Pressed into service as an escort fighter, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a good design but failed to achieve its full potential in the European theater (it would do much better in the Pacific). Because of its vulnerability to compressibility, other fighters could dive faster and the Germans were quick to use that deficiency against the Lightning, flipping over into dives to escape when the odds turned against them. At altitude, the P-38's Allison engines were also prone to sudden failures when the power was adjusted, and it was not unusual for engine fires to occur at lower altitudes. These problems were eventually traced to the use of fuel of the wrong octane, which fouled the plugs on the Allisons, and to the fact that, at the freezing temperatures encountered at high altitude, the oil in the hydraulically controlled engine superchargers tended to congeal and cause them to fail. At low altitudes, the P-38 was fine and could maneuver with the best German fighters. By the time fixes to these problems were being addressed, most 8th Air Force Lightning units were re-equipping with Mustangs.
TACTICS: Try to fight at medium altitudes (around 20-25,000 feet) even though you have a much higher ceiling. Your maneuverability is a bit better than the Germans so use that to your advantage. Your 20mm cannon adds punch but only carries enough ammo for a few shots so don't waste it.
STRENGTHS: Best rate of climb of any U.S. fighter. .50 caliber machineguns carry plenty of ammunition. Having two engines makes the P-38 less vulnerable to combat damage.
WEAKNESSES: Compressibility problems limit dive speeds. Your rate of roll is slow, making it difficult to keep up with a quick-rolling Focke-Wulf.
MODELS:
J-15: 1943 model.
J-25: Adds aileron boost, increasing rate of roll.
