The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-05-24
ARMY PILOTS
 IN SOLOMONS
 LIKE THE P-3S'S
By GEORGE F. JONES United Press StaT Correspondent

With the U. S Army Air Force in the South Pacific CUP)--If any single type of plane is the work horse" of the United States air strength in the Solomons that dis tinction now falls to the twin-tailed P-38.
 Designed originally for intercep- tion of attacking planes, they have utilized their range, armament. speed and climb on daily missions from Henderson Field: bombing, Strafing, reconnaissance and escort.
 It was the Lightning which spreadheaded the fighter defense against the April ' raid of nearly 100 Japanese planes on shipping off Guadalcanal and Tulagi. P-38 pilots concentrated on the Zero es- corts. at attitudes up to 31, 900 feet and wound up with bag of eight "certains' and two "possibles."
 Using new tactics, Lightning pi- lots demonstrated that the P-33 is more than equipped to handle itself at attitudes where the lighter and NHNAN NhNlJ dDlN NJ'lOO OllNi held an undisputed advantage. Air force leaders credit the twin tails" with large role in the general dis inclination of the enemy to attack Guadalcanal during daylight.
 climbed Zcros
 Full details of improved tactics used against the Zeros in the April raid cannot be told, but 1t Is per- missible to say that when the zeroS reached "stalling height and lev eled off, the Lightnings kept cimb- ing, gaining the advantage in alti- tude, then doubled back on the zeroS' tails and went to work.
 A flight of four P-38s, led by Capt Tom Lanphier of Detroit Mich, claimed seven ZeroS that day.
 At 3l 900 fete over Savo Island, Lanphiers flight sighted three zeros thousand feet below and three miles away. Within four minutes the Lightnings had caught up with the Zeros and shot down all three.
 An even more spectacular aerial battle occurred a few minutes later when Lanphier's flight saw eight ZeroS moving toward three Grum- man Wildcats at 5000 feet. The Zeros went up. So did the Light nings, and the P-38s went higher.
 The four Lightnings sent three of the eight zeros crashing to earth, flames trailing from their tails, and mother exploded in midair. In addition, two more enemy planes were badly damaged and may never have reached their bases to the north. The Wildcats, who bore the burden of American fighter defense in the critical days of Guadalcanal last autumn, took care of the re- maining two Zcros.
 Skeptical at First
 The first LiRhtnings reached Guadalcanal in october, and there was some skepticism over their pos abilities. Some pilots thought 1t had too much soup; others point ed out that 1t was difficult to bail out from P-38.
 Today they feel that the Light ming is no plane for an inc%peri- enced pilot who cant handle it's tremendous speed. They agree that bail-out from P-38 requires split Experience, they say, is the answer to both problems.
 When such pilots as Lanphier and Squadron Leader John W. Mitchell of Enid Miss" discuss Lightnings. they find 1t difficult to restrain their enthusiasm, Mitchell Is slender, intense veteran; 27 years old, he has flown on more than 75 missions and has won the Distinguished Flying Cross the Sil- yer Star and the Air Medal. A graduate from the ranks, he knows planes.
 Until q better plane comes along, I'll stick with the Lightnings," he said Mitchell and other Lightning pilots such as It. D. R. Cosart of Lindsay, Cal, and It. J. F. Moore of Reno Nev, have Strafed Jap ships, flown over heavy Jap anti aircraft on reconnaissance and have even dropped bombs from the Lightnings' slender fuselage.
 After many months of combat, they like their planes as much as they hate Japs. And they hate plenty.