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P-38 - La Jolla CA


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P-38 is a boat accessible salt water dive site, located in La Jolla, CA. The maximum depth is 121-130ft/37-40m. The average visibility is 11-15ft/3-5m.

At 5:40 AM, May 28, 1943, a First Lieutenant in the 329th Fighter Group, 330th Fighter Squadron, took off from the North Island Naval Airstation on Coronado Island, San Diego. In his P-38G-10L0, the pilot was the third man off in a three ship formation engaged in a low altitude formation dawn patrol and low level attack training flight. Despite having little more than 100 hours in P-38s, the pilot was the most experienced pilot of the three.
Twenty minutes later, the three were flying a mere 75’ above the water north of La Jolla and one and a half miles off shore. It was a nice day with visibility at ten miles and a 1500’ ceiling. Lt. John Damron was in the lead, followed by Lt. Melville Mercer and the Lieutenant. The threesome began a right turn when, the pilot, on the inside, decided to change his position and drop down and behind. Caught in the prop wash of one of the planes, his P-38 rolled to the right and the right wing tip and engine touched the water. The pilot immediately pulled back on his stick, climbing just a few feet off the ocean. Looking over at his right engine, he found that his prop blades were badly bent and windmilling. Thinking he could make the shore on his left engine, he turned east, only to find that his airspeed was now 150 and dropping evidently his left engine was also damaged.
Click here to read full description at http://www.cawreckdivers.org/Wrecks/P38.htm