Hop said:There is also a well known competition with a Spit Griffon that the P-38 dominated.
I'm not sure "dominated" is an accurate description. Lowell in the P-38 claimed victory, but the Spitfire pilot involved probably did so as well. Lowell also cheated on the rules of engagement, they'd agreed to meet at 5,000ft, Lowell climbed much higher and dived down to 5,000ft, in his own words travelling at "about 600mph" at the merge.
In Lowell's own words:
We agreed to cross over the field at 5,000 feet, then anything goes. I took off in a new P38L after my crew chief had removed the ammo and put back the minimum counter balance, dropped the external tanks and sucked out half the internal fuel load. I climbed very high, so that as I dived down to cross over the field at 5,000 feet, I would be close to 600 mph. When Donaldson and I crossed, I zoomed straight up while watching him try and get on my tail. When he did a wingover from loss of speed, I was several thousand feet above him, so I quickly got on his tail. Naturally he turned into a full power right Lufbery as I closed in. I frustrated that with my clover-leaf, and if we'd had hot guns he would have been shot down. He came over the field with me on his tail and cut throttle, dropped flaps, and split-Sed from about 1000 feet. I followed him with the new flaps, banked only about 45 degrees, but still dropped below the treetops.
The men of the 364th were watching this fight and saw me go out of sight below the treetops. Several told me later that they though I would crash. But they were wrong!. All I had to do was move over behind his Spit XV again. He was apparently surprised. He had stated at our briefing that he would land after our fight to explain the superior capabilities of his Spit XV, but he ignored that promise and flew back to his base."
Ever hear two online pilots describe a duel? Both of them will tell you they won. It's only when guns are involved that you get a real idea of who won, because the winner flys away, the loser doesn't. Donaldson (the Spit pilot)'s version would probably be that he'd have shot Lowell down when he zoom climbed away, and again during the Lufberry.
I agree. However I think the salient item from this engagement is that once the P-38 was on the Spits tail, after all E advantage had been spent, the Spit could not shake the P-38.