15th AAF fighter escort tactics?

[Gunther]

Rip Van Winkle here--awaking after another long pause.

Something not generally mentioned about 15AF fighters is that air-air combat almost ceased after Romania capitulated in August 44. There was a brief resurgence in the spring of '45 but that was mainly due to deeper penetrations into the Reich. If you look at the three P38 groups, you see very few aerial claims in the last eight months or so. That's because the '38s were heavily committed to dive bombing and strafing. It's also why the 332nd scored more victories than the Lightnings in that period.