WW2 Veteran Reveals How He Outmaneuvered German BF 109s In Europe

WW2 Veteran Fighter Pilot Jack Hallett described a single dogfight that stayed with him for the rest of his life. His group was escorting British Lancasters during a mission over Europe. Their formations looked different from the usual B-17 streams, and he flew rear end Charlie in the upper section of their escort box.

He focused on a line of German fighters moving across the formation. This moment of distraction opened a dangerous window. Two Bf 109s slipped behind him and appeared in his mirror. He had seconds to act and followed a maneuver taught during training in the P-38. He pushed one throttle forward, pulled hard on the controls, and applied opposite rudder. The Lightning snapped out of danger and climbed cleanly through the sky.

The sudden escape left the air around him empty. He dropped through the undercast and found several Bf 109s below. They reached the clouds before he could close the distance, but one fighter remained.

Turning With a Bf 109

He engaged the lone German fighter in a tight spiral. Both pilots fired but neither could secure the needed angle. The German rolled over, dove into the clouds, and continued downward. The P-38 pilot stayed upright and realized that altitude was running out.

The Bf 109 went straight into the ground. The veteran never struck the aircraft with gunfire, but his camera showed the pursuit and the fatal impact. The Air Corps credited him with a victory. He explained that a P-47 would not have been able to climb away from that dive in time, while the P-38 responded smoothly to the pullout.

Shot Down and Flying Home

He later described another mission that ended with his P-38 damaged. His flight attacked a convoy hidden in the woods. Ground fire struck his right engine and shattered part of the canopy. The hit caused a burst of blood in his eye that made him believe he had been seriously wounded.

He shut down the damaged engine, streamlined the aircraft, and maintained airspeed. The Lightning remained stable throughout the one engine flight. Ground controllers asked if he could reach friendly territory and then return to base. He answered yes to both.

His landing gear indicators showed three legs locked. The right wheel was missing. The P-38 flipped on landing and he woke up on a stretcher with only a scratch on his forehead. His crew chief later made a watchband from what remained of the aircraft.

How the P-38 Beat the Bf 109

The veteran credited the P-38’s climb response, energy retention, and reliable one engine handling. These traits allowed him to survive his only dogfight and outmaneuver the Bf 109 long enough to force a fatal mistake. The aircraft gave its pilots options that kept them alive in moments when a single decision decided the outcome.