The P-38 Lightning Ace that Just Wouldn't Die
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2022
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This is the story of Jack Ilfrey, the first American P-38 Lightning ace and one of the luckiest pilots in history. This was made using the World War II flight simulator IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles series and War Thunder. Hope you enjoy! Please like, comment, and subscribe. #WW2 #WWIIHistory #WarThunder
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FIRST
Pin it dude
TJ3 - You said "comment on which story I should cover next ?" = OK, so......
Why don't YOU narrate/cover the astonishing tale of tail-gunner Sgt Nick Alkemade ?
Fell 18,500ft = WITHOUT A PARACHUTE & SURVIVED !!!! - (on night of 24th March 1944)
His crew's Avro Lancaster were shot-down by Nightfighter Junkers Ju.88 pilot, Heinz Rokker
The Lancaster (serial DS.644), nicknamed "Werewolf" caught fire, leaving Alkemade "no choice"
It was either "burn to death & be cremated alive" or, "end it all, by jumping to his death, night sky"
Nick chose the latter & knowingly FULLY expected to die - However, fate would take a turn...
He hit 45-60ft tall Pine trees, covered in snow, along with a 5-6ft snowdrift on the ground.
Whilst he didn't end up breaking a single bone in his body, he WAS pi$$ing blood after that...
Took him 20+ mins AFTER the fall, to awaken & realise that he WASN'T "dead" after all !!!
Each RAF Bomber crewman, had a steel whistle attached to their "Irwin" flight jacket....
Hearing Alsatian dogs (German soldiers), Nick Alkemade blew hard on that whistle.
After capture, NO-ONE believed his TRUE & astonishing story - (understandably)
Overnight, he was kept in German Police cells. The Gestapo arrived the following morning....
By sheer luck, whist being interrogated, other soldiers HAD examined the wreckage of "DS.664"
Inside the charred fuselage, they found his (still unused) parachute-pack AND harness
Latter had his Name/Rank/Serial-RAF service-number etched into it.... "Eureka" !!!!!!!!!
Finally, finally, the Germans believed him - Nick slowly recovered & became a P.o.W
Nick survived the war - shoulda died in March 1944, BUT, instead lived until June 1987
He even appeared (once) on the famous T.V show, "What's My Line ?"
Lastly this....
In 1995, Joe McCreary, navigator of "Werewolf/DS.664" went to visit Heinz Rokker, in Germany
There IS a photo', taken by the local German press, of the two men, discussing their 1944 combat
Not all the crew survived, but gladly, Joe & Nick DID - a partially happy outcome.
That story & the "18,500ft FALL WITHOUT A PARACHUTE - AND SURVIVED" is FAR too GOOD to miss
There are still a lot of younger folks, who DO NOT know about this amazing 'true life' tale.
That's "WHY" you should cover it, on your channel..... (cheers)
Jack's P-38 in North Africa was "Texas Terror". There was actually more than one. At one point, he tore half a wing off with a telegraph pole while chasing a bf109, and came home one 1-1/2 wings, trailing several hundred feet of telegraph wire. He also came back with a 20MM cannon shell hole all the way through the left engine. That was just in North Africa.
While Doolittle did think a great deal of Ilfrey, he also busted him back from Captain to Lt right after he made Captain.
Ilfrey was a skilled, aggressive, smart pilot, who just never quit.
I bought autobiography on him, he was still alive. He signed my book and I was able to talk with him.
I asked him several questions and his detailed answers really enhanced my outlook. In North Africa
1/2 his squadron mates were killed. When he landed in Portugal, he was showing the major the controls
when another P-38,a Capt. Harmon had the same problem with fuel flow. (It was a new concept to have drop tanks,
they weren't vented they siphoned out fuel). When Harmon was landing he throttled up, knocked off the major, took off.
They didn't treat Harmon very well. He was released later to rejoin. Later Harmon was Killed.
Wow, very interesting!
@@TJ3 I would like to chat with you on ww2 air combat
Jack Ilfrey flew in Tunisia, when the USAAF was still inexperienced (and with unproven tech, at the end of a rather 'ragged' supplyline) and there were still LOTS of German and Italian Ace pilots in theater. Every victory he got was hard earned
@@nickmitsialis I was thinking the same thing; an early P-38 version, with all it's issues, and a new pilot, flying against seasoned German pilots, in 109's and 190's.... Mr. Ilfrey must have worn that 38 like a glove, and been an incredible fighter.
@@austinado16 and he must have had the world's most attentive guardian angel, too. Luck plays a big part in these sort of things.
For anyone interested his escape report number is E&E 759. It can be downloaded.
I was at an Experimental Aircraft Association meeting in Salt Lake City, it had to be in the late 1990's. Someone had brought Mr. Ilfrey with them to the meeting. He spoke for an hour and a half or so. I could have sat there for days listening to his stories. Somebody there videotaped it. I wish they would put the video on RUclips. What a great example of the Greatest Generation!
Amazing story, both escaping internment in Portugal and after being shot down. His book, named after the plane, ‘Happy Jack’s Go Buggy’ is one of the best wartime books I’ve ever read. Just amazing. Great video = thx!!
Love hearing about these heroes who lived long lives after the war.
Believe me it's truly a blessing to comeback from chaos, conflict and the Fog of war especially in your right mind 🙏
Happy Jack was a Blessed man with a clear purpose for his life. Furthermore he lived a full life because combat takes years away from you. Please consider a Sabre jet ace, I think his name is Mc Connel? But his story was interesting. Good reenactment video.
Here is buried here in Houston, at the Lawndale Cemetery. I found his grave and rendered a salute to this remarkable man.
Great Story and art work. Lady luck is a fickle B---- but she sure smiled on Jack.
Thanks!
You might consider doing a video on another very famous P-38 pilot, Charles Lindbergh. Although, the US government would not give him a commission when war was declared - FDR hated Lindbergh and ordered it so, Lindbergh was hired as a civilian consultant who visited frontline bases in the Pacific and actually several flew combat missions until the brass found out and shipped him back state-side. He is even credit with a kill.
Colonel Lindbergh was known as the "Old Man" because he was 20 years older than the 20- year old P-38 pilots he was instructing how to lean out the P-38's two engines in order to vastly increase their combat radius of action. During one mission, Colonel Lindbergh engaged and shot down a Japanese float plane. Once FDR found out, Lindbergh was called back to the states. 🤠
Love your videos keep up the good work!
Thanks, will do!
Since I went to Normandy this year, I really renewed my interest in WW2 history. I have several books on the airborne and just finished a great memoir by a U-Boat captain. The unbelievable luck that so many had (not to mention the bad luck of many) is just jaw dropping.
Can you do a story about the first American daylight bombing of Berlin , my wife’s grandfather was the lead B-17 pilot that day. Thanks
Doesn't matter if Portugal is Neutral, POWs have the expectation to try to escape if possible. And to his credit he did just that.
For clarification ;@6mins 20 secs narrator states Jack Ilfrey became 1st P38 Lightning ace . This applies to ETO/ Mediterranean theatre . Richard Bong (dec 42/jan 1943) and Tommy Lynch (first 3 kills in P39 next 5 in Lightning DEC 1942 /JAN 1943) preceded Mr Ilfrey in PNG theatre.
Very cool how you even got the video detail down to the shadow of the crashing P38 on the ground, TJ! I'm pretty certain you've covered this most famous P38 Lockheed Lightning great adventure (or have it at least on your list) but I love the story of the P38 vengeance attack to take out Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto! From planning stage to intelligence and coordination, this was easily one of the top missions of the US Army Air Corps!! Jim C.
I did it a long time ago, but I'm hoping to re do it soon!
I love the P 38, Lockheed’s contributions to American aviation, and Kelly Johnson’s perfectly focused and balanced management approach. At the videos end, I was going to suggest this channel cover the heroic rescue of a downed P 38 pilot by his wingman, who landed his plane, and the 2 piggy-backed in the single-seater back to safety. As the names had escaped me, I googled the info, and found a video… produced by this very channel! So, yeah: Subscribed
A few hours after Ilfrey landed in Portugal another pilot in transit, Captain James Harman, also had to land his P38 in Portugal due to fuel shortage. Harman was repatriated and was killed during an escort mission for B17s in North Africa in April 1943. His P38 was impounded and served in a Portuguese squadron of impounded P39s and P38s. There is some suggestion that the confusion created by Harman's arrival may have aided Ilfrey's escape.
Great video, Happy Jack was extremely lucky, also, I have heard of pilots who were decapitated bailing out of P38's.
As always I look forward to your next video.
Was a risky plane to jump out of!
I've been told the safest way to bail out of a P38 was to roll it on its back and let gravity help clear you of its tail.
The safest way out was to roll inverted, that's the safest way out of any fighter like that.
The other way was to slide off the back of the wing.
There are actually very few reports of uninjured pilots being killed bailing out, especially outside of compressibility dives.
@@TJ3 No it wasn't. They all had elevators to the rear of the cockpit. One just slid off the wing and you would miss the elevators.
9:42 animation shows him bailing out...annnnnd he's back in the plane 😊
Fantastic! Great documentary... Thanks for all you do!
He was definitely a lucky man, and remarkable pilot.
What an absolutely gorgeous plane.
Very excellent story! Thanks for all the hard work you do.
9.5 victories he has scored, while almost crashing 4-5 times. AMAZING!
Truly excellent cg in this video. And a great story, well told.
Do you think you could do a video on Marine Wildcat aces like Joe Foss and Jefferson DeBlanc next?
On my list to cover at some point!
Excellent suggestion!
Do something about the Diesel engined German water-plane BV 138.. It flew a lot of special missions. Especially around the battle of Berlin.. Believe it flew wounded to Copenhagen..
So good you're doing this...lucky jack alright..😎👍
Nice story ,well done animation ,i love those videos .
WOW WHAT A BEAUTIFUL STORY.....GREAT... THANK HIM FOR ALLL HIS SERVICE'''
The notion of Jack losing 4-5 feet of his right wing (you also say half) is patently false. He came home with the entir wing. About 3 feet of the tip was split in half. Jack was a great guy and a dear friend!
The viewers would enjoy hearing of Buzz Beurling whom my Dad served with in the RCAF.
World beater! Glad I caught this story.
You do an awesome job editing these videos
Great video. I loved the story of Happy Jack a skilled pilot.
Great video. Animation was excellent.
Thank you!
The greatest generation is an understatement.
Great story! Loved it!
Should do a story about Richard Bong in the Pacific theater.
After the war, one of Ilfrey's friends was Larry "Scrappy" Blumer, who was another P-38 ace, accomplishing that feat in less than twenty minutes. Ilfrey had a picture that Blumer gave him, of Blumer's P-38 that he bought in the sixties, in flight. It had the message "Jack, remember when? Larry".
Great thanks
Great story and great video, thanks for your work.
Thanks for watching!
P 38 a formidable dogfighter? Hard to believe and not true.
@@foreverpinkf.7603 I believe Richard Bong would disagree.
Love this channel. Do you use war-thunder as your AI? I also love that game!
I use War Thunder and IL-2 Sturmovik.
Can you do B17G “silver dollars” 42-37781?
A lot of the flying scenes are taken from a game called War Thunder. For example the scene at 5:40 I recognise as being taken from the map Sands Of Tunisia ... not a criticism, just an observation. Also, illustrates how good the vehicles and graphics in War Thunder are
Great story!!!
John Loisel should be included in any discussion of WWII p38 aces
You mean "Big" John Lowell?
@@AlanRoehrich9651 John S Loisel. Double ace in the P-38. More time in combat than any other pilot of any kind in WWII. Commander of the 475th at age 25.
Great Story!
Hey Tj! I think it would be a cool story of "Ye ole pub"
Love your channel. What's next 250k or 500k subs?
Awesome story
Great narrating , and great story....
Great video
I don't know if you have done Don Beerbower, great story there.
Nice Video keep up the good work
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your content. Could you please consider a video on Guy Gibson?
He may have been the luckiest American fighter pilot, but I'm sure that most of the very lucky pilots would have been German. Karl Borris, for example, made his first aerial victory claim, a Spitfire, over Dunkirk, in June of 1940, and his 43rd, and last, again a Spitfire, on January 14 of 1945. He survived five years of combat against well-trained US and RAF pilots, as well as heavily armed B-17s and B-24s. No Allied pilot came close to facing such difficult opposition for such an extended period.
Indeed, he flew the whole war against the Western Allies all with JG26. Except for a few diversions (time spent 'ironing out the bugs' of the FW190; being shot down and wounded a few times) he was a true first=to-last pilot. He was the only pilot I know in a 'Western' Jagdgeschwader who started in 1939 and stayed on active duty right to surrender, without being 'sidetracked' to staff or higher unit command or fighting 'the paperwork war'. From the Donald Caldwell JG26 unit history, a number of their pilots joined in 1941. 1942 and 1943 who were successful, survived and made it to the end of the war. Funny thing is, many of these men's air to air score was not that different from the Allied Aces Even though they had 'plenty of targets' to shoot at, they and THEIR commanders were more cautious about when they engaged in combat.
@@nickmitsialis it wasn't quite the turkey shoot his contemporaries in the luftwaffe enjoyed on the eastern front in the beginning of the air war
@@kenneth9874 'Turkey shoot' is overstating things but the 'Tech Advantage' the 41/42 LW pilots had (the 109F4 vs Ratas in Russia or vs Hurris and Tomahawks in The Desert; FW190A2-to-A4 vs Hurris and early marks of Spitfires) was quite 'overwhelming'. That being said, being 'stupid or careless' would get you killed very dead.
this was fun
Cover the Yankee Clipper that flew around the pacific during the start of WWII or take on the Doolittle Raid (if you haven’t).
That's why i love P-38 in simulation games. In one flight in War Thunder i've had similar situation when my right wing was took of by flak, but i returned to airbase🥵. Next flight in the same map - my left wing was took of by bv238🥴. But base was close, i've tried to return, this time unsuccessfull🤕. So Ilfrey had a plenty of luck👍.
old fashioned piston engine air planes are the most fun in game right 😎
The P-38 correctly progresses in the video. The plane in Portugal has the sleek engine nose without the chin radiator and the Normandy planes have the chin radiators of the much better J or L version.
He does buggying around behind enemy lines, that went crazy looking for him and died in disbelief they were played on by a fake deaf mute.
The wing missing like 4 feet of wingspan actually happened in the pacific with a TBM Avenger
The pilot told his crew to jump and just after they jumped the plane regained control with the pilot still in
The 2 crew who bailed were captured and most likely killed on the island of Chichi Jima
I recommend the book Flyboys by James Bradley for the full story
If they were captured by the Japanese on Chichi Jima, they were also eaten. The Japanese garrison on Chichi Jima committed cannibalism and not because they were running out of food.
@@badwolf7367 yup I know
My great great uncle flew a p38 in the pacific and was shot down and survived.
How about He 162 aircraft and or pilots.
Outstanding video and presentation.
I-dont-know-how-he-got-those-planes-in-the-air-with-those-balls-of-steel.
Expert pilot ..
Nice
Read up on Louis Strange. There is an airman with an interesting and exciting history.
Maybe you could tell the story about Lt. Col. James Doolittle.
How's about Bong, another P-38 Top Ace of WWII
The top p38 ace
Cover "Douglas Bader" !!?
Another very lucky fella? ;-)
I wish tj made story about jay t. robbins p38 pilot in his combat exploit in the pacific esp in new guinea usaaf air campaign
TJ, pleeeeeese do an episode on the ghost P-40
👀
Do a review on red tails
How bout another story bout another p-38 pilot Captain Tommy Lynch from Catasauqua Pa. was also another Ace. He was eventually shot own over New Guinea.
hey tj3 may i ask u which is better il2 1946 or il2sturmovik battle of stalingrad?🤨
Can you do a story of a Medal of Honor SGT Jose Calugas Battle of Bataan or General Vicente Lim? Thank you in advance.
SIIIICK!!!
hey tj3 i love ur videos im only 10 and evrybody in my school thinks im a history geek one time i eas explaining to a friend about the nzis and he actually yelled out what the f was a nazi and i was the one who got sent to the office😅
Haha, thanks for watching :)
@@TJ3 😃
7:58 engine on P-38 breaks
meanwhile next scene: engine never was touched what do you mean sir
Pappy boyington next
Course he's a Texan!
Sounds like he landed on the resistances doorstep
I liked your animations and narrations. Please do Robin Olds during WW2. Or the pilots that attacked the Tirpitz in the Fleet Air Arm of the UK. The RAF gets a lot of credit...as deserved. But the Fleet Air Arm...not so much. Especially the Barracudas, Fairey Firelies, and Lend-Lease Hellcats and Corsairs.
I’d love to to one on the black sheep
Bro really survive a fall and landed on the roof of the best French family wiling To help. That is two luck in a row.
For YEARS I thought that the P38 must have been the ultimate in piston powered fighters.
Chuck Yeager found them difficulty to fly over Europe! And he found the P51s to be a highly superior aircraft.
Who am I to disagree?
Still, the two of them remain my favorite piston aircraft.
I'm just sayin'...
###
Great story, great production. But was it Jackoo or Jacque? 😊 Pronounced Zhauk
Wow
Sometimes?!? Every damn day.
stories about any allied pilots prior to dunkirk
Note... in the hands of a well trained pilot with multi-engine skills the P-38 did well against German fighters... the big trouble was in the ETO many of the pilots were put into P-38 squadrons with NO training in multi-engines!!! NONE! This has been well documented.
The 1st and 20th FGs, both P-38 groups, did well in Africa and ETO. Both trained from the ground up as P-38 groups.
Footage from WT?
There's footage of a Germany pilot jumping from his plane prob 150 of from the ground & poof his shute opened same time his plane hit the ground,u gatta be quick 2c it
I'm glad I got here early
How about Gabby Gabreski of the 56th.
Not just luck and skill. It's also God.
As far as we really know, just luck and skill.