[kaki3152]

A few additional facts and suppositions. The serial number 43-2278 is an educated guess. The P-38G serial number relates to a plane condemned missing (non combat) on 20 October 1943. There is a good chance that this is the plane that was landed at Capoterra Airfield in Sardinia on June 12,1943. The pilot, Lt. Dwight Hartle of the 3rd Photo Recon Group suffered a navigational error while attempting to reach Malta. This plane was tested by the Italian A/F at the Guidona Experimetal Center, flown by Lt. Col. Angelo Tondi. After test, it was used to down at least 1 B-17F of the 301st BG and possibly other Allied ircraft. The last operational flight of the P-38 was on September 6,1943. Due to the corrosive effect of the German gasoline, the P-38s fuel tank became unusable. On September 10.1943, Guidonia A.F was occupied by the German forces. Supposedly, the P-38 remained at Guidonia A/F in unflyable state until destroyed by Allied bombing on June 1-3,1944. This information comes from the Italian publication, “Lockheed P-38 Lightning in Italian Service 1943-1955” by Marco Mattioli ( ISN-2004).
There is another possibility of a second P-38 being captured by the Luftwaffe. On the Luftwaffe Discussion Board (this site), there was post by Lowell Thompson, Dec 21,1999 that discusses this aircraft: “...Luftwaffe Ace Heinz Girnth … One of the stories...was of an Allied P-38 that landed at their airfield in Italy (date unknown) by total mistake. Actually, Heinz wasn't sure if the young pilot was lost and confused, was out of fuel, or otherwise disabled or just what. Needles,, the P-38 was overrun by ground troops and captured. He said that the German fuel would quickly corrode the Amrican fuel tanks and they had to modify the wing tanks to accommodate German fuel before any extensive test flying could be accomplished. Heinz was chosen to make the ferry flight to Berlin.” Some additional corraboration comes from the memories of Lt. Paul van Oordt. 95th FS, 82nd FG, POW, August 20,1943. While being interrogated after his capture he was shown a picture of a captured P-38. He recognized the pilot as one of his “classmate”.
The Luftwaffe definitvely had an operational P-38 as it was present at a June 10,1944 exhibit of captured Allied aircraft. Along with a P-47D and a P-51B, the P-38 was shown as an example of the latest Allied aicraft.