Fork Tailed Devil The P 38

One of America's greatest military aviation historians relates the astonishing--and true--story of the only American warplane to fight in every operational theater in World War II from Pearl Harbor to Alaska and North Africa to Northern Europe.

One of America's greatest military aviation historians relates the astonishing—and true—story of the only American warplane to fight in every operational theater in World War II from Pearl Harbor to Alaska and North Africa to Northern Europe. “One of the greatest tests of its capabilities took place in mid-April of 1943 when Allied intelligence discovered that Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was going to visit Kahili on the coast of Bougainville. A P-38 intercept was planned. Its time of arrival had to be absolutely perfect and after a complex 435 mile wave-top approach that avoided all Japanese observers the Lightnings were there. Eighteen P-38s were assigned to “get Yamamoto" and that is exactly what happened.” —From the introduction by David Ballantine

This second of two volumes continues the P-38 story by focusing on the later, mass-produced models of this historic fighter--P-38J through P-38M. Each type is examined through carefully researched archival photos, as well as photographs of currently preserved examples. Known to the enemy during World War II as the "Fork-tailed devil," the pilots of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning were charged with the responsibility of escorting American bombers deep over heavily defended Europe during the early years of the air campaign against Nazi Germany. In the Pacific, the Lightning's long range was put to good use flying over vast expanses of ocean. Detailed text and captions illustrate not only the design and construction of the later-war Lightnings, but also their combat use in WWII. Large, clear photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, put the reader on the airfield and in the sky with this historic aircraft.

When the 82nd Fighter Group was organized in March 1942, most of its initial pilot cadre was comprised of newly graduated staff sergeant pilots of Class 42-C – enlisted men! They learned to fly the P-38 at Muroc, in California's Mojave Desert, and then moved to the Los Angeles area to continue their training and to serve as part of its air defence. In September 1942 the group was transported to the East Coast, from where it shipped out to Ireland on the Queen Mary. By this time all its remaining sergeant pilots had been commissioned. As of VE-Day the 82nd Fighter Group's score of confirmed aerial victories stood at 548 aircraft shot down, plus a huge amount of enemy materiel – including aircraft – destroyed on the ground and the sea. It had been awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. The cost of this success was high, however, for around 250 of the group's pilots had either been killed in action or captured.

This classic title traces the history of the Lightning from the earliest Lockheed "Model 22" through the severe compressibility problems of the prototype YP-38, to the P-38L-5, the fighter-bomber-reconnaissance aircraft of the USAAF in Italy and the Pacific. Graphically illustrated with over 200 action photographs and many eyewitness accounts, this book tells the story of a unique and innovative aircraft, revered for its adaptability and ability to limp home on one engine where other aircraft would have been destroyed.

The P-38 made its combat debut in Europe in mid-1942, the first American fighters being flown to the UK before heading further east to Twelfth Air Force units in North Africa. Its service in this theatre, and later over the heartland of Germany itself, earned the P-38 the nickname 'der gabelschwanzer Teufel' (the 'fork-tailed' devil). This volume traces the careers of many previously unknown aces within the USAAF in Europe, and helps redress the balance which has in the past seen all the 'glory' for the fighter victories in this theatre shared between the pilots of the P-47 and P-51. Some 17 pilots scored 7 or more kills on the P-38 in the ETO/MTO.

This is an American story as told to me during many conversations that I had over a four-year period with Robert Carl Milliken (Bob). The book is important because it tells of men and women who stood up to be counted when their country called – people whose deeds are fading into history and soon may be forgotten. The book incorporates the early history of Wyoming by starting with the first arrival of Bob’s family in the Wyoming Territory before Statehood was conferred and follows the events which led Bob to his actions as a World War II Fighter Ace (he flew 68 combat missions). For the reader, I have also placed Bob’s life in the perspective of the parallel actions that occurred in the Western United States and then during World War II in the European and Pacific Theaters. The book will serve as a reminder for those readers who are not familiar with the events of World War II but who will appreciate and understand events outside of their own experience. In addition, it will help the families of World War II veterans to remember with pride the men and women who answered the call of their country. And last but definitely not least, there is also Zella’s story – the young woman who Bob married on August 25 1946 and who bore four children, three daughters and one son. Zella’s family history is also interesting – the family can be traced back to 1617 in England and she is a descendent of one of the two regicide judges who authorized the execution of King Charles I of England after he was deposed by the forces of Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War (1642-1649). Furthermore, this book is not only a tribute to Bob and Zella but also to Zella’s brother Bobby (Master Sergeant Robert Lewis Bell) who saw action on many missions as the belly gunner in a B-24 bomber and who researched the history of the Bell family in considerable detail.

The definitive story of the World War II fighter which the Germans dubbed the fork-tailed devil includes line drawings, photos of prototypes and coverage of Lockheed proposals.