Best Allied Nightfighter: P-61, Mosquito, or Hellcat?

[renrich]

The first deployment in combat of the F4U type by the US Navy in WW2 was aboard the Enterprise and they were F4U2s, a night fighter and armed with 4-20mm cannon. The F6F night fighter version was armed with 2-20mm cannon and 4-50 cal mgs, a formidable throw weight.

[Glider]

I admit I thought that the F4U2 had 4 x 0.5HMG's not 4 x 20mm. The number of guns being reduced to save weight.

[renrich]

Glider, I checked my references and you are mostly right as the F4U2 deleted one gun and had 5 50 cal mgs. The F4U1C had the 4-20mm cannon

[Glider]

Thanks for the info, I will update my records.
It sounds more like a space saving issue rather than weight. The Corsair isn't a lightweight and I find it hard to believe that the weight of one HMG would make a blind bit of difference to its performance or handling

[renrich]

Maybe a weight and balance issue. The F4U5N did have the aforementioned 4-20 mms and the only US Navy ace of the Korean war flew it. His name was Bordeleon and he was obviously from Louisiana.

[renrich]

Just finished a book about a SF A-team in Iraq and a fight against Iraqui T55s, APCs and assorted trucks where the US guys were outnumbered greatly. The SF guys had special Humvees with MaDeuces and the automatic 40mm grenade launchers. They were shooting up moving trucks at 800 yards with the M2s and killing ground troops in the open at over a thousnd yards with the M2s. I fired an M2 on the range at Fort Hood one time and am familiar with the ballistics of the 50 BMG round. When I see debates about the effectiveness of the 50 cals in WW2 against enemy AC I wonder whether we are not shortchanging the M2. Their were no aircraft in WW2 on any side any more robust than a deuce and a half and one 50 cal MG will tear up a deuce and a half with a few bursts. Imagine what happens to a WW2 AC if hit with say 100 rds of 50 BMGs at a range of 200 yards from 6-50s. Anyway, the M2 is a heavy hitter in combat on the ground.

[SoD Stitch]

Well, I was going to protest the fact that the P-38M wasn't included, but I did some homework first and found out that it did, indeed, participate in several late-War (very late-War!) missions, but never saw any combat. So it did do some flying around, but never engaged any enemy aircraft. Too bad; it would've been nice to find out how effective it was.

[Erich]

P-38M in what US night fighter units Sod ? In my data the P-38 in the standard day fighter fit was used , painted black then over to the Mossie/P-61, there was never a P-38 specialized nf ever used during the war.

4 P-61M's were sent to the 418th nfs in Jan./Feb. 1946 and then they were sent to the 421stnfs which flew a couple of sorties and then scrapped

[kool kitty89]

I don't know about the P-38M, but I did hear that about the F7F. (flew a hand-full of noncombat recon opps as well as some unevenful nightfighter sorties in the last couple months of the war) Similar to the 2 YP-80As stationed in the MTO.

[LaLongeCarabine]

Wasn't there a night fighter of the P38?
I found this in a quick search.

Type: Single Seat Long Range Fighter
Origin: Lockheed
Models: XP-38 to P-38M, F-4 and F-5
First Flight: January 27 1939 (XP-3
Service Delivery: June 8, 1941 (USAAC)
Combat Debut: August 1942
Final Delivery: September 1945
Total Produced: 9,942

NIGHT FIGHTER (P-38M)


The P-38M, known as the "Night Fighter," was equipped with a state-of-the-art radar system, (an AN/APS-4 AI radar pod mounted under the nose on a modified bomb pylon) which was operated by a guy crammed in behind the pilot under the bubble canopy. Learn all about the Night Fighters here. To see a "Night Fighter" model, click here.


DROOP SNOOT


The P-38J (so-called "Droop Snoot"), was typically the lead plane on level bombing missions. The Droop Snoot was equipped with a Plexiglas nose and (replacing the more well-known P-38 fire power of machine guns and cannon) an ultra-secret Norden bomb sight. The bombardier was in the nose. The original color scheme was olive-drab-over-gray camouflage, and was most often associated with the 8th AF in Europe -- although they were also flown in the CBI theater. "American Eagles" covers many of the P-38 variances, including the Droop Snoot.

I don't know how they were used but they were made.

JLK

[Erich]

simple answer is : nope ! yes there are photos but it is after war when the pacific squads were doing ops over China. the standard P-38 without radar was used in darker day fighter camo