Subject: Number Forty-Seven in the Series--Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (8 of 9)

From: [email-masked]
Date: 2 Feb 93 15:44:47 GMT

>From [email-masked]

This account of the P-47 Thunderbolt continues with an account of its 
service in the European theatre.  

At one time in the days before Pearl Harbor, it had been hoped that it 
would be possible for the RAF to test the Thunderbolt in combat in the 
Middle East.  However, production difficulties caused the British Air 
Ministry to be informed in September 1941 that it was not a good idea 
to do this until all the bugs had been wrung out of the design.  

Consequently, it was a USAAF outfit that was to be the first to bring 
the Thunderbolt into service.  The 56th Fighter Group based near New 
York City was the first outfit to receive the P-47B, and began to 
reequip with the type in June-July 1942.  They were entrusted with the 
task of shaking the bugs out of their new mounts.  Since their base 
was fairly close to the Farmingdale plant, the Group could easily call 
upon Republic engineers to solve problems as they were encountered.  
Tests and operational training went slowly, accompanied by the loss of 
13 pilots and 41 aircraft in accidents.  As more Thunderbolts became 
available, P-47Bs were subsequently issued to the 348th and 355th 
Groups.  

The first P-47Cs arrived in England as early as December 20, 1942, and 
equipped the 4th Fighter Group which somewhat reluctantly traded in 
their Spitfires for the type.  P-47Cs also reequipped the 82nd, 83rd, 
and 84th Squadrons of the 78th Fighter Group.  P-47Cs were also 
supplied to the 56th Fighter Group which left their P-47Bs back home 
in the States when they transferred to England.  Engine and radio 
problems caused some delays, but the first operational sorties began 
on March 10, 1943, and consisted of high-altitude escort duties and 
fighter sweeps.  The first encounter with German fighters came on 
April 15, when the P-47Cs of the 335th Squadron shot down three German 
fighters for a loss of three of its own.  

The high-altitude performance of the P-47C was far superior to 
anything the Luftwaffe could put up against it, but at low and medium 
altitudes the P-47C could not match the maneuverability and climb 
rates of its opponents.  However, the P-47C could out-dive just about 
anything in the sky, and many a Thunderbolt saved itself from a sticky 
situation by using its superior diving performance to break off combat 
at will when it proved necessary to do so.  According to Robert S.  
Johnson of the 56th Fighter Group, the Thunderbolt could outroll any 
other fighter.  The Thunderbolt's eight 0.50-inch machine guns 
provided sufficient firepower to destroy any enemy plane which had the 
misfortune to come within its sights.  The robust construction of the 
Thunderbolt enabled it to absorb a considerable amount of battle 
damage and still stagger home to fight another day.  

The P-47Cs of the 56th, 4th and 78th Groups of the 8th Air Force were 
intended as bomber escorts, but were ineffectual until fitted with 
auxiliary fuel tanks to lengthen their range at the end of July 1943.  
These three groups were joined later in 1943 by seven new groups 
flying P-47Ds-- the 352nd, 353rd, 355th, 356th, 358th, 359th, and 
361st Fighter Groups.  P-47s flew escort missions until the end of 
1943, when they began to be replaced by longer-range P-38 Lightnings 
and P-51 Mustangs which were better suited for the long-range escort 
role.  

Once the Mustang began to take over the long-range escort role, the 
Thunderbolt was largely diverted into the ground attack role, where 
the P-47 was to gain its reputation.  After seeing action in North 
Africa, the Ninth Air Force was transferred to England as part of the 
build-up for D-Day.  The 362nd and 365th Fighter Groups of the Ninth 
Air Force were the first to receive P-47Ds.  They were joined by the 
358th Group from the Eighth Air Force.  In May 1944, these three 
groups were joined by many other units flying P-47Ds in providing air 
cover for the impending landings in France-- the 36th, 50th, 366th, 
367th,, 368th, 371st, 373rd, 405th, 406th, 48th, 354th, and 404th 
Fighter Groups.  These units provided much effective ground support 
for the advancing Allied forces as they penetrated further and further 
into France.  The Thunderbolt, with its heavy machine gun armament and 
its heavy load of bombs and rockets, was extremely effective in 
eliminating enemy forces in the face of the Allied advance.  Even 
though the P-51 Mustang had largely replaced the Thunderbolt in the 
long-range, high-altitude bomber escort role in the ETO by the end of 
1944, the P-47D continued to rack up an impressive number of 
air-to-air kills against the Luftwaffe, while it beat up the Wehrmacht 
on the ground in its destructive bombing and strafing career.  

The Thunderbolt also saw service in Italy.  The 325th Group of the 
15th Air Force flying P-47Cs saw action at Foggia from December 1943 
onward.  P-47Ds were flown by the 322 Group for only two months, and 
57th, 79th, 37th, 86th, 324th, and 350th Groups of the Twelfth Air 
Force.  

One of the less well-known operators of the P-47D Thunderbolt was the 
1st Group Aviacao de Caca of the Brazilian Air Force.  Brazil had 
declared war on Germany and Italy on August 22, 1942, and this group 
was attached to the 350th Group of the Twelfth Air Force.  

Many pilots became aces while flying the Thunderbolt.  Outstanding 
among these was Lt-Col. Francis S.  Gabreski (31 kills, the 
highest-scoring Thunderbolt pilot), Capt. Robert S. Johnson (28 
kills) and Col. Hubert Zemke (20 kills).  The highest-scoring USAAF
Group in the ETO was the 56th Fighter Group, which destroyed 1006 
German aircraft against a loss of 128 Thunderbolts--a ratio of nearly
eight to one.  

Sources:

  American Combat Planes, Ray Wagner, Third Enlarged Edition, Doubleday, 
  1982.  

  The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion Books, 
  1987.  

  War Planes of the Second World War, Fighters, Volume Four, William 
  Green, Doubleday 1964.  

  United States Military Aircraft since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and 
  Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.  

  The Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, Aircraft in Profile, Edward Shacklady, 
  Doubleday, 1969.  

  Famous Fighters of the Second World War, Volume I, William Green, 
  1967.  

  Thunderbolt!, Robert S. Johnson and Martin Caidin, Ballantine Books, 
  1958.  

Joe Baugher       AT&T Bell Laboratories    2000 North Naperville Road 
		  Naperville, Illinois 60566-7033.   (708) 713-4548