S/N of the P38 used by the Luftwaffe

[gilles collaveri]

good morning everyone,

A certain number of P38's were used by the Luftwaffe for trial and testing, after their smooth crash landing in France or Germany.

do we have a list of the serial numbers of these P38 which were flown in German hands ?

best

GC

[Nick Beale]

F-5E 44-23725 (taken from Italy by an American defector) marked as T9+MK.

Hans-Heiri Stapfer's "Strangers in a Strange Land" (Squadron/Signal, 1988) also has a photo of P-39 T9+XB but he gives no serial number.

[Karoband]

Hi Giles,

I noted this down years ago without its source, so you are going to have to check it out yourself.

"Lockheed P-38 G 43-2278 T9+XB (duplicated Fw 58 and Mosquito) 15th Air Force - accidently landed at Capoterra, Italy 12/06/1943."

Jim

[Broncazonk]

https://www.silverhawkauthor.com/pos...twaffe-service has two (2) P-38s in German service. (Photos at link.)

(1) Lockheed P-38G Lightning (Serial No. 43-2278), coded T9+XB, captured US fighter, 15th Air Force. This aircraft accidentally landed at Capoterra Italy 12 June 1943.

(2) Lockheed P-38 (F-5E) Lightning, (Serial No. 44-23725), coded T9+MK, captured US fighter, ex 354th Air Service Sqn.. Delivered intact by USAAF deserter Martin James Monti, 13 October 1944.

Bronc

[gilles collaveri]

Thanks to you all, Nick, Jim and Bronc.

GC

[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.

[gilles collaveri]

Thanks Kaki3152

GC

[kaki3152]

You're welcome. The story behind Luftwaffe P-38s is very hazy. I'm leaning towards believing the P-38 flown by the Luftwaffe was a 82nd FG airplane. I can't prove it, though i have a theory I'm working on.

[gilles collaveri]

to tell you the whole story and the background :

I am now working on the case of a P38 that belly landed on 5 March 1944 near the French Pyrenees mountains, close to Spain. The pilot escaped but the aircraft was stayed on site, in very good status.

Considering the date, I thought that this very machine might have been recuperated by the German who probably did not yet very well this aircraft type, for testing and trials. Its serial number was 42-67745.

But from what I read, this very P38 did not fly with the Luftwaffe.

GC

[Chris Goss]

With a crash-landing, getting back to a flying status would have been hard without spares. More likely it was used for spares or simply scrapped