Need P-38 info for 20th Fighter Group during their initial bomber escort missions, 3 NOV '43 through 1 DEC '43

[TP_Sparky]

Does anyone know where I might find mission records and mission reports for the 55th Fighter Group P-38H missions in November and December, 1943? I'm making an IL2 Great Battles campaign covering their first bomber escort missions out of England, starting November 3rd, 1943 and ending before the December 5th mission where the P-51B joined in to help escort bombers.

Ideally, I'd like aircraft id numbers, names, mission rosters, Eighth Air Force mission orders, kill and loss tallies, post-mission debrief reports, etc.

 

I know some pilots from the 20th Fighter Group flew with the 55th FG on combat missions until their FG became operational at the end of the year. I think the 55th FG flew mostly (or all?) P-38-1 or -5, or at least that's what I see in 55th FG pictures.

 

I know we fly P-38J-25 in IL2 so I will prohibit use of dive brakes, but I can't undo the hydraulically-boosted ailerons. I need to find out if the 1943 H models leading edge cooling limited manifold pressure so the engine didn't develop more than 1,000 hp.

 

I know the newer J model's revamped cooling system created fuel space in the wings but since we don't have drop tanks then it helps give us closer to the actual H model range with drop tanks.

 

If anyone knows where I can get a -1 (Pilot's Technical Manual, not the simple USAAF Pilot Training Guide) with the performance charts so I can see if power (or times at different power settings) were different for the P-38H-1 and -5 and the P-38J that we have in IL2 because of their different cooling system in the J's chin scoop.

[CUJO_1970]

Roger Freeman's Mighty Eight War Manual and War Diary (especially) will give dates and aircraft used. America's Hundred Thousand by Francis Dean and The Secret Horsepower Race by Calum Douglas (especially) goes into the myriad of issues with the P-38 at this time.

 

For manuals check here: https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/

and specifically here:

https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/topics/technical.56/

 

[TP_Sparky]

6 hours ago, CUJO_1970 said:

Roger Freeman's Mighty Eight War Manual and War Diary (especially) will give dates and aircraft used. America's Hundred Thousand by Francis Dean and The Secret Horsepower Race by Calum Douglas (especially) goes into the myriad of issues with the P-38 at this time.

 

For manuals check here: https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/

and specifically here:

https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/topics/technical.56/

 

 

Thanks, Cujo. I bought the four books you recommended (and a couple more by Freeman). Thanks for the book and website recommendations. I'm sure they'll be very helpful.

 

I fly with Tangmere Pilots, who love to remind me that the Mustang derived most of its escort success from the Rolls-Royce derived Packard Merlin engine.  I hope the Horsepower Race will detail the ways US technology helped in the development of the failed Rolls-Royce PV-12 engine into the superlative Merlin engine and all the later US-designed upgrades to Merlin fuel systems, etc., to say nothing of the Spitfire's elliptical wing being at least partly inspired by an interwar German wing design that derived from a US NACA study of elliptical wings. 

 

I'd previously bought Kent Miller's two 8AF books on operations (very on point) and ace data (less directly helpful for my 8th AF, 55th FG, P-38 campaign in autumn 1943. Freeman's War Diary might well be even more helpful than Miller's ops book. I'm in your debt, sir.

 

S.