Someone posted over on the WWII board that Galland, I believe, said that
the
P-38 was the best allied fighter.


Going from memory, Galland said the reverse - that the P-38 was seen
as easy meat, and that it reinforced the lessons of the Bf 110.

Even with drop tanks it didn't have the eventual range of the P-51,
and, as found in the Pacific war area, it didn't have the agility to
dogfight - it had to rely on 'dive & climb' tactics. Against the Bf
109 that may not have been as profitable.




You're right about Galland. There was another high scoring German ace who
spoke well of the P-38.

The P-38 was the first "energy" fighter. The top two Americans aces of the war
did fly the thing, after all.

P-38's didn't have to dogfight with the Germans any more than it did the
Japanese. The idea was to keep the Germans from massing and to keep the
ME-110's out of the game.

If the range was shorter than the Mustang, it was still adequate. Also, for a
long time, there -were- no Mustangs.

Walt