P-38 Lightning Aces of the Pacific and CBI

From the first encounters at the end of 1942 until the Lightning scored the final Fifth Air force victories in August 1945, this book tells the story of the pilots who made the Pacific skies very much their own battleground.

Aces such as USAAF pilots Dick Bong and Tom McGuire used the P-38 Lightning to accrue some of the highest scores of Allied fighter pilots in World War II. Described here, the P-38 was born of the need for a high speed, high altitude fighter to escort the B-17 bomber on raids.The P-38 Lockheed Lightning was produced in response to the requirement for a long range, high speed and high altitude fighter to escort the USAAF's expanding B-17 bomber fleet. Powered by supercharged Allison engines, the type went into action both in Europe and the Pacific. This volume deals with the aces of the latter theatre of war who used the P-38 to accrue some of the highest scores achieved by any Allied fighter pilots in World War II. Pilots like Dick Bong (40 kills) and Tom McGuire (38 kills) led the kill listings for over 50 pilots who made aces whilst serving with the Fifth and Thirteenth Air Forces.