▁a ▁night ▁role , ▁including ▁the ▁Douglas ▁P - 7 0 ▁and ▁later ▁Lock he ed ▁P - 3 8 M ▁" N ight ▁Light ning ". ▁The ▁only ▁purpose - built ▁night ▁f ighter ▁design ▁deployed ▁during ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁American ▁North rop ▁P - 6 1 ▁Black ▁W id ow ▁was ▁introduced ▁first ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁then ▁saw ▁action ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁given ▁such ▁a ▁low ▁priority ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁had ▁am ple ▁supplies ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁designs ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁it ▁was ▁ready ▁for ▁production . ▁The ▁first ▁USA AF ▁unit ▁using ▁the ▁P - 6 1 ▁did ▁not ▁move ▁to ▁Britain ▁until ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 4 ; ▁oper ational ▁use ▁did ▁not ▁start ▁until ▁the ▁summer , ▁and ▁was ▁limited ▁throughout ▁the ▁war . ▁Colonel ▁W inst on ▁K rat z , ▁director ▁of ▁night - fig h ter ▁training ▁in ▁the ▁USA AF , ▁considered ▁the ▁P - 6 1 ▁as ▁ade qu ate ▁in ▁its ▁role , ▁" It ▁was ▁a ▁good ▁night ▁f ighter . ▁It ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁enough ▁speed ". ▁ ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Navy ▁was ▁forced ▁into ▁the ▁night - f ight ing ▁role ▁when ▁Japanese ▁aircraft ▁successfully ▁har ass ed ▁their ▁units ▁on ▁night ▁ra ids . ▁The ▁Japanese ▁Navy ▁had ▁long ▁screen ed ▁new ▁rec ruits ▁for ▁exception al ▁night ▁vision , ▁using ▁the ▁best ▁on ▁their ▁ships ▁and ▁aircraft ▁instead ▁of ▁developing ▁new ▁equipment ▁for ▁this ▁role . ▁To ▁counter ▁these