FP_2015_05_

88 FLYPAST May 2015

SPOT FACT By September 1944 all but one of the P-38

groups in the Eighth Air Force had converted to the P-51

Weltman received approval to

attempt a dive-bombing attack on

shipping using Lightnings, and

on April 3, 1943 led a flight of

four other P-38Gs from the North

African-based 1st Fighter Group.

The first vessel they faced was the

Italian cruiser Gorizia, flagship for

Admiral Arturo Riccardi of the

Italian Navy. As the P-38 formation

arrived over La Maddalena on

Sardinia the plan was for Weltman

to come in on the deck and attempt

to ‘skip’ bomb the cruiser. The

other four Lightnings would drop

from selected altitudes to see which

worked the best.

Bombs only dropped from three

of the four higher level P-38s – one

machine’s ordnance failed to release.

Stentz’s 1,000-pounder landed

squarely on the stern of the cruiser,

while the other two bombs exploded

near the ship but were ineffective.

Weltman comments on his attack

on the Gorizia: “At the last minute

I figured out I had miscalculated

my approach and failed to line up

properly. I did not want to put my

1,000lb bomb to waste, so I went for

the freighters that I noticed on the

way in to the cruiser at Porto Torres.

“As I lined up, the Italians seemed

to have a couple of hundred

machine guns and 20mm cannon

around the dock areas. I was at no

more than a couple of hundred feet

when I went over the dock area. I

dropped the bomb and it went clean

through the side of the first ship and

exploded inside the second. Both

freighters blew up as a result. I think

they were probably loaded with

ammunition or gasoline.

“I had to explain the bullet holes

that riddled my Lightning. The

mission had lasted 4 hours, 35

minutes and was far more dangerous

than going after a bunch of [Junkers]

Ju 52s. The damage to my P-38 was

extensive, requiring the replacement

of one entire wing panel, along with

numerous patches.”

That afternoon a veteran F-4

(photo-recce version of the P-38) of

the 3rd Photo Group overflew the

dock area for post-mission analysis.

It was confirmed that the Gorizia

had been towed out of the area.

The P-38’s involvement in ship-

busting did not last long as Italy

surrendered and the fronts moved

deeper into Austria and Eastern

Germany. Attacks on Axis shipping

in the Mediterranean were no longer

needed.

Weltman received approval to while the other two bombs exploded

Above

A yellow-tailed P-38

of the Foggia-based

97th FS, 82nd FG.

JACK WATSON

Right

Lt O’Donnell’s P-38

‘Lucky Irish’. JACK

CURTIS

Right centre

Captain James C

Paschall’s ‘Viking 2’

of the 392nd FS.

JACK CURTIS

84-89_Spot Combat_fpSBB.indd 88 13/03/2015 11:14