US Aircrafts

Named “fork-tailed devil” by the Luftwaffe and “two planes, one pilot” by the Japanese, the P-38 was used in a number of roles. These ranged from dive bombing, level bombing and ground-attack to photo-reconnaissance missions and even as a long-range escort fighter when equipped with drop tanks under its wings. The P-38 Lightning came out of a program in 1937 by the United States Army Air Corps calling for the design of a high-altitude interceptor with 'the tactical mission of interception and attack of hostile aircraft at high altitude'. In the European theatre of operations the P-38 Lightning first saw service as a fighter escort for B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, and continued to do so throughout the war. Eventually the also began to be employed in the ground attack role.