 – ex 41-2159) was received at No 1 AD at Laverton on 4 September 1942 and was issued to No 1 PRU, being flown to Hughes, NT on 30 October. On 4 September 1942 it crashed 2 miles west of Livingstone, NT whilst carrying out an engine test at heights up to 9,144 m (30,000 ft). Reports indicate it was observed at 1,524 m (5,000 ft) with one propeller fully feathered. On approach to land control was lost and the aircraft dived into the ground. These aircraft were basically the P-38E without armament fitted with four K-17 cameras, an auto-pilot, and underwing racks between the fuselage and the engines for long-range fuel tanks.

As a replacement records indicate serial 41-2122 was supplied by the USAAF. However, it would appear 41-2122 stayed with the USAAF as it was destroyed in an accident on 5 December 1943 near Port Moresby, PNG and the former identity of the aircraft which became A55-3 (c/n 5340) has not been confirmed. The aircraft was received by No 1 PRU from the USAAF at Eagle Farm, QLD on 27 February 1943 and was flown to Coomalie Creek. A number of operations were flown, including to Penfoei, Dili, Portuguese Timor, a survey of Frederick Henry Island, Kai Island etc. In September 1943 it was flown to Townsville for overhaul. On 1 November 1943 it suffered a hydraulic system failure and a belly-landing was made on delivery from Townsville, QLD. On 10 December 1943 it again landed wheels up, this time at Batchelor, NT and was written off, the wreck being converted to components. Some of the wreckage is held by the Darwin Aviation Museum.

Other F-4s were operated by No 75 squadron, this unit at the time operating Kittyhawks, on loan from the USAAFs 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron in New Guinea (believed to be serials 41-2120 and 41-2156) for a short period from 16 August 1943 but were returned later. 41-2156 Leaping Lizzie featured in the opening scenes of the 1945 Errol Flynn movie “Objective Burma.”

Further Lightnings’ are known to have been received. One F-4-1-LO (41-2130 – c/n 5348) arrived at Commonwealth Aircraft Corp at Fishermans Bend on 12 August 1942 for erection, being flown to Townsville on 3 September for No 8 PRS. It was noted at Port Moresby in October 1943 and in November was condemned by the US 5th Air Force. It, along with two more (41-2139 and 41-2217 – c/n 5435), was allotted to the RAAF and all three were prepared in March 1944 to fly to Port Moresby. In April they were ferried to No 3 AD at Amberley, QLD. On arrival at Amberley 41-2217 and 41-2156 were rejected owing to their poor condition. One, the identity of which is not known, is known to have force landed at Rockhampton, QLD. It may be 41-2130 (c/n 5348 – Malaria Mabel) and 41-2139 (c/n 5357 Pouting Peggy) were not delivered to the RAAF and were replaced by others.

Photographs in the Australian War Memorial Collection seem to indicate other Lightnings were in service with No 75 Squadron on 31 July 1943, probably flown by US pilots as few Australian pilots had been converted to the type at that time. One (41-2156 – c/n 5374 – Leaping Lizzie) was assembled at Fishermans Bend and flown to Townsville in September 1942, making a forced landing on Hisiu Beach on 2 March 1943. It was flown out and operated from Port Moresby, making a number of reconnaissance flights over Gasmata, Garove Island, Goodenough Island, Talasea, Shortland Island etc. In December 1943 it was returned to No 8 PRS. 41-2220 (c/n 5438) was also loaned to No 75 Squadron and operated from Turnbull, Port Moresby and Milne Bay on photo-reconnaissance work in September and October 1943 before being returned to the USAAF. It may well be others were loaned for short periods to meet operational commitments, and a few early missions could have been flown by USAAF pilots.

It is known nine F-4s were delivered to CAC at Fisherman’s Bend in August 1942 for erection for the USAAFs 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron and a couple of these were taken on charge by the RAAF. Certainly US forces used the P-38 / F-4 series extensively throughout Australia and the islands during World War II and many, at the end of their operational lives, were condemned and broken up at bases in Queensland.

A few P-38 Lightnings survive in this region. Serial 42-12647 (Dottie from Brooklyn), a P-38F which operated with the US 39th Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group, US 5th Air Force, which is said to have shot down a number of Japanese aircraft, was located on its belly in a swamp 40 km north-west of Port Moresby and was airlifted to Port Moresby by RAAF Boeing Chinook A15-003 where some restoration work took place for the National Museum, some parts being shipped to Australia for restoration by members of HARS at Albion Park, NSW.

Other crash sites of P-38s in New Guinea have been located and parts of P-38Gs 42-12857 and 42-12847, P-38H 42-66868, and P-38F 42-13084 have been recovered. One aircraft (P-38H-5-LO – c/n 1352 serial 42-66841) was shipped in May 1999 to South Australia where it was restored by the Classic Jets Fighter Museum at Parafield to static display, making its first public appearance in mid 2006. However, in late 2014 this aircraft was sold and exported to the United Kingdom where it will be restored to airworthiness.

Two further examples (42-103988 Jandina III, and 42-12652) were shipped to Melbourne in 2001 from New Guinea but have since been exported. Another P-38H (42-66905 Japanese Sandman II ) arrived at Bankstown, NSW late in 2002 for eventual restoration, work commencing soon after at Wangaratta, VIC. P-38G 42-12847 (Dumbo) was shipped to Bankstown, NSW from the Solomon Islands and taken eventually to Wangaratta. Parts of others have been recovered, including 42-13084, and have been placed in storage at Albion Park for eventual restoration.

Most P-38 wrecks and parts of a number of wrecks have all been collected by HARS at Albion Park, where three aircraft are being restored, one for static display for the PNG National Museum; another for static display in an American Museum; and a third to airworthiness for operation by HARS.  Reports from veterans speak of P-38s being broken up and buried under the sand fill for the Brisbane International Airport.