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Military History

P-38 Lightning: The Best Fighter of World War II?

Christian D. Orr
02 February 2024
9 min
PME All levels

BLUF

P-38 Lightning, WWII's top U.S. fighter in the Pacific, downed 1,800+ Japanese aircraft, exemplifying unmatched success and versatility

Summary

  1. Innovative design with twin booms, supercharged engines, and heavy firepower.
  2. Used by America's "Ace of Aces," - 40 kills.
  3. Less successful in Europe.
READ: P-38 Lightning: The Best Fighter of World War II?

References

  • Media Check: National Interest - Media Bias/Fact Check (HIGH CREDIBILITY)
  • Collections |The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
  • ADDITIONAL READING RAAF RUNWAY (PME)
  • RAAF RUNWAY: RATIONALE, GUIDELINES, LEARNING OUTCOMES, ETC
 

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