The piece about the P-38 captured by the Regia Aeronautica is extremely correct (at last, I was sick of reading accounts or questions mutuated from the complete fantasy of Martin Caidin...!
), except for one detail: the plane shot down on August 11, 1943 by Col. Angelo Tondi with the P-38 wasn't a B-24 but a B-17 instead...
For further details, see my contribution within the following thread:
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...?t=3992&page=2
Hope this helps.
P.S. one interesting addenda, just found while searching on the net... on the site of 32nd BS (
http://32ndbombsquadron.com/32ndacts.html).
This is extracted from the diary of 2nd Lt. James Franklin Boston:
"August 11, 1943-Mission to Terni, Italy 06:00. Carried 6000 lbs. demos. (demolition bombs). Flak moderate. Coming back 60 miles from Italy intercepted by ME-109 and captured P-38 with enemy flier flying it. Nobody fired at first, thinking it friendly. Saw it slip in a formation from behind and shoot down a B-17. Everybody fired at it then including myself but my gun jammed. 20mm shell came by my head while I was looking through astrodome and went into No. 2 engine. P-38 was not shot down."
I guess this can be called and indipendent confirmation!
