Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

Looking through "Luftwaffe Suomessa, vol.2" by Ossi Anttonen (1980), I read with much surprise what follows (P.98):

(July 1943) In the night sky over Leningrad, German pilots now met Lockheed Lightning nightfighers of 760. Fighter Regiment near Leningrad. These aircraft were imported to Russia via Iran from USA and flown to the Leningrad area via the Caucasus.

I have never heard that the P-38 was supplied to SSSR and in July 43 there was no such thing as a Lightning night-fighter.
Any idea what the author meant?

Re: Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

I don't have my reference books in front of me, so this is off the top of my head. I'm not sure if Russia was supplied with any type of night fighters?

The only aircraft that comes to mind and could possibly fit that time frame is the A-20/P-70 Havoc. Again, not sure if this subtype was sent to Russia.

This seems to indicate the 760th flew Hurricanes, Lagg-3s, and P-40's. http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/englis...p-40/index.htm

Regards,
Mike

Re: Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

In July 1943, 760 IAP was based at Belomorsk with Curtiss P-40s and Hawker Hurricanes under 261 SAD/Karelian Front. Its commander was Lt.Col. Anikeyev.

There is nothing in my notes to suggest that it was ever equipped with P-38 Lightnings or that it was ever trained and employed as a night fighter unit.

L.

Re: Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

When I interviewed veterans of NSG 9 (operating over Italy) "Lightnings" was their generic term for Allied night fighters. I never found out why!

Re: Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

Could be, but I wonder what kind of "night-fighters" the US could have supplied.
They had none at that time... apart from a score of P-70s, mostly used in the Pacific.

Re: Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

My understanding is that the Russians used Pe3s as dedicated night fighters, although often would simply use any convenient fighter, as with other nations. They did convert a number of A-20s into radar-equipped night fighters, using their own radar, but I believe this was later.

Re: Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

In 1941 the Soviets finished their R&D program at the Gneys-2 Radar.
Late 1942/early 1943 the Soviets tested the Gneys-2 Radars on their Pe-2s and Pe-3s converted to operate in night fighter role. The Pe night fighters were not successful however and in mid-1943 the Soviets set up new R&D project with Gneys-2 and Douglas A-20G-1 as a carrier of that radar system. That new project was relatively successful and such radar-equipped Soviet A-20G-1s were manufactured.

Re: Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

To sum up, the Soviets got A-20Gs that they used as night-fighters, the Germans used to nickname "Lightnings" as a generic term.
Seems legit.

Re: Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

But your original question is still unanswered. The VVS did not have Lockheed Lightning nightfighters, nor did the 760 IAP ever have anything but P-40s and Hurricanes until 1944 when it upgraded to La-5s, nor was it ever used in the nightfighter role.

Re: Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

Since the twin-boom configuration of the P-61 had at night's low visibility much relationship with the twin-boom P-38 LIGHTNING.

Best wishes

Horst weber

Re: Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

It is very, very old book, there were no P-38 Lighting in Soviet combat units. They had obtained 1 or 2 in 1945 in Hungary after force landing on Soviet held territory, if right rember, but quite far away from Northen Front. So information about P-38 is is fantastica in XXI c.!

See: C.F- Geust, Red Star 4 about Land-lease planes, too. Much more better source.

Regards.
mirekw

Re: Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

Mirek, it was obvious from the very start.
I was just wondering where this urban legend came from.

Chris

Re: Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

I believe Sasquatch started it.;)

Re: Lightning night-fighters in Russia?
 

As Marek already referred to my Red Stars Vol.4 book, please below find the updated section on Lightnings in USSR:

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The first Lightning seen in USSR was apparently the photo-recce F-5B 42-67128 DOT-DASH (7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, Eight Air Force) of Col. Paul T.Cullen, Director of Operations, USAAF Eastern Command (former C.O. 7 PRG), who landed in Poltava, Ukraine during preparations of Operation Frantic 24 May 1944. Several dozens of Lightnings escorted the American bombers to Ukraine during summer-autumn 1944, and Lightnings were also seen at other Soviet bases. Some of the ferry pilots of 1 PIAP got even acquaintance Lightning flights. Regardless of repeated requests no Lightnings were however officially delivered to Russia.

At least two P-38L-1-LO Lightnings force-landed in Eastern Europe were flown and evaluated by Soviet specialists:
- PRIDE OF JEAN (former inscription PRIDE OF BILLINGE, 44-24214, boom number "71", 15 AF, 1 FG, 94 FS; piloted by 2Lt. Richard T. Skyes who crashed 6 December 1944 behind the Soviet lines near Kerekegyháza in Hungary, approx. 70 km SSE Budapest) was recovered by 5th Air Army at Nagykörös, Hungary, winter 1945, and

- BLACKIE (44-24384, tactical "80", which had participated in Operation Frantic). After forced-landing in Soviet-held territory it was repaired and used for some time by 173 IAP DD based at Minsk and later Czestochowa, Poland. (This long-range fighter regiment was mainly equipped with modified A-20G Bostons.) In 173 IAP BLACKIE was used only for some acquaintance and training flights. After V-E Day it was transferred to NII VVS, where it was evaluated in 1947 by V.I. Khomyakov as leading test pilot, P.M. Stefanovskiy and Yu.A. Antipov. Because of unavailability of 100-octane fuel maximum engine power could not be reached.

Note: The Lightning claimed by the Finnish top ace Ilmari Juutilainen of LeLv 34 over Gulf of Finland 10 July 1943 is most probably a misidentification as no Lightnings are known to have been used by VVS KBF or by 13th Air Army. Various theories have been presented as to the identity of Juutilainen´s victim. One possible explanation is that the aircraft was in fact a German Fw 189, which had entered Finnish-controlled airspace without preceding information, and according to standing orders was shot down (a number of similar cases are known). In order to key down the unfortunate tragedy “P-38” was entered into the official records by the regiment´s intelligence officer.
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Carl