May 2015 FLYPAST 87German ghters were shot down in two missions by P-38 ace Robin Olds
P-38 Lightning
in combat55
notation in red ink stating: ‘Charlie
led this mission’. It was one for the
record books.Maritime Raiders
Bill Weltman had considerable
experience flying B-25 Mitchells and
P-38s in World War Two, and was
one of the pilots who pioneered the
use of the Lightning in the maritime
strike role in the Mediterranean. He
also played a leading role in adapting
the type into a dive-bomber, with
raids against shipping in mind.
In the spring of 1943 Weltman and
Captain David Stentz practised dive-
bombing attack techniques, initially
on targets in the desert. There were
concerns that the bomb might hit
one of the propellers after release,
but tests proved that the P-38 was
moving a lot faster than the weapon’s
terminal velocity and so this wasn’t
a problem. Aiming a 1,000-pounder
at a small target proved tricky
though, and it was discovered that
the weapon needed to be released at
a low altitude to be accurate. But the
lower the drop point, the greater the
risk of flying into the bomb blast.crash-landed in a freshly cultivated
field. I turned around to get back in
the action.
“When the mission was over
and the dust had settled, the 82nd
Group had scored one of its biggest
days of the war. We were officially
credited with 21 confirmed ‘kills’
and four ‘probables’. To put this into
perspective – other 15th Air Force
Groups theatre-wide only had eight
victories for that day.”
Group HQ received a message
from General Nathan Twining –
Fifteenth Air Force commander- congratulating the 82nd for
eliminating an entire group from
the Luftwaffe battle order. This was
posted on the bulletin board with a
turn to the right, entering into a
60-degree diving turn. I was behind
him firing short bursts at his port
wing and engine. Solid hits started
a fire in the engine and it began to
falter.
“At that moment, I noticed
another Me 410 coming my way
with two Lightnings in hot pursuit.
To keep him from firing at me with
a good deflection shot, I turned
into him and he passed by me with
two of our guys giving chase. I
did a 360-degree turn to pick up
my original quarry and it was easy
because of the smoke he was trailing.
“He was about 3,000 yards ahead
of me and I followed him into a
valley where he levelled off andAbove
A P-38H used for testing
the carriage of two
1,000lb bombs in 1944.
NASMLeft
A 394th FS, 367th FG P-38
being refuelled in France
during 1944.
KEN JORGENSEN84-89_Spot Combat_fpSBB.indd 87 13/03/2015 11:14