PC Gamer interview.

[Krt_Bong]

Originally Posted by Sven

Thanks you for that! I used to read Biggles comic books when I was younger and I remember one instance where a hurricane was actually flown by a German pilot , he flew his captured aircraft among the English ones in combat and shot a couple down and then backed off, of course this comic is fictive, but I think it's based on true experiences/actions/reports from pilots. Eventually he became too suspicious and they shot him down though

There is a true story of an Italian pilot who in a captured P-38 would call out to stragglers from a bomber mission as a "little friend" to fly with them home and after getting close enough would shoot them down. Eventually a trap was set for him with a specially outfited B-17 and he was shot down, apparently they knew enough about him to name the bomber after his girlfriend and when he flew alongside and inquired about the name the Pilot in fact described his girlfriend and lured him in..

(found the story)

In 1943 a P-38 ran out of fuel and ditched outside Sardinia. The pilot was overwhelmed by locals before he could use his pistol to ignite the tanks and burn the craft. Rossi had the clever idea of using the captured P-38 to kill wounded B-17's returning from bombing missions as stragglers. He bagged several bombers this way. One B-17 Pilot, Lt. Harold Fisher survived an attack, and had trouble convincing others that he was shot down by a 'friendly'.

Fisher was persistent and obtained command of a prototype YB-40 gunship, and flew several missions lagging behind the rest of the bombers trying to lure out the 'Phantom' P-38. As intelligence was gathered in Italy, they discovered Rossi and his captured '38 did indeed exist and had a wife in Constantine. Allies occupied this city, so when the nose art was applied to the YB-40, the artist used a photo of Rossi's wife, and named the gunship after her, 'Gina'.

Fisher flew a mission on August 31st that year, and was actually damaged in the bombing raid, so with two engines out, the YB-40 was even slower, and flew back completely solo. Sure enough, a P-38 approached, one engine feathered, and asked to join up for the trip back in very good english. Fisher almost fell for the same trap again. With the extra firepower of the friendly P-38 along, everything was being unloaded, guns, ammo, armor plate, anything to keep the YB-40 in the air. At this point Rossi came over the radio with an innocent question. "Gina, nice name. Your girl?" Fisher froze and ordered his men to keep their guns, and started baiting Rossi with details of his 'relationship' with Gina of Constantine.

Rossi became enraged, fired up the 'dead' engine, and circled around, intending to fire right through the nose, cockpit and the entire length of the YB-40. The '40 had an innovation that was later added to all B-17's, a chin turret. As Rossi came in, he faced down a total of 8 forward firing .50's. As the P-38 came apart Rossi even tried to ram the YB-40, but could not maintain flight. He ditched and was picked up by Allied pilot rescue and remained a prisoner for the remainder of the war.

Lt. Harold Fisher received the Distinguished Flying Cross for the encounter, and Major Fisher was killed during a crash in the Berlin Airlift. Former Lt. Guido Rossi attended his funeral out of respect.

[Sauf]

Interesting story

[Novotny]

That's an incredible story.

[Sokol1]

This P-38 history is Martin Caiden fiction, the real Itlian P-38:

"On June 12, 1943, a USAAF P-38G, while on a flight from Gibraltar to Malta, suffered compass problems and landed by mistake at Capoterra, Sardinia. The Lightning was painted in Italian markings, and transferred to the Italian Test Center at Guidonia. On August 11, 1943, chief test pilot Col. Angelo Tondi used the P-38 to intercept USAAF bombers on their way to attack targets in central Italy. Tondi shot down a B-17F, "Bonnie Sue", of the 419th BS, 301st BG. This was the only successful interception achieved by the P-38G, which was soon grounded due to the poor quality of Italian gasoline, which corroded the fuel tanks. I believe that this is the only documented example of a captured US fighter being used to shoot down a US aircraft during WW2."

Sokol1

[Krt_Bong]

Since I have now located two stories of slightly different accounts of the same incident it is indeed possible that this is not a true story, I have never read Forked Tailed Devil by Caidin or I certainly would have recognised the story, I have read The Last Dogfight and Cyborg (the basis for the Six-Million-Dollar-Man) which were works of fiction and I also read Samurai! but as I now know there were a lot of inaccuracies in that book that Saburo Sakai wasn't aware of before the book was published and it is certainly known that Caidin liked to embellish.

[White Owl]

I recall reading something very similar - presented as a true story - in which the B-17 that shot down the P-38 was Old 666, and both the American and German pilots involved became friends after the war's end. Now I can't find where I read that. I wonder if any of these stories have basis in factual history.

[Insuber]

Originally Posted by Krt_Bong

There is a true story of an Italian pilot who in a captured P-38 would call out to stragglers from a bomber mission as a "little friend" to fly with them home and after getting close enough would shoot them down. Eventually a trap was set for him with a specially outfited B-17 and he was shot down, apparently they knew enough about him to name the bomber after his girlfriend and when he flew alongside and inquired about the name the Pilot in fact described his girlfriend and lured him in..

(found the story)

In 1943 a P-38 ran out of fuel and ditched outside Sardinia. The pilot was overwhelmed by locals before he could use his pistol to ignite the tanks and burn the craft. Rossi had the clever idea of using the captured P-38 to kill wounded B-17's returning from bombing missions as stragglers. He bagged several bombers this way. One B-17 Pilot, Lt. Harold Fisher survived an attack, and had trouble convincing others that he was shot down by a 'friendly'.

Fisher was persistent and obtained command of a prototype YB-40 gunship, and flew several missions lagging behind the rest of the bombers trying to lure out the 'Phantom' P-38. As intelligence was gathered in Italy, they discovered Rossi and his captured '38 did indeed exist and had a wife in Constantine. Allies occupied this city, so when the nose art was applied to the YB-40, the artist used a photo of Rossi's wife, and named the gunship after her, 'Gina'.

Fisher flew a mission on August 31st that year, and was actually damaged in the bombing raid, so with two engines out, the YB-40 was even slower, and flew back completely solo. Sure enough, a P-38 approached, one engine feathered, and asked to join up for the trip back in very good english. Fisher almost fell for the same trap again. With the extra firepower of the friendly P-38 along, everything was being unloaded, guns, ammo, armor plate, anything to keep the YB-40 in the air. At this point Rossi came over the radio with an innocent question. "Gina, nice name. Your girl?" Fisher froze and ordered his men to keep their guns, and started baiting Rossi with details of his 'relationship' with Gina of Constantine.

Rossi became enraged, fired up the 'dead' engine, and circled around, intending to fire right through the nose, cockpit and the entire length of the YB-40. The '40 had an innovation that was later added to all B-17's, a chin turret. As Rossi came in, he faced down a total of 8 forward firing .50's. As the P-38 came apart Rossi even tried to ram the YB-40, but could not maintain flight. He ditched and was picked up by Allied pilot rescue and remained a prisoner for the remainder of the war.

Lt. Harold Fisher received the Distinguished Flying Cross for the encounter, and Major Fisher was killed during a crash in the Berlin Airlift. Former Lt. Guido Rossi attended his funeral out of respect.

Oh no, again the Rossi fake story. Urban legends never die.

[Kr0nik]

Been flying at Battlefield Europe WW11OL for 12 yrs, been waiting for this game for half that time, HURRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[trumps]

i don't care what the knockers say this game looks beautiful, and i can't wait to get hold of it!!

Cheers
Craig