23 June 1942
Presque Isle, Maine, USA
Lieutenant Colonel Ben Kelsey, now an acting Colonel assigned to the recently formed 14th Fighter Group, looked on as the eight Wright Cyclones sputtered to life. The single row radials were attached, four to a ship, to the wings of new B-17 “Flying Fortresses” of the 97th Bombardment Group scheduled to depart Maine for Goose Bay, Labrador today with an ultimate destination of Prestwick, Scotland in a few days. The Fortresses were part of an on-going U.S. Army Air Forces build up in England which had started in March. Eighteen other Forts’ and twenty C-47 “Skytrains” were also scheduled to leave this day, but these two B-17’s would be flying with some special company: seven P-38’s from the 1st Fighter Group.
For the first time, fighter aircraft would fly to England under their own power, piloted by their assigned pilots.
Getting here had not been easy and the past several weeks had been trying for Kelsey. After Tony LeVier’s successful non-stop flight from Burbank to Wright Field in April, Kelsey rode a few weeks of excitement. Between validation that the P-38 could make the trip to England under its own power and the news of his old mentor, Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, mounting a successful raid on Tokyo, followed shortly with the news that Austrlia was having success flying their newly delivered F-4 Photo Recce P-38E’s, Kelsey finished April with nothing but good news. He had then partnered with General Arnold to develop the plan for P-38 delivery with the bombers and transports over the North Atlantic under Operation Bolero.
The various stops and airfields had been in development for some time and many had been operational first under the control of the joint British-Canadian Atlantic Ferry Organization (ATFERO) and later under the RAF Ferry Command. Over the last half of 1941 the US Army Air Corps Ferry Command had started to take over duties on the route under the auspices of Lend-Lease, beginning by replacing the British garrison in Iceland with US Marines supported by Navy PBY’s and a squadron of Air Corps P-40’s (delivered by the USS Wasp) for air cover. By this past March, as part of the buildup of the newly designated Eighth Bomber Command, the first flights of American Heavy Bombers, B-17’s and B-24’s, started flying the route to Scotland.
The plan to bring the P-38’s over relied on use of the 165 gallon drop tanks to give them enough range to travel with the Forts’—who would act as navigational pathfinders for the fighters. Each B-17 would lead between four and eight P-38’s in small flights along each leg of the journey. There were bases scattered throughout the North Atlantic. The flights would skip their way up to Goose Bay, Labrador and from there make their way to one of the three Greenland bases, depending on weather; Bluie West One on the southern tip of Greenland, Bluie West Eight up the west coast, and Bluie East One on the east coast. After refueling they would then head to Reykjavik, Iceland before making the final long flight over to Scotland. No single leg would be longer than 850 statute air miles, so that if the destination was closed the P-38’s would have enough fuel to return to their departure base.
With the plan in place, 80 P-38’s of the 1st and 14th Fighter Groups flew up the U.S. East Coast to Dow Field in Maine in May. The first flights were cancelled though in the first few days of June when all the Groups (fighter, bomber, and transport) were ordered to West Coast to backfill gaps left from a reshuffling of resources in support of the Battle of Midway. Those orders were reversed a few days later after the news of the massive victory in the Pacific made their presence redundant and the whole gaggle turned around and headed back east.
Now, after all the delays the first P-38’s were about start the long trip.
The big Boeings were surprisingly graceful as they lifted off from the strip, their Cyclones muffled by the turbo-superchargers. Once clear of the airbase with their gear up, first one than the other less than two minutes later, banked to the left and started their circling climb where they would wait for the fighters to join them.
Only a few minutes after the second Fortress left the ground, the first of seven Lightnings sped into the air laden with fuel. Unlike LeVier’s cross-country flight, these planes were fully loaded with all of the military gear they would need once they reached England—less some ammunition—and the pilot’s personal effects in the right boom storage compartment. Even so, the Allison V-1710-49’s and 53’s had more than enough power to get the planes airborne in just over a quarter mile.
Kelsey watched one after the other leave the field and rendezvous with the Fortresses circling in the distance knowing that in just a few days he would be making the same trip.
2 July 1942
Bluie West One, Greenland
Kelsey had spent the last three and half hours putzing along at around 200 miles per hour with the bombers but was not entirely relieved to see the rising mountains of southern Greenland on the horizon. He loved flying the P-38 and was never quite ready to put it down at the end of a flight.
In the time between the first flight of ‘38’s had left Maine and Kelsey himself started the flight Operation Bolero had lost two B-17’s when a flight of ten had ran into bad weather 400 miles out from Labrador. Seven had come back and one had pressed on alone to Bluie West Eight up Greenland’s west coast. The other two had been forced to ditch in the cold North Atlantic and were lost. Luckily they had gotten out their position and all the crewmembers were picked up safe and sound, if a little chilled.
The loss had prompted the Air Force brass to convene a hasty discussion as to whether or not to stop the Operation Bolero flights. Kelsey and his 1st F.G. counterpart had successfully argued to continue the flights and even now the first flights of P-38’s, including the seven he had watched leave Presque Isle on the 23rd, were in Iceland waiting for their opportunity to cross to Scotland.
Now Kelsey and the Colonel from the 1st F.G. were accompanying several other P-38’s from both the 1st and 14th and more 97th B.G. Fortresses into Greenland. There were three fjords emptying into the North Atlantic in this part of Greenland, one of which is Eriksfjord the medieval home of the Viking settlement of Erik the Red. The small flight of US Army Air Force aircraft dropped to below 1000 feet and turned up the fjord, zigging and zagging with the serpentine breaks in the rocky cliffs which defined the fjord’s boundaries.
Near the end of Eriksfjord was Bluie West One, a rough and tumble remote base which was their destination. The approach to the 4500 steel-mat runway was restricted on two sides by coastal highlands and on a third by the glacier up river. Buildings were of the hastily built steel Quonset variety and were scattered about with sturdy canvas tents filling space haphazardly between.
Kelsey watched the other airplanes land, one-by-one, before he dropped his flaps and gear for his own approach. With more than half a load of fuel still remaining the tanks the P-38 hit the undulating surface hard but the sturdy gear held true and he came to a rumbling stop on the rocks off the side of the strip where he was directed to park.
He was halfway to England.
7 July 1942
Burbank, California, USA
Kelly Johnson had mostly left the P-38 programs in other hands by now. He was still involved as the Chief Research Engineer and Project Manager but the daily grind of the manufacturing and incremental improvements needed by the Army were left in other capable hands. Much of his time now was being occupied by the L-049 Constellation, now set to be sold to the Army Air Forces as the C-69, and in anxious anticipation of the Air Force’s response to the L-133 jet fighter he, Hall Hibbard, and Willis Hawkins had designed.
In the meantime, some updates and details of P-38 development continued across his desk even as the War Department was placing more and more orders to build up fighter strength.
The current block of P-38F-15’s have already been improved by the addition of a “Combat Maneuver” setting on the Flaps, which extends them only eight degrees and grants the big fighter a significant improvement to its turning radius. Full comparison to other types have yet to be completed, but a new program has been ordered to begin in August which will do just that. Provisional tests have shown that the Lockheed fighter is already superior to its major American competitors currently in production in most areas and more improvements were on the way.
Allison was already scheduling delivery of their next V-1710, the F-10, which promised better specific fuel consumption than the slightly thirstier F-5 currently being fitted to the P-38’s rolling out of the B-1 assembly plant. Most importantly, however, was that General Electric had an improved turbo-supercharger, the B-13, which could achieve higher boost pressures and maintain them to higher critical altitudes. In initial tests on an engine stand Allison claimed they could hold over 54 inches of manifold pressure for at least fifteen minutes without challenges.
Reports from the field as new pilots were being trained in the airplane have been mixed. The performance has been lauded but the young pilots seem to have some difficulties with it. The biggest issues have been related to improper handling of engine failures, especially on takeoff, which has led to several accidents resulting is writing off the airplane and even a few resulting in the loss of the pilot. Turbine failures have also continued, especially during high altitude training if the pilots fail to reduce throttle above Critical Altitude leading to over-speeds. Luckily few of those have been fatal thanks to the armor now lining the turbine wells in the booms. Just so, the Army has been pushing Lockheed pretty hard to get a Turbo-Supercharger Governor installed to relieve the issue, similar to the one recently installed in the P-47.
Another problem which has cropped up a few times is loss of propeller pitch control in the event of a left engine—and thus electrical—failure. As with the turbo over-speed issue, this was a problem already known and on the list to be fixed but unlike the other—which requires the development of new machinery—the loss of electrical generation could be easily solved by installing a secondary generator on the right engine something which the Army has now increased in priority and will be included in the upcoming model with the F-10 engines.
The majority of the accidents were considered pilot error and the accident rates for the type were only slightly higher than for other high-performance fighters such as Republic’s new P-47 undergoing operational tests on Long Island. Still, they were concerning to both the USAAF and to Lockheed who were working together to find better training methods and areas for possible simplification.
The final problem with the training of new pilots has been complaints over the fuel management system. At least two incidents had occurred where aircraft and pilots were lost due to fuel starvation even though the MAIN tanks were still full. In both cases, the pilots—each with fewer than 10 hours in the P-38—had failed to switch off the RESERVE tanks. In yet a third case the pilot had remembered to switch tanks but had failed to turn the valve all the way to MAIN for the left engine, leaving it partway between RESERVE and MAIN which caused the engine to quit and subsequently led to electrical failure which in turn made the right propeller loose automatic pitch control causing it to ran away and come apart. The pilot was able to evacuate the airplane and bail out—thanks largely to the emergency release on the new canopy—and was rescued from where the plane disappeared into Lake Michigan.
The fuel management looked like it would be further complicated by the addition of additional tanks in the airplane. In an effort to further increase the range for ferrying and operational sorties Lockheed was building slight modifications to the outer wing panel leading-edge assemblies to fill the space that used to house the inter-cooler piping with 55 gallons of fuel cells per wing. The extra 110 gallons, together with some minor redesigns to the RESERVE tanks—increasing their usable fuel from 60 gallons each to 62 ½ gallons—will increase the usable internal fuel from 306 gallons to 424 gallons. The additional usable fuel will increase the airplane’s ferry range with external tanks by about 300 Statue Air Miles (Kelly always wondered why they could not just call it “Nautical Mile” like everyone else), or over 350 land miles. Instead of adding yet another setting to the tank selection valves in the cockpit, the use of the new Leading Edge tanks would be controlled by separate switches directly behind the valves.
Simplification of the fuel management system, however, was being looked into and it was possible that they would have a solution in a later production block but for now they needed to move forward with getting the next model ready for production.
Yet another improvement being looked into for range extension was the modification of the under-wing ranks to accommodate new 300 gallon fuel tanks. Kelsey had worked with Gen. Arnold on testing this on a single P-38F prior to his departure from Wright Field and found that even with the extra weight the airplane could get nearly 2200 nautical miles total ferry range, including a 20 minute reserve. The problem is that the existing pylons simply were not strong enough to safely handle the weight and needed to be redesigned which was also slated to appear on an upcoming block of the updated airplane. If the needed modifications could be carried out then, with the addition of the LE tanks, the new airplane should be able to cover 2500 miles in a single flight which would enable it to make the flight from Gander, Newfoundland directly to Prestwick, Scotland with plenty of reserve remaining to divert to any available airstrip in Britain if needed.
It was Air Corps policy, and has carried over into the Army Air Forces, to give airplanes a new model designation when the engine changes so with the F-10 engines, or the V-1710-51, -55 as the Army called it, and the other improvements the USAAF is designating the forthcoming block as the P-38G.
25 July 1942
RAF Heathfield, Prestwick, Scotland
Kelsey had been delayed for a few weeks in Iceland. The largest delay came on the 15th when a storm had led to the loss of six P-38’s from the 94th Fighter Squadron of the 1st Fighter Group and their two B-17 companions, prompting a week long search and rescue mission. The rescue teams were finally able to reach the downed airmen by dogsled a few days later and were happy to find all the men were alive and well.
After that Kelsey had found himself caught up in coordinating the incoming and outgoing flights form Iceland for his 14th F.G. but now, finally, everything looked set for the last few to leave over the next several days, save a few P-38’s that would remain behind to provide additional long-range fighter patrols to supplement the short-legged P-40’s. Kelsey finally felt he was able to head to RAF Heathfield outside Prestwick, Scotland.
Arriving over the airfield Kelsey was impressed by the sheer concentration of American air power represented. The entire air base seemed filled to capacity with B-17’s, B-24’s, C-46’s & 47’s, and several score P-38’s all of which had yet to make their final legs to their assigned operational airbases.
Soon, though, he knew the groups would be consolidated and Fortress Europe would begin to feel the sting of the United States Army Air Forces.
17 August 1942
South of Iceland
Second Lieutenant Elza Shahan of the 27th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, had been left behind in Iceland to help the 33rd Fighter Squadron’s P-40’s provide some cover for the dozens of aircraft moving through the area as part of Operation Bolero. He had been with the unit for quite some time, flying P-38E’s out of San Diego earlier in the spring on anti-submarine patrols, and now saddled in his new P-38F #41-7580 he felt to be untouchable.
The drop tanks were all reserved for the ferry flights, so his Lightning was patrolling with only its internal fuel. Still, with his throttles set at 30 inches and engines at 2000 RPM he could scour the skies around Iceland at over 250 miles per hour for three hours, even though standard procedure was to limit patrols to two hours, leaving plenty of fuel for combat if needed.
He loved this airplane. Between his anti-submarine patrols off southern California, the long hikes to get from San Diego to Iceland, and now his almost daily two hour patrols, he could not find any real complaints with flying the P-38. In fact, once he was trimmed up, he barely felt like he was flying it at all, rather the airplane was so stable and steady it practically flew itself with only minor adjustments and course corrections needed from Shahan.
He had been out for about 40 minutes at 8,000 feet when he spotted a dark blot at his two-o’clock. Shahan had not heard about any expected bombers coming in today but every now and then a lone ship or two might make the trip unexpectedly after mechanical or weather delays at earlier legs of the North Atlantic route, so he angled his Lighting over and started a shallow climb to join up with the bomber.
When he was about seven miles out, he noticed a smaller, faster, shape closing in on the larger aircraft. Fearing that it was indeed an American bomber under attack he switched on his gunsight, pushed his fuel controls up to AUTO-RICH, brought his RPMs up to 3000, increased throttle to 47 inches, and raised his nose to gain some altitude over the enemy. Even as he wondered at the presence of an enemy fighter this far out. Do the huns have a new fighter? Or worse, a base hidden somewhere in the North Atlantic?
Number 580 accelerated as he climbed, passing 300 miles per hour at about the same time he passed 10,000 feet and pulled his oxygen mask on. When he had closed to about four miles, with the two aircraft several thousand feet below him he adjusted his angle so he could line up the small fighter in the space between his left engine nacelle and his nose, watching the angle increase as the two shapes grew larger. He saw the smaller aircraft, come up behind the larger, which appeared at first to be a B-17. A twisted trail of grey smoke erupted from the nose and wings of the little fighter and Shahan watched the white tracers scatter around the four-engine bomber. Moments later the left out-board engine of the larger plane erupted, billowing a cloud of black smoke and shooting flames over the horizontal tail plane.
Desperate to save the bomber and with his heart pounding a rapid cadence in his ears, Shahan rolled slightly to the left and with a kick of left rudder, slid 580 into a shallow dive toward the struggle of life-death happening below him. He was about to line up on the little fighter when it pitched up, rolling away from its attack as it spend past the bomber, and he saw the clean white star on the blue roundel painted on its wing. Seconds later he was close enough to recognize it as a P-40.
Confused, he looked again at the larger airplane, now close enough to positively identify—it was not a B-17 as he had thought from a distance, but a large four-engine airplane proudly wearing the broken cross of the German Luftwaffe and a Swastika on its tail. Remembering his identification silhouettes, he realized it was a Focke-Wulf 200 “Condor.”
Now making over 380 miles per hour in he realized he was closing far too fast to make an effective attack on the slow moving Condor. He cut his throttle back to 42” and pulled his RPMs down to 2600 with his left hand while he kicked his rudder over to skid the plane and slow it down, first right than left. His speed dropped but not fast enough to line up properly. He looked for the P-40 and it clear to his 10-o’clock high, rolling over for another attack, so he pulled his yoke back bringing the P-38 up to bleed off more speed as the Condor disappeared under his left wing.
With both hands on the wheel, he forced his fast moving Lighting to slowly roll to the left until the Condor reappeared and the plane was all but standing on the wingtip. A hard kick of left rudder brought his nose down and the Condor slid from off his wingtip to become a shimmering form seen through the shadow of his left propeller. He slowed his engines even more, hoping to give himself enough time to make a good pass on the enemy aircraft. Even so, the shallow dive saw his speed begin to climb back up to 350 mph.
At 800 yards out, with the Condor sliding ever closer to 580’s nose, Shahan fired off a short burst of .50 calibers. The angle was about sixty degrees and his tracers arced down and in front of the German airplane. Pulling up a few degrees with a small roll to the right the angle narrowed to 45 degrees. At 500 yards, he gave a little right rudder to increase his lead at 30 degrees deflection and opened a long burst from his fifties.
The tracers closed in on the Condor as Shahan’s P-38 vibrated from the power of four AN/M2 .50 Caliber heavy machine guns. When he saw the little sparks and arcs of his tracers ricocheting off the big Focke-Wulf, he pressed down on his cannon trigger. The A/N-M2 20mm cannon blared to life with a thunder that was distinct from the roaring crash of the fifties. He skid his airplane farther behind and still slightly above the Condor and continued his sustained fire. He could see the impact of his concentrated fire walk up the right wing of the enemy and impact the right inboard engine before continuing over the cockpit before he released the triggers.
He pushed his engines hot again and pulled up, never dropping below the FW.200. A roll to the right and he circled above the stricken patrol plane. Its number one engine was still smoldering from the P-40’s earlier attack and now Shahan could observe the damage he dealt in detail. The entire right wing was holed, peppered with scores of small shiny tears in the aluminum many of which were leaking the translucent haze of fuel. The holes continued over the wing root and up into the cockpit area—Shahan would be surprised if the pilots were unharmed. The number three engine was smoking and Shahan should see the entire mount vibrating as the Condor pulled up and rolled right, in seeming mimicry of Shahan’s own movements.
Just as it began its uncontrolled climb, the number three propeller shook itself apart, spinning crazily into the forward fuselage of the airplane. At the same time the engine burst into flame, sending fire back into the fuel leaking from the wing. In seconds the entire wing was fully engulfed in fire and the Condor bellied over and down.
Slowing his airplane, Shahan followed in slow circles as the F.W. 200 spiraled as a mass of fire and smoking debris into the cold North Atlantic below. He saw no parachutes from the stricken plane. Once it was gone, he waggled his wings at the P-40 and together they flew back to Iceland.
The Lightning had its first taste of blood*.
*Editor: Technically, the P-38’s first kill was a few days earlier, on August 9th, 1942 when two P-38E’s downed a Kawanishi H6K “Mavis” in the Aleutian Islands. However, as this tale is focused on the ATL P-38 I thought it best to start with the first P-38F kill.
