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Osprey Duel #131
P-38 Lightning vs Bf 109: North Africa, Sicily and Italy 1942–43
An exciting account of the aerial battles fought by the USAAF's P38 Lightnings and the Jagdflieger's Bf 109Gs for dominance over North Africa and the Mediterranean.
USAAF fighter pilots experienced a baptism of fire when flying the technically advanced but fragile P-38 Lightning over North Africa in the wake of 1942's Operation Torch. Their opponents were battle-hardened jagdflieger of the Jadgwaffe, flying the tried and tested Bf 109 in its very lastest Gustav iteration.
Responsible primarily for escorting USAAF bombers attacking Afrika Korps installations in Tunisia, the P-38 units in North Africa had to develop effective tactics to defend the bombers against Luftwaffe fighter attacks. For several months the Lightning squadrons had to also cope with shortages of aircraft and spare parts, steady losses and a lack of replacement pilots. To survive, American aviators had to learn quickly. While it is difficult to definitively attribute victories in air combat, in the air battles over Tunisia and later over Sicily and Italy, the claims made by Lightning pilots were comparable to Luftwaffe claims for P-38s destroyed.
Edward M. Young turns his attention to the bitterly fought air war in North Africa and the Mediterranean in 1942–43. Using original archival sources, official records and first-hand accounts from both USAAF and Luftwaffe veterans, as well as newly commissioned artwork and 50 carefully selected photographs from official and personal archives, this book sees two of the most iconic piston-engined fighters of their era pitted head-to-head for control of the skies in a key theatre of World War II.
USAAF fighter pilots experienced a baptism of fire when flying the technically advanced but fragile P-38 Lightning over North Africa in the wake of 1942's Operation Torch. Their opponents were battle-hardened jagdflieger of the Jadgwaffe, flying the tried and tested Bf 109 in its very lastest Gustav iteration.
Responsible primarily for escorting USAAF bombers attacking Afrika Korps installations in Tunisia, the P-38 units in North Africa had to develop effective tactics to defend the bombers against Luftwaffe fighter attacks. For several months the Lightning squadrons had to also cope with shortages of aircraft and spare parts, steady losses and a lack of replacement pilots. To survive, American aviators had to learn quickly. While it is difficult to definitively attribute victories in air combat, in the air battles over Tunisia and later over Sicily and Italy, the claims made by Lightning pilots were comparable to Luftwaffe claims for P-38s destroyed.
Edward M. Young turns his attention to the bitterly fought air war in North Africa and the Mediterranean in 1942–43. Using original archival sources, official records and first-hand accounts from both USAAF and Luftwaffe veterans, as well as newly commissioned artwork and 50 carefully selected photographs from official and personal archives, this book sees two of the most iconic piston-engined fighters of their era pitted head-to-head for control of the skies in a key theatre of World War II.
79 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 23, 2023
11 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Edward M. Young
29 books3 followersEdward M. Young is a retired financial executive with a BA degree in Political Science from Harvard University and an MA from the University of Washington. In 2015 he received an MA in the History of Warfare from King’s College, London and in 2020 completed a PhD in History at King’s College. During his career he had assignments in New York, London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. He is the author of numerous books and articles on aviation history. He lives with his wife in Seattle, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 18, 2023
For all of its conciseness, P-38 LIGHTNING vs Bf 109: North Africa, Sicily and Italy 1942-43 provides a thorough overview of the merits and deficiencies of the P-38 Lightning twin-engined fighter vis-a-vis the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter when pitted against each other in aerial combat over North Africa and in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) between November 1942 and September 1943.
In the wake of Operation Torch (the Anglo-American invasion of French North Africa in November 1942), the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) quickly dispatched several bomber and fighter units to assist the Allies in pushing the Italo-German forces out of North Africa. Among the latter units were the 1st, 14th, and 82nd Fighter Groups -- each of them equipped with the P-38 Lightning.
Besides fulfilling their traditional role of engaging enemy air forces in aerial combat, the P-38s, given their long range, speed, and firepower, were tasked with providing fighter escort for the bombers. To counter this infusion of Allied air power, the Germans sent over several of their veteran fighter units, manned by pilots with considerable combat experience. Over the next 10 months, the USAAF fighter units would be hard pressed to establish aerial supremacy against several of the Luftwaffe's best fighter aces, because of their lack of previous combat experience.
This book goes into considerable detail in assessing which of the 2 fighters came out ahead in terms of fighter-to-fighter combat. The findings were both interesting and surprising to me. There are also lots of photos and illustrations to give the reader a tangible sense of what the hazards and perils were that both the USAAF and Luftwaffe fighter pilots faced over North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, as well as first-hand accounts from the pilots themselves.
What became clear to me from reading P-38 LIGHTNING vs Bf 109: North Africa, Sicily and Italy 1942-43 was that "[a]lthough the Lightning groups may not have shot down as many Bf 109s as they claimed, and they had to absorb heavy losses at times, they succeeded admirably in defending the bombers. There are many variables that need to be taken into consideration when comparing the loss rates endured by bomb groups in the European and Mediterranean Theaters of Operations - the quality and quantity of German fighters, their tactics, the capabilities of Allied bombers under attack and the availability of fighter escort. It is noteworthy, ..., that during the time the P-38 groups spent as part of the Twelfth Air Force, the loss rates for the heavy bomber units they escorted all the way to the target and back were considerably lower that the loss rates for heavy bomber units in the European Theater of Operations. [ETO]"
The USAAF in North Africa and Mediterranean learned at an earlier stage than was the case in the ETO the critical need for escort fighters. Thus, the role played by the P-38 Lightning in ensuring the success of the Allied air forces "in interdicting Axis supplies to Tunisia and devastating Axis air strength in Sicily and Italy" was invaluable and gave its pilots much needed combat experience which they later imparted to future fighter pilots who would serve in the MTO and help ensure final victory over Germany in May 1945.
In the wake of Operation Torch (the Anglo-American invasion of French North Africa in November 1942), the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) quickly dispatched several bomber and fighter units to assist the Allies in pushing the Italo-German forces out of North Africa. Among the latter units were the 1st, 14th, and 82nd Fighter Groups -- each of them equipped with the P-38 Lightning.
Besides fulfilling their traditional role of engaging enemy air forces in aerial combat, the P-38s, given their long range, speed, and firepower, were tasked with providing fighter escort for the bombers. To counter this infusion of Allied air power, the Germans sent over several of their veteran fighter units, manned by pilots with considerable combat experience. Over the next 10 months, the USAAF fighter units would be hard pressed to establish aerial supremacy against several of the Luftwaffe's best fighter aces, because of their lack of previous combat experience.
This book goes into considerable detail in assessing which of the 2 fighters came out ahead in terms of fighter-to-fighter combat. The findings were both interesting and surprising to me. There are also lots of photos and illustrations to give the reader a tangible sense of what the hazards and perils were that both the USAAF and Luftwaffe fighter pilots faced over North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, as well as first-hand accounts from the pilots themselves.
What became clear to me from reading P-38 LIGHTNING vs Bf 109: North Africa, Sicily and Italy 1942-43 was that "[a]lthough the Lightning groups may not have shot down as many Bf 109s as they claimed, and they had to absorb heavy losses at times, they succeeded admirably in defending the bombers. There are many variables that need to be taken into consideration when comparing the loss rates endured by bomb groups in the European and Mediterranean Theaters of Operations - the quality and quantity of German fighters, their tactics, the capabilities of Allied bombers under attack and the availability of fighter escort. It is noteworthy, ..., that during the time the P-38 groups spent as part of the Twelfth Air Force, the loss rates for the heavy bomber units they escorted all the way to the target and back were considerably lower that the loss rates for heavy bomber units in the European Theater of Operations. [ETO]"
The USAAF in North Africa and Mediterranean learned at an earlier stage than was the case in the ETO the critical need for escort fighters. Thus, the role played by the P-38 Lightning in ensuring the success of the Allied air forces "in interdicting Axis supplies to Tunisia and devastating Axis air strength in Sicily and Italy" was invaluable and gave its pilots much needed combat experience which they later imparted to future fighter pilots who would serve in the MTO and help ensure final victory over Germany in May 1945.
April 3, 2024
Read this on my tablet/phone/Kindle with no problems, very enjoyable reading! Highly recommended.
I have been following the Osprey Duel series for ages and most are excellent this is one of the latest and I had to get it as I wanted to learn more about these aircraft which I did. I also learned much more.
Presentation is up to the usual high standard with good photos and captions plus diagrams and tables to help understand the tactics comparisons. You also get to see inside just like the pilots would have done.
It shocked me that the P38 got hit so hard in this theatre. I should not have been surprised as the 109 "experten" were tough opponents for seasoned fighters let alone the newbies here. Moreover I learned how well the P38s were able to fend off the enemy attacks so as to secure their bomber charges completing their missions.
Seems that the Luftwaffe guys liked to dogfight more than prevent the bombers hitting their targets so you could say that they failed... OK, so they were able to add to their already incredible scores but once you're an ace... and yet the poor guys on the ground were being plastered because the 109s did not add to those scores with the more important bomber kills! I did not comprehend this situation but now I do thanks to this book.
Having read similar books about the Korean and Vietnam air campaigns (also very well covered by Osprey) I could not help but think there were similarities between these air combats... jets screaming in to savage incoming fighter-bombers, zooming away before the CAP could get them... did the Soviet/Chinese pilots read the WW2 combat reports like P38 vs 109?
Finally, I would recommend what you might call the "companion volume" by Mr Young where he describes the later combats between the Lightning and its Japanese foe, the Hien. The comparison is doubly intriguing because of the history of the development of this fine opponent; it was built with contributions from Germany as one of the few cooperations that yielded field deployment... it uses the DB601 engine as per the 109... in fact some US pilots occasionally mistook the Hien for a 109. What also intrigues me is that while in the 109 combats the P38 was disadvantaged (find out why in the book) out east the opposite was the case... something to do with roles perhaps? Anyway all very interesting to armchair enthusiasts...
I have been following the Osprey Duel series for ages and most are excellent this is one of the latest and I had to get it as I wanted to learn more about these aircraft which I did. I also learned much more.
Presentation is up to the usual high standard with good photos and captions plus diagrams and tables to help understand the tactics comparisons. You also get to see inside just like the pilots would have done.
It shocked me that the P38 got hit so hard in this theatre. I should not have been surprised as the 109 "experten" were tough opponents for seasoned fighters let alone the newbies here. Moreover I learned how well the P38s were able to fend off the enemy attacks so as to secure their bomber charges completing their missions.
Seems that the Luftwaffe guys liked to dogfight more than prevent the bombers hitting their targets so you could say that they failed... OK, so they were able to add to their already incredible scores but once you're an ace... and yet the poor guys on the ground were being plastered because the 109s did not add to those scores with the more important bomber kills! I did not comprehend this situation but now I do thanks to this book.
Having read similar books about the Korean and Vietnam air campaigns (also very well covered by Osprey) I could not help but think there were similarities between these air combats... jets screaming in to savage incoming fighter-bombers, zooming away before the CAP could get them... did the Soviet/Chinese pilots read the WW2 combat reports like P38 vs 109?
Finally, I would recommend what you might call the "companion volume" by Mr Young where he describes the later combats between the Lightning and its Japanese foe, the Hien. The comparison is doubly intriguing because of the history of the development of this fine opponent; it was built with contributions from Germany as one of the few cooperations that yielded field deployment... it uses the DB601 engine as per the 109... in fact some US pilots occasionally mistook the Hien for a 109. What also intrigues me is that while in the 109 combats the P38 was disadvantaged (find out why in the book) out east the opposite was the case... something to do with roles perhaps? Anyway all very interesting to armchair enthusiasts...
December 29, 2023
Good overview of the early deployment of the P-38 in the Mediterranean. Detailed tech on the development of the two aircraft. The narrative does a lot to update and correct so much of the overclaiming (both sides) that plague all the post-war histories that I was raised on. This also holds for a lot of the more recent Osprey air combat titles.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews