On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 03:44:10 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

The P-80 program. In 1944 they sent 5 P-80s, built virtually by hand,
from scratch at the Skunkworks (their first plane was the P-38 Lightning,
BTW), to Italy. Because the engines only lasted about 5 hours before
destroying themselves, the pilots were instructed to go "fly the planes near
the enemy, but don't engage them." After each mission, the tail numbers
were changed, so that the Germans would believe that we had dozens of jet
fighters in theater!

Jay, I've been wondering about this since I first read it three days
ago.

What did they mean "fly the planes near the enemy"? Does this mean
the enemy on the ground? I'd guess so because by that time in the
war, there were precious few German fighter aircraft flying in Italy.

So if that's what the instructions meant, how were the German ground
troops supposed to see the tail numbers? The P-80 pilots weren't
stupid enough to be stooging around low and slow in front of the
fierce AAA the Germans were always extremely willing to put up, were
they? I'd assume they would be flying combat patrols, which would be
conducted above 10,000 feet. That's a little high to be reading tail
numbers.

If the instructions were intended for German aircraft encountered in
the air, then I really don't see how this would work. The P-80 pilots
would literally have to fly formation with the Germans in order for
them to see and read the tail numbers. Actually the P-80's would have
to be slightly ahead. Doesn't sound like a healthy place to be.

So I guess I'm saying this whole scenario sounds like a tall tale.

Corky Scott