...With a Few Test Developments In-between
The XP-47E was generated for the final P-47B. This developmental model came complete with a hinged canopy, Hamilton Standard propeller and pressurized cockpit used to trial the Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 radial engine.
The XP-47F model was plucked from a P-47B and modified as a test-bed for laminar-flow wings. Testing revealed that the new wings would not improve performance much and the aircraft soldiered on in other related flight tests thereafter. She was officially lost in a fatal accident on October 14th, 1943.
Rough-Hewn P-47's From Curtiss-Wright
The P-47G was the designation assigned to Curtiss-Wright built Thunderbolts and were essentially C-models reincarnated under the Curtiss-Wright production banner. Quality control was somewhat lacking at the Curtiss-Wright plant in Buffalo, New York, and production as a whole was rather slow - this being much different than the standards at the Republic facility or the Indiana plant. As such, production of G-models was limited to a low total of 354 examples before the plant was closed. Many of these Thunderbolts remained stateside for pilot training, never to see combat action.
Another Few Developmental P-47s
The XP-47H was an interesting P-47 development in that it attempted to mate the P-47 airframe with the Chrysler XI-2220-1 16-cylinder, inverted-vee, liquid-cooled engine of 2,300 to 2,500 horsepower (sources vary). Two P-51D-15 models were used in this conversion test sans their armament. The complicated and untested engine proved highly unfeasible and overly complicated to fit into the existing airframe without major modifications. As such, the project was dropped. First flight was achieved in July of 1945, achieving a paltry 414 miles per hour for the USAAF - far lower than the projected 490 miles per hour originally envisioned (and reportedly reached) by Republic. Range was approximated to 700 miles.
The XP-47J was a Republic attempt to reduce the overall weight of the airframe while increasing the overall output of the engine. The original idea was to fit an R-2800-61 with a contra-rotating propeller system mated to a General Electric turbosupercharger. When an effective propeller solution was not found, a basic paddle type from Curtiss was fitted instead as was a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-57 of 2,800 horsepower. Armament was reduced to 6 x .50 caliber machine guns and internal fuel capacity was lowered. The engine gave up the ghost after just 10 hours of total flight time and needed replacing. The XP-47J went on to clock an impressive 500 miles per hour in March of 1944. After Army testing revealed less than the 500 mile per hour figure, coupled with the fact that the XP-47J would require essentially an all-new tool production line, the project was dropped in favor of the XP-72 "Wasp Major" Super Thunderbolt development. The XP-72 proved an impressive beast herself but the changing war environment negated the need for such an implement and she was never produced.
The XP-47K was an experimental P-47D production model fitted with a Hawker Typhoon bubble canopy and cut-down rear fuselage spine to help improve pilot vision to his all-important rear quarter. The fuselage fuel tank was increased to a degree and several exterior modifications ensued. Test flights of the new aircraft were positive and the variant was put into production alongside D-models. The XP-47K was later modified to test out the wings that would eventually appear on the definitive P-47N long-range models.
The P-47 Hotrod
The P-47M was in many ways a "special edition" Thunderbolt sprinter/hotrod designed as superfast interceptor. This mount would be charged with chasing down Germany's fast V-1 flying bombs randomly terrorizing Londoners. Essentially P-47D-30 models incarnate, M-models appeared in December of 1944 and boasted a top speed of 473 miles per hour from her somewhat troublesome R-2800-57(C) radial of 2,800 horsepower ranged out to 530 miles. The turbosupercharger was once again refined for the better and a Curtiss Electric propelled was utilized. Special airbrakes were installed on the aircraft so she could decelerate quickly once in range of her target. Though faster than the fastest P-51 Mustang available, this P-47 still suffered from a thirsty radial and limited range. As well as any V-1 rockets she might have bagged, the M-model also boasted kills against the Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe jet-powered fighter and Arado Ar 234 "Blitz" jet-powered bomber (albeit these were in the most perfect of circumstances and conditions favoring the passing Thunderbolt, hardly a straight-up dogfight with either). Some 130 M-models were produced though quality control at wartime's frenetic pace developed many mechanical problems for this Thunderbolt batch. M-models were not made available until April of 1945 - essentially the closing months of the war.
Definitive P-47: the N Model
The P-47N became the ultimate incarnation of the Thunderbolt exhibiting exceptional range and is oft-regarded by many former 'Bolt pilots as the finest of the breed. Reinforced longer spanning wings with additional internal fuel tanks were part of this near-complete redesign of an already impressive mount. Power was generated by an improved form of the M-model's R-2800-57(C) radial of 2,800 horsepower (An R-2800-73 and R-2800-77 were also part of the production mix). Underwing positions held hardpoints for 5-inch HVAR rockets (5 x rockets to a wing). The wings were lengthened a full 18 inches and the wingtips were clipped for improved rolling actions in-flight while her landing gears were completely redesigned. The clipped wings became the definitive identifier in this Thunderbolt variant. Controls for both throttle and turbosupercharger were both refined. Production began in December of 1944 and her long range made her an ideal candidate for actions in the Pacific where land-based airstrips could prove few and far between. The revisions and refinements took their toll on the new Thunderbolt for she sported an empty weight of 11,000lbs and a loaded weight of 20,700lbs! This gave her an increased take-off run. Some 1,816 N-models were delivered and only served in the Pacific Theater of War. Performance for the N-model included a top speed of 467 miles per hour, a ceiling of 43,000 feet, a rate of climb of 3,000 feet per minute and a range of 800 miles.
Same Face, New Name
F-47 became the new P-47 designation in 1948 after the US Air Force was born out of the US Army Air Force as a separate entity (likewise the North American P-51 became the F-51). The F-47 designation lived for a short time in American lore but found homes in the inventories of foreign nations. As such, the F-47 is often a rare designation used when discussing the P-47, at least in American circles.
Some in -field conversions modified a single-seater Thunderbolt into a two-seater fitting a second seating area for a passenger under a long, rearward-sliding canopy. While some used such creations to cavort to other nearby locales for war "goods" such as cigarettes and women, others were used in more constructive ways such as fielding war correspondents over designated areas.
Production Totals by Plant
In all, the Farmingdale, New York plant spit out 9,087 Thunderbolts while the Evansville, Indiana plant produced 6,242 examples. The disappointing Curtiss plant at Buffalo, New York, managed a low 354 production examples.
P-47 In Action Over Europe
The first P-47Cs (colored over in an olive drab and neutral gray paint scheme) arrived in England on December 20th, 1942 and were assembled for the 4th Fighter Group. The 4th Fighter Group at Debden was made up of Americans fighting for the RAF as part of the "Eagle Squadrons" before America had officially committed to World War 2. Once can only imagine the mighty transition for these young lads accustomed to flying the lightweight and sleek Supermarine Spitfires - now faced with the imposing "barrel-with-wings" Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolts were immediately signed up for "Ramrod" missions over Europe, that is, escorting 8th Air Force Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers that were taking a pounding from Luftwaffe fighters in daring daylight raids. Germany, itself, remained out of the reach for these early Thunderbolts in the theater and it was not yet a reality to have fighters with the range to escort a bomber group all the way to and from their targets. To bomber crews, fighter escorts became known as "Little Friends" for their obvious protective reasons. Luftwaffe pilots simply needed to wait until the fighter escort turned around, low on fuel, to strike at the hapless bomber formations. To "keep up" with the slow-moving bomber groups, P-47 pilots had to perform repeated zig-zag patterns above the bomber groups so as not to stall or get ahead of their flock.
The first P-47 mission took place on March 10th, 1943 and was nothing more than a fighter sweep over enemy territory. Unfortunately for the pilots, serious teething issues quickly arose and forced the Thunderbolts back for repairs. In fact, the issues were severe enough to ground the fleet for a whole month before taking to the skies again. The 56th Fighter Group and the 78th Fighter Group soon came online at their respective bases throughout England - the 78th having yet to even pilot one P-47. Issue after issue continued to mount up for the Thunderbolts and ground crews working feverishly and around-the-clock to correct them.
The Thunderbolts were airborne once more on April 8th, 1943, where a 24-strong (P-47s drawn from the three squadrons) flew an uneventful mission. On April 15th, 1943, the Thunderbolt pilots soon found their first aerial engagement of the war resulting in the downing of two enemy Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters from the guns of P-47Cs of the 4th Fighter Group.
Resilient Heavyweight
The P-47s no doubt proved a tough bird to bring down, much to the surprise of the German pilots - some who had emptied dozens of cannon and machine gun rounds into the Thunderbolt airframe only to see it continue on its merry way. Many-a-Thunderbolt pilot returned to England, battered and bruised, but alive to fight another day thanks to these steady mounts. Radial engines inherently maintained a better combat damage resiliency that did the delicate liquid-cooled inline engines. Additionally, the large airframe of the Thunderbolt made it a relative sponge for all types of damage, be it flying shrapnel, flak, power lines or trees at low altitudes. The armor plating around the cockpit perhaps served Jug pilots the most - priceless protection when and where he needed it most.
Diving to Live, Diving to Die
It was no secret the inherent power in a diving Thunderbolt. However, this action could prove two-fold. While acceleration from a rapid drop in altitude was a key tactic used by P-47 pilots, it could also spell their undoing. It was not uncommon for the control surfaces of the 'Bolt to "lock up" in a power dive and potentially prove fatal to the pilot if he could not regain control of the aircraft. One combat incident stated a P-47 beginning a power dive from approximately 28,000 feet with recovery finally occurring at just 5,000 feet! Keep in mind that such dives could also produce forces too great for the average human body and, as a result, a P-47 pilot could black out with nary a chance at regaining control of his aircraft.
"They Drew First Blood..."
On May 4th, the Thunderbolts were called on their first escort mission with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers. Oft-harassed on nearly every sortie, the B-17s were glad to have these stout escorts watching from their perch overhead. Engine teething issues persisted for some of these P-47s but the Luftwaffe was in for a rude awakening as the charging Jugs steamed out of the sky to protect the bomber fleet. The air war over Europe was finally on even terms.
The P-47D models began arriving with their all-important updates. As more and more deliveries of the fine fighter were filled and shipments in England received, the US Army moved to create the 352nd, 353rd, 355th, 356th, 358th, 359th and 361st Fighter Groups.
The P-47 vs Fw 190 - Close Finish
Versus the German Fw 190, Thunderbolt pilots soon discovered some tactics that could best these fine German counterparts. The Fw 190 would almost always win in a turning fight and could gain an early advantage in a dive. Acceleration generally favored the Fw 190 as well while its potent collection of machine guns and hub-firing cannon proved quite lethal. However, P-47 pilots held the advantage in a dive in the long term, able to build up enough speed to outrace or catch up to any Fw 190. Additionally, a single burst from the 8 x .50 caliber machine guns would down a lightly-built Fw 190 with little effort while the P-47 airframe proved masterful at absorbing such damage (even to a ridiculous degree). In the end, an expertly trained P-47 pilot - one knowing the in's and out's of his mount - could eventually best a German Fw 190 through strategy, patience and instinct. This became painfully clear to the Germans as more and more P-47 pilots earned their stay across the many kill boards plastered along the walls of squadron HQs. Becoming an ace in a P-47 was not as uncommon as one might think.
Dive and Zoom Tactics
Despite the advantages, straight-up dogfights for the P-47 were not recommended. Instead, "dive and zoom" tactics sprouted up as the "weapon" of choice. This proposed that the P-47 operate higher than 15,000 feet, an altitude where the turbosupercharger came into play for the 'Bolt and where lesser German fighters tended to see a slight dip in performance. From this altitude, P-47 pilots could then dive onto their targets with relative ease, fire off short-controlled bursts and then retain momentum into an ensuing climb only to repeat the action once again. This helped to keep the heavy P-47 from taking harm directly while making calculated strikes against the enemy.
The Results Are In
Early results put the P-47 favorably ahead of the fabled P-51 Mustangs and Lockheed P-38 Lightnings in the European Theater. The P-47 was called to more sorties than the other two combined and could claim over 200 enemy fighters destroyed in a shorter stretch of time. Comparatively, however, Thunderbolt pilots led the way in losses to enemy aircraft but still maintained a healthy 8:1 victory-to-loss ratio and lost less pilots overall through 1,000 recorded sorties.
Fat is Beautiful
Despite her inherent air-to-ground prowess, the USAAF felt safe in keeping their P-47s in the bomber escort role for the time being. She was, however, eventually unleashed on her first ground attack sortie on November 25th, 1943. The mission entailed the bombing of a Luftwaffe airfield at St Omer. The Thunderbolts enacted their anger onto the airfield, dropping their explosive payloads to good effect, and remained airborne to strafe targets of opportunity while incurring the wrath of deadly-accurate German flak teams. The mission proved a success and the P-47s returned home. The arrival of the North American P-51B Mustangs all but nixed the P-47 from the bomber escort role so she and her pilots would have to get use to these sort of ground attack missions.
The 9th Air Force was officially created to take on the growing number of P-47 groups popping up. The 9th Air Force eventually became a prime operator of the P-47 and initially used them to escort their lighter Douglas A-20 Havocs and Martin B-26 Marauders. The first operational squadron under the 9th banner became the 358th Fighter Group, transferring over from the 8th Air Force. By the end of it all, the Thunderbolt found a combat niche that few fighters could boast. Numbers of the type swelled and, as pilots grew comfortable in these large warplanes, the kill tallies also increased. German fighters spiraled down in flames, locomotives exploded in tremendous fireballs and enemy tank formations fell into disarray. Germany was falling back in retreat and it had no thanks to wield in the direction of the P-47.
Ode to the Tuskegee Airmen, the Help Much Appreciated
While it is always easy and applicable to associate the Tuskegee prowess with the P-51 Mustang, these lads began their combat legacies in P-47 Thunderbolts. The 332nd Fighter Group completed their first mission - defending B-24 Liberators from German Messerschmitt Bf 109s - and claimed and impressive 5 enemy air kills on June 9th, 1944. On June 25th, 1944, this same group spotted and engaged a German destroyer at Trieste Harbor with nothing more than their machine guns. Claiming the sinking of the ship, top Allied brass was skeptical and reviewed the combat gun camera footage only to see the ship explode beyond usefulness through direct evidence. This destruction of a naval vessel by machine gun fire alone was a kill no other P-47 squadron could claim. After only a month of flying their P-47s, the Tuskegee airmen "upgraded" to used P-51B and P-51C models.
End of the Line
Most of the P-47s over Europe were inevitably replaced by the impressive P-51 Mustang when their numbers made it appropriate. Only the 56th Fighter Group was left with Jugs and these boys were handed over the keys to shiny new P-47M "hotrod" models.
P-47 In Action Over the Pacific
As the war in Europe fell under "control" (in favor of the Allies), sheer numbers proved the Thunderbolt a perfect candidate for service in the Pacific Theater. The first P-47s arrived by boat to Australia in June of 1943 and were quickly assembled and flown to Port Moresby, New Guinea. One there, they fell into the hands of the newly arrived 348th Fighter Group as part of the 5th Air Force. Ready for combat, the short range caused by their thirsty R-2800 radials soon came into play, forcing many a crew chief and surrounding crewmembers to fashion homemade paper-based fuel tanks. Operation sorties for P-47 pilots began in July of 1943 and eventually replaced the outclassed Curtiss P-40 Warhawks and Bell P-39 Airacobras operating in the theater (both utilizing liquid-cooled engines mind you).
Once again, the dive and zoom tactics were employed against the well-trained Japanese airmen. Direct dogfights with Japanese fighters was discouraged and the inherent advantages of the P-47 airframe came into play. Despite their ferocious attitudes in flight, Japanese airmen were crippled by the simple fact that their aircraft were not designed to take the full brunt of hot lead from American Jugs (what aircraft realistically was?). As such, American airmen maintained a healthy advantage IF they could maneuver their adversary into their awaiting crosshairs for the kill.
1944 saw P-47 numbers grow to incorporate three squadrons made up of the 35th, 58th and the 348th Fighter Groups. The commander of the 348th was Colonel Neel Kearby who, on October 11th, 1943, netted no fewer than seven enemy aircraft in one mission - though only six were confirmed as his gun camera had run out of film. Kearby became one of America's top aces of the war but was tragically killed in action on March 9th, 1944. Missions in the Pacific proved somewhat different than those in Europe. Much of the terrain was ocean dotted with small island chains. What little land there was, was often covered in thick foliage forcing bases and other facilities to be built near the shorelines. This made for relatively easy target recognition by passing airmen. Additionally, enemy shipping was open for the taking and Thunderbolt pilots were not shy about unleashing bombs or machine gun fire on hapless Japanese vessels.
The Thunderbolt proved the king of the Pacific sky when encountering large Japanese bomber formations (even those accompanied by fighter protection). It was not uncommon for airmen to destroy 90% of bomber formations during outings. As losses mounted for the Japanese, such offensive-minded gestures for the Empire began to curtail - either running out of trained pilots or simply running out of bombers to field. It turned out that the P-47 and arriving P-51 Mustangs and P-38 Lightnings had to eventually "fight" for targets in the Pacific sky, such was the impact of American might in the air war - with special thanks given to the Thunderbolt.
The arrival of the P-47N in the theater soon gave near-complete advantage to the Thunderbolt pilot, many who could (and some did) become aces on one outing - such was the power of the new variant. The "ultimate" Thunderbolt held an inordinate amount of power under her hood while retaining an equally inordinate amount of firepower in her wings. HVAR rockets were part of the P-47 forte as was increased range. Operators of the N-model included the 318th, 413th and 507th Fighter Groups and N-models proved adept at escorting the new long-range Boeing B-29 Superfortresses coming online.
P-47s Versus the Not-So "Divine Wind"
P-47Ns played a pivotal - though not always successful role - in destroying Japanese Kamikaze suicide fighters bent on ramming Allied warships. N-models played upon their powerful engines to throttle at the diving enemy at full speed and engage with bursts from their deadly .50 machine guns. On one such occasion, a P-47N pilot rescued an American warship from a suicide attack by blasting a Japanese fighter to oblivion through a HVAR rocket launched at the aerial target, becoming the first type of kill credited in this fashion.
Curtain Calls
The final P-47 air kill of World War 2 occurred against a Japanese "Frank" fighter on August 14th, 1945 - this by an airman from the 318th Fighter Group. The 507th produced the last P-47 ace of the war. The dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan ended the war in the Pacific. P-47s of the 414th were showcased in overhead flights over Tokyo Bay during the "Show of Power" at the end of the war.
VJ-Day brought about the cancellation of some 5,934 Thunderbolts still on order for they were no longer needed.
Jugs With the RAF
The Royal Air Force was a prominent operator of the Thunderbolt but limited her use to sorties in the Far East. Some 830 total P-47s made up at least sixteen RAF squadrons and were primarily relegated to ground strike or bomber escort sorties replacing aged mounts. At least two P-47 squadrons soldiered on after the war in India until ultimately replaced by the speedy Hawker Tempest. British Thunderbolts were designated Thunderbolt Mk I (P-47D-20) and Thunderbolt Mk II (P-47D-25) with production encompassing two batches. These American-made Thunderbolts were shipped directly to India for final assembly. When in action, the dive and zoom approach perfected by the Americans proved equally effective for the RAF when combating the relentless Japanese fighters. The first P-47s made their way into frontline British squadrons in May of 1944, replacing batches of outclassed Curtiss Mohawks and Hawker Hurricanes. British use of the fighter encompassed South East Asia Command through Nos 5, 34, 113, 123, 135 and 146 Squadrons made up of Thunderbolt Mk Is. Thunderbolt Mk IIs were fielded by Nos 5, 30, 34, 42, 60, 79, 81, 113, 123, 131, 134, 135, 258, 261 and 615 Squadrons. These Jugs were ultimately replaced by the homegrown Supermarine Spitfire as events in the Far East Theater winded down.
The famous American Air Commando Group in the China-Burma-India Theater also made use of the Thunderbolt, these being D-models. The 1st Air Commandos were tied to the US 10th Air Force and provided air support to the British 14th Army in their Burma Campaign.
International Jugs
The P-47 was maintained by the air forces of Brazil, Chile, China, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Turkey and Yugoslavia among others. The Soviet Union received 195 examples with 8 lost during shipment.
The French Air Force fielded the Thunderbolt in anger against Algerian rebels in 1950 when their new-fangled jet aircraft proved highly unsuitable for such actions at low altitude. While Algeria became an independent nation in 1962, the French Thunderbolts were ridden into the ground through both combat and general wear and tear, never to be used again.
Mexico and Brazil both flew the Jug in combat squadrons under the banner of the USAAF in World War 2. Mexican pilots were a little discouraged in the fact that by the time they got airborne, the Americans had virtually wiped out all Japanese resistance in the skies.
Taiwan received a quantity of P-47Ns and put them to use against Communist China and her MiG-15 jet fighters. Deliveries occurred in 1953 and success was limited. Taiwan inevitably upgraded to jets supplied by their American allies.
Several nations continued to operate their Thunderbolts into the 1960's, some fielded in active combat roles and other not. The Peruvian Air Force retired their Jugs in 1966, twenty-four years after the type's inception into service with the USAAF.
Conclusion
By the close of World War 2, the Thunderbolt accounted for some 546,000 sorties with over 3,752 enemy aircraft destroyed in the European Theater alone. 15,683 Jugs were eventually produced (13,000 in a 45-month stretch alone!), easily becoming Republic's most successful and most identifiable product. Another impressive fact for the P-47 was that two-thirds of all production vehicles were quickly relocated to overseas bases. 5,222 Jugs in total were lost to action while 1,722 of these were non-combat related. The US Air Force claims that the Jug received a combat loss percentage equal to 0.7% against the 1,350,000 hours flown. Quite a testament for any aircraft in any era.
Post-War Jugs
P-47 fighters did not have a much of a role to play in the post-war American military. Many were sent into storage while a few were handed down to National Guard units. Some did serve with the newly-minted US Air Force under the SAC (Strategic Air Command), TAC (Tactical Air Command) and ADC (Aerospace Defense Command). In1948, the P-47 was redesignated to the "F-47" like other pursuit fighters of her time. Jet-powered fighters eventually began to replace F-47's in the USAF inventory by 1949 while National Guard units continued their use of the Thunderbolt into the mid-1950's.
The Jugs Are Rejected from Action in Korea
While her air-to-ground capabilities would have been a godsend in a conflict like the Korean War, the request for F-47s by Lieutenant General Geroge Stratemeyer was denied due to the logistical details that would have to be made in prepping and fielding the F-47 for operations over Korea. Despite their wartime numbers, F-47 spare parts proved hard to come by in the early 1950s. The F-47, therefore, was not to see action in the Korean War.
Regardless, her legacy was firmly entrenched in history's greatest air war and the P-47 proved a mount so capable to any task that she was assigned - whether it was to make an ace out of her pilot or strike at important ground targets - that the "Jug" became an all-star through and through with her capabilities forever held in high regard.
Miscellaneous Offerings
Amazingly, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt weighed more than a fully-loaded Dornier Do 17 bomber. An important fact to consider when the P-47 was designed from the outset as an interceptor. Her pilots often referred to her amazing agility with great remembrance in spite of her size which makes the weight factor that much more unbelievable. The final operational weight of later production P-47s could easily be measured in TONS let alone pounds.
The Thunderbolt Reincarnated
The Fairchild Republic A-10 "Thunderbolt II" receives her namesake designation from the Republic P-47 lineage. Both generally conduct similar ground strike roles, the A-10 with a bigger gun. While the P-47 garnered the nickname of "Jug", the A-10 takes on the affectionate nickname of "Warthog". To date, no viable replacement has been found for the A-10 Thunderbolt II, despite her advancing age. Likewise, the P-47 was never directly replaced - she was simply forced out by the jet age.
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