“More than 15,600 Thunderbolts were manufactured between 1941 and 1945 and they served in every theatre of the war.”
WITH ITS SLEEK LINES, nimble handling and lightning-fast speed, the North American P-51 quickly became a symbol of American air power in World War Two. And although the Mustang certainly helped win control of the skies over Europe and the Pacific, it was the less glamorous Republic P-47 Thunderbolt that was the real workhorse of the Allied victory.
Nicknamed the “Jug” (short for “Juggernaut”) by adoring pilots, the P-47 was a heavyweight warbird — and one that packed a devastating punch. More than 15,600 Thunderbolts were manufactured between 1941 and 1945 and they served in every theatre of the war performing a variety of missions from bomber escort to close air support. Here are some amazing facts about this remarkable aircraft:
It was originally supposed to be a ‘light’ fighter
Conceived by Georgian-born aircraft designer Alexander Kartveli, the plane that would eventually become the P-47 was originally intended to be a featherweight interceptor. Based on the small P-43 Lancer, which saw limited service in the U.S. Army Air Corps before 1941, Republic was hoping to develop an improved version of the fighter. But as the war in Europe demonstrated the need for much more robust warplanes, the company was forced to rethink its plans. Designers soon came up with bigger, more rugged machine: The P-47. A prototype Thunderbolt first took to the skies on May 6, 1941.
It was more like a flying tank
The P-47 was a big plane. It was three feet wider than the P-51 and four feet longer. And at more than 10,000 pounds empty, it was about 50 percent heavier than the Mustang and nearly twice the weight of of the British Spitfire. In fact, along with the three-seat Grumman Avenger, the P-47 was among the heaviest single-engine aircraft of World War Two.
It could move fast
Despite its considerable mass, the P-47’s 18-cylinder, 2,600-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine (the same power plant used by the Vought Corsair and Grumman Hellcat) enabled the unwieldy Jug to keep pace with the Mustang. Both had a top speed of around 440 mph (700 km/h). And while the P-47 could reach altitudes in excess of 40,000 feet (12,000 meters), its range of just over 800 miles (1,300 km) gave it half the legs of the P-51.
It packed a killer punch
With four .50 caliber machine guns mounted in each wing, the Thunderbolt could shred both enemy warplanes and ground targets alike with equal ferocity. Its internal stores were capable of holding 3,400 rounds (the Mustang’s six guns could pack only 1,800 bullets), which enabled the P-47 to unleash a torrent of lead for 30 seconds straight. While the Jug did poorly in fast turning dogfights against smaller planes, it was at its best when diving on (or “bouncing”) enemy fighters with all guns blazing. It was even more effective as a ground attack aircraft; it was capable of carrying as much as 3,000 pounds of external ordnance. In fact, when fully armed, a P-47 Thunderbolt could deliver about half the payload of a B-17 Flying Fortress. When equipped with 4.5-inch M8 rockets, the Jug had the firepower equal to a battery of 105 mm howitzers.
It could take a hit, too
The P-47 was a popular plane with pilots. Not only was it capable of absorbing staggering amounts of punishment, the cockpit was roomy and comfortable. Some fliers likened the aircraft’s seat to a lounge chair. Plus, the bubble canopy, which was added to D-model variants, afforded aviators enhanced visibility. The plane’s safety record was nothing short of astounding – only about 0.7 percent of Thunderbolts were lost in action. [2]
P-47s weren’t cheap
Republic Aviation factories in Long Island, New York and in Evansville, Indiana, along with a Curtis plant in Buffalo, assembled 15,600 Thunderbolts between 1942 and 1945 — that’s an average of 360 a month for three and a half years. Each plane cost $85,000 (about $1.1 million in 2015). All told, the War Department spent $1.2 billion on P-47 Thunderbolts before VJ Day. That’s roughly equal to $15.5 billion today.
… but they were worth the investment
The P-47 made its combat debut in April 1943, when a Thunderbolt with the U.S. Army’s 4th Fighter Group brought down a Focke Wulfe FW-190 over France. Over the next two years, the planes would fly more than half a million sorties in Europe and the Pacific and would claim nearly 4,000 enemy aircraft, 9,000 trains, 86,000 trucks and 6,000 armoured vehicles.
Many aces preferred the Thunderbolt
A number of American aces achieved impressive records while at the controls of P-47s. Thunderbolt top guns included Francis “Gabby” Gabreski (28 kills), Robert S. Johnson (27 kills) and David C. Schilling (22.5 kills).
Improved P-47s broke speed records
Numerous attempts were made to improve the performance of the mighty Jug. One experimental model set a speed record of 505 mph (810 km/h). No piston engine aircraft would top that until 1989. In 1942, Republic reported that its plots had broken the then-elusive ‘sound barrier’ during P-47 dive tests although that record has been disputed. [3] However, two years later, the company produced a limited number of M model Thunderbolts with supercharged engines that could reach emergency speeds of 473 mph (760 km/h). These were sent to the United Kingdom to intercept V1 rockets and were later used against German jets.
More than 20 nations used the P-47
While the United States was the P-47’s principle operator, Thunderbolts served in a number of other countries’ air forces as well. More than 800 went to Britain and Commonwealth powers during the war. Free France operated nearly 500 of the aircraft too. As many as 400 Jugs were also transferred to the Soviet Union under Lend Lease, where they largely served in interceptor roles.
Thunderbolts became Cold Warriors
Although P-47 production ceased just weeks after Japan’s surrender, Thunderbolts (re-designated as the F-47) continued to serve for years (and in some cases decades) after World War Two. America pulled the plane from front line service in 1949, but NATO allies like Turkey, Portugal and Italy maintained squadrons of Thunderbolts into the 1950s, as did Iran. Taiwanese F-47s routinely engaged communist fighters off the coast of China. Surplus models were also liberally distributed throughout Latin America during the same period. Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic all maintained fleets for years. Peru didn’t retire its Jugs until 1966. When designing its formidable A-10 tank buster in the early 1970s, engineers at Fairchild Republic tore a page from history and dubbed their new twin-engine attack jet the Thunderbolt II in honour of the P-47. Today, at least 15 original wartime Jugs are still airworthy and can be seen on the North American air show circuit each summer.
SOURCES
http://acepilots.com/planes/p47_thunderbolt.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_P-47_Thunderbolt
http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=76
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2213
http://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/republic-p-47d-f-47-thunderbolt
Actually P-47, just like all the other WW2 ground attack aircraft were very poor destroying enemy tanks.
Hurricane 2D desert tank buster ???
Might want to read a book called The Hell Hawks. Might give you a new perspective.
Not according to Rommel, but what did he know. He was only on the receiving end . . .
At least one comment was made about the number of German tanks destroyed by strafing with .50 caliber machine gun fire. The .50 API (Armor Piercing Incendiary) bullets broke through the grating cover on the tank’s rear deck and caused engine fires in the rear compartments.
My dad flew two tours out of Pisa, Italy with the 345th Devil Hawks squadron, 350th FG, 12th AF. Flying exclusively air-ground missions in Po Valley – carrying a full load of .50 cal, bombs, and sometimes ten 5″ HVARs. He said they developed “skip-firing” techniques that allowed them to skip .50-cal rounds under the rear ends of German Tanks & hit their fuel supply. They’d come up on ’em from behind down low at full WEP, hit the trigger while working the rudder-pedals to “spray” the rounds under the tanks. They’d peel-off after their pass while still running full WEP, so they could outrun the tank turret’s ability to track ’em – just in case their strafing pass wasn’t successful. Dad said they did a LOT of full WEP dives & passes, routinely hit compressibility in their dives & had to use the compressibility flaps to get out of Mack-tuck, and often pulled enough Gs to briefly pass-out at the bottom. Said it was the only way to survive the intense FLAK they encountered in Po Valley – as it was coming up at ’em from the valley floor, straight at ’em from the mountainsides, and down at ’em from the mountaintops. So, they went fast enough to outrun most of the FLAK turrets’ ability to rotate. I had the honor of attending a 325th Devil Hawks reunion (sadly, after dad flew west), and his squadron-mates told the same stories. Those guys had balls of titanium, and pushed their Jugs FAR, FAR beyond factory spec just to survive!
Oh – and dad once flew back to base & landed successfully after getting a jug blown off the block by FLAK. One of his squadron-mates flew home after getting TWO jugs blown off the block! I have pics of his plane, plus a squadron-mate who flew home with a 20mm CANNON hole in a prop-blade, one who pulled out a bit too low & mowed-down a small forest & still made it home after “trimming” a few hundred trees, and another who pulled out of a Mach-tuck dive a bit too low & curled ALL FOUR prop-blades around the nose – yet still managed to fly back to base & land safely.
Col. Gabreski’s statement about flying the P-51 vs. the Jug was spot-on!
Sharing is caring! Could you please link to those pics?
I really enjoyed reading your comments. I have always understood, contrary to one comment here, that the “Jug” was very good at taking busting.
Thank you!
My uncle, Colonel Joe Celauro (on my Mother’s side), flew a P-47 Republic Thunderbolt in the European theater during the final year of WWII. He successfully flew some 85 missions over southern Germany helping to hasten the end of WWII in Europe. He returned to the US after the war and lived a good long life passing away at the age of 94 on March 24, 2016. God bless you Uncle Joe, we are so proud of you and forever grateful for your service. You are dearly missed . . . may you rest in peace.
Seven out of the top ten U.S. fighter aces in the European theatre flew P-47’s.
Yes they did’ this plane still does not get the credit it deserved’ in no way shape or form did the mustang win the war for the U.S’ the p47 and it;s pilots were there from the start shooting down the best germany had ‘many tell stories of pilots coming home with no flaps’ no hydraulics ‘entire cylinders shot out and yet the big beautiful and tough p47 landed like it was a training mission.no better testimonial to how the jug pilots felt about their steed was ever given than gabreski himself’ he said IF YOU WANT TO GET THE GIRL FLY A P51′ IF YOU WANT TO GO HOME TO YOUR GIRL STRAP INTO A P47. NUFF SAID
My dad flew two missions from England on D-Day in his P-47; He loved flying but said in a retrospective at age 90 that he didn’t like the killing of his fellow humans, even though they were German.. This guy was awarded the DFC by his commanding general and after surviving 92 missions in Europe followed by spearheading Patton’s drive across Europe to Germany, decided to turn down a promotion to captain and return to the states to become an instructor in Texas.
Dad was a special guest at the WWII memorial dedication weekend in Washington in 2004 and our family was seated within a stone’s throw of George Bush(41) and Bill Clinton who were on the podium. Next day we went out to the Air and Space museum at Dulles…there is a vintage p-47 under the left wing of the Enola Gay. Dad is hanging around the kids who were amazed at the P-47 and one of the youngsters asked Dad if he piloted that plane. Dad, never one to be in the spotlight, said yes and the kids starting gathering and sitting down on the concrete floor asking dad what it was like to fly the “jug”.
After a few minutes of the kids’ fascination, a really old guy who could barely walk comes up to dad and says that a p-47 squadron saved his bomber group of b-24s from certainly being shot down by the german fighter planes on several occasions. They hugged and both cried. the Kids there were so quiet watching these two heroes.
Thanks for that story. Brought a tear to my eye. My dad was a b-24 pilot. Flew out of Lecci , Italy and England. Made it home alive and went on to serve 23 years.
Thanks for the great story. My uncle Allan Farlow also flew a P-47. He joined the Army Air Corps after Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese in 1941. He flew the P-47 Thunderbolt as a member of the 366th FS. He completed over 100 combat missions in support of the allied invasion of Europe and was credited with destroying three German aircraft. He said his plane burned a lot of gas because of drag on the plane. So, his brother sent him boxes and boxes of car wax. Uncle Allan had his crew chief wax the plane and his plane burned less gas. He named his plane the ‘Speed Demon.'” For much of World War II his squad supported ground offensives. They killed off tanks and trucks and gun emplacements.
After the war, he obtained a law degree from the University of Texas, but was recalled to active duty with the Air Force in 1953. He served as an instructor in the USAF Instrument Pilot Instructors School, flew the B-66 Destroyer as a command pilot in a peace-time deployment to Japan, and in a combat assignment during the Vietnam War. At home, he served as Chief, USAF Personnel Legislative Section, and Deputy Assistant for Legislative Affairs to the Secretary of Defense. He retired a full colonel in 1972. He passed away October 31, 2007 and was buried with Full Military Honors in Arlington National Cemetery.
Wow, seem to be a few of us of P47 pilots kids. My dad was a captain and squadron leader in the 79th FG Flying Skulls which is also the title of his book. Because of a clerical error he ended up flying a total of 101 missions. He always said the last one could have been the last one. His plane took 30 mm rounds up thru the cockpit and out the bubble top canopy on 3 different occasions.
He flew over Europe and Africa. I had no idea until later in life what a special guy he was. I got to grow up with a leader and that part I knew the difference.
Wonderful story. We can all thank our parents for their bravery and willingness to serve. Salute to them all. My dad flew B24s in the Pacific.
My Great-Uncle was a USAAC/USAAF Ltc. during WW2, flying bombers out of Duxford, England over Germany and German positions. His success in flying over 19 missions without loss of either plane or crew, was I’m certain in no small part owed to those flying escort in their P-47s.
It was men like your Dad and my Great-Uncle who did the unthinkable and faced dangers that would make many of today’s soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines pale at the very thought.
That men such as these were ready, willing and able to muster the courage they did in the course of their military service, is a true credit to them and ALL who follow in their footsteps.
My father flew out of Thruxton, England on D-Day. Lt William Carl Whitaker was 22 years old. I was 3 weeks old and in Indiana with my mother. He loved his P47 and he loved all the planes he flew in the USAF. He and James Fogle, Gen. Fogle later are mentioned in the book Fighters Up. Their commander Col Bennett was shot down and bailed out over the channel. Both men circled the Col. He made it to his life raft and waved as they wagged their wings. The commander of the Bridge Busters did not make it home. Dad’s last plane in the USAF was the F102. My husband Robert E Hill’s first jet was the F106. We were assigned to the 5th Fighters in Minot. Dad died before he knew that his son in law would pilot the A10 in the 80s at RAF Woodbridge and RAF Bentwaters. Both Thunderbolts, one a Jug and the other a Warthog. I imagine somewhere both men are telling the stories with hands waving in formation, of their exploits in their Thunderbolts.Proud of both men.
In a few days Ill be standing on the beaches at Omaha looking at my Dads flight log. Then Ill visit the airfield in Thruxton staying at the White Horse Inn where I bet my Dad put back a few beers as he shared the adventures, happy and sad of the day. Both men who served in several wars, would probably agree that we all need to get along with each other and leave the flying to air shows and aerial competitions. Both men had a swing in their step every day they could “slip the surly bonds of earth, and dance….on laughter silvered wings. Poem referenced is High Flight by John Gillespie Magee.
Thanks for that! Tweet us some pics from Normandy. We’d love to share them. 🙂
God bless your father and our military . A true hero he is God bless you and your family.
It is stories like this that are priceless. They go far beyond just the facts. My Dad was on a Coast Guard destroyer in the Atlantic in charge of the depth charges, but said he never saw any action only reports of U boats in the area.
Hi Frankie,
I respectfully disagree with your statement. It is true that aircraft designed for air to air combat such at the P-47 and the Fw 190 that were converted to the attack role were not great at tank busting. However true attack aircraft such as the German Stuka and the Russian Sturmovik damaged or destroyed many tanks. For example, Ace Stuka pilot Hans Rudel is credited with destroying 519 tanks, and ace Sturmovik pilot Nelson Stephenyan is credited with destroying 80 tanks. Even taking into consideration that these pilots were the best of their kind and inflated kill credits, on average many tanks were put out of actions by these two WW2 ground attack aircraft.
we were very slow at powering up with some of our best A/C F4u as well as P47 and the F6F hellcat.
thank you
I knew a family friend who flew B 25s in North Africa that were equipped with a 75 mm cannon. I think that was intended for tanks.
My dad worked on the cannon development almost from the start. The original idea was to sink Japanese ships. At the beginning of the war, our torpedoes were awful. My father was thrilled when a B25 crew sank a Japanese destroyer. Then English captured a German torpedo. It was so good, we copied it. The result, the 75mm cannon became a white elephant.
When my father first saw the inside of plane equipped with a cannon with all its hydraulic canisters, he said,” Is this even possible?” Well, it was a marvel of engineering and it did work.
the 75 would have been used on any ground target, not just tanks that is, if there were any tanks around in the area being strafed.
German Generals that fought in North Africa and later in Europe might differ. Allied fighter bombers were so prevalent that route marches were only made at night or during low visibility conditions, think the Bulge. The Battle of the Bulge was pretty much over once the low visibility was lifted and the ubiquitous “Jabos” started tearing it up. If the figures per Fighter Bomber was low, consider the total number of aircraft available for close air support.
they never said the p47 was a tank buster they said it was a flying tank!
THE A10 thunderbolt2 is the tankbuster!
read it again before you dissagree!
My Dad worked for Republic Aviation for 32 years in Farmingdale NY
He was a foreman in the Jig shop.
He loved the P47 and over the years related many stories to me.
Female “ferry” pilots used to fly them out of the plant, and quite often crash a few !!!
As a young boy watched P-47s in mock combat with Hellcats over Great South Bay. I also saw those clip wing P-47s as well which could go like hell.
That must have been something to see.
My late father was a lead wing designer for the ’47 at Farmingdale. He was trained as a structural engineer (i.e. bridges) and told me stories about how the wing ribs were “doubled” so the wing would be strong enough to carry the 8 .50’s, all their ammunition, and then the under-wing bomb and rocket loads. Add plenty of armor plate to protect the pilot – That’s why the Jugs were so heavy. As noted, they were slow climbers, but nothing could out-dive them. The pilot’s manual told the guys to stick with the plane if they were forced down at low level. If they had to belly in, the plane would plough through anything in the way. That big engine acted like a bulldozer blade!
im watching you
For all those men that fought on my behalf before I was born, I’m so proud that you fought for my freedom
I owe you
For all those that served as mechanics and ground crew and those wonderful ladies that broke through barriers to serve like none others
THANK YOU ALL AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU rk
Spot on Rich and I join you in thanking these people we owe them our freedom and our freedom of speech. They fought, got tortured and died so that we could enjoy our freedom. Lost three of my great uncles in the Second World War, two served with the Royal Navy and one in the US Marines
Well said! And me too. When I was a young kid growing up in Lincoln, NE during the 1960s, we had a beautiful Corsair sitting out at Antelope Park. The bubble-top was gone, but most of the instrument panel was still there. I spent many hours sitting in the cockpit (the seat was long gone) and exploring every part of it. One day it was carted off and I do hope that it went to reconstructors, because it was in remarkably good shape. We also had a Sherman tank close by. But the turret was sealed, alas. God bless the heroes of WWII.
P-47s never took any speed records – & never won at Reno,
nor did the RAF use theirs to shoot down V1 missiles, because
the Thunderbolt is too slow at low altitude where these things happened..
The P-47 was expensively fitted out with a huge turbo to feed its massive
P & W R-2800 radial engine plenty of gas at high altitude, but it was a
massive gas-hog too, & even filling every available space ( inc’wings)
with fuel didn’t make it better than a Mustang..
In fact, fully laden the P-47 took nearly a mile to take-off, & became a
rolling crematorium – if it didn’t get airborne.
Because so many had been built, yet they were largely unwanted by the 8th
AF for defeating the Luftwaffe high over Germany ( the Mustang took its job!)
they were relegated to the dangerous ground attack role, & the German
109/190 fighters could out-perform the ordnance-laden ‘bolts at low levels
where they had to operate..
Just look up the list of P-47 losses after D-day, hundreds were lost before Xmas,
& hundreds more until VE-day.. pity the poor buggers who had that gig..
WHY DID THE GERMANS LOOSE THE AIR SUPERIORITY OVER EUROPE. WHAT WAS THE MAX IAS AT SL OF THE P-47D VERSES THE P-51, ME 109 AND THE FW 190 1944 SEP TO 1945 VE DAY?
WHAT WAS THE WINGLOAD PER SQUARE METER OF THOSE FYGHTER PLANES? capt. LEON PESCHE, RETIRED AIRLINE PILOT
and technical engineer. Another fact you might not know? The Pioneer Mustang Fighter Group (354th) had to fly P-47 from 1st DEC 44 to FEB-MAR 1945 P-47D’s. One of them belly landed behind our house the 2nd of JAN 1945. The day after OPERATION “BODENPLATTE” where the Germans lost most of their ownairplanes:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unternehmen_Bodenplatte
When the P-51 model after B was brought out, with 8 M.50 like the Thunderbolt (JUG) they lost 8 Mustangs the first day, due to folding up wings by pulling out of the dives. Told to me by Capt. Clayton Kelly Gross (Book “LIVE BAIT”) 1997 during the 10 days I had them in Luxembourg, as guests. Lt. DICK HARRISON told me, that he flew nearly an hour without oil pressure, and made it back to home base.
Capt. Gross came in for landing in “NANCY “ROSIERE EN HAYE”
There first mission on P-47 was on the 5th DEC1944..
The P-47 was a high-altitude fighter…its giant turbocharger meant it performed best at ~30,000′. It is not and never was a dogfighter-like most American planes of the war, it was a speed fighter. (Though, surprisingly, it could barrel-roll amazingly well, sometimes able to ROLL inside a turning enemy plane.)
Ground attack is inherently dangerous…more P-47s were lost after D-day simply because they were used in that role. P-51s were not, simply because they weren’t very good at it…and could be brought down by one hit in the right spot.
My father said he was”honored” to fly the P-47. I wish he was around to ask about your statements. He flew 104 missions earned the DFC along with many other honors came in a Tail end Charlie and finished a Squadron Leader. He took damage on many missions and always made it home. He loved his jug.
So, the Merlin RR powered P-51 came into theater in Jan. 1945? So, up to that point, the P-47s and P-38s carried the load, at least in Europe, right? I guess I don’t see what you are driving at here.
Not only that Dan, but the last 8th Air Force FG to convert to the Mustang (besides the famous 56th, which kept its P-47’s) did so in December 1944. So all throughout 1944 (and especially in the first half) German fighters were being shot down by P-47’s. The P-47 had an excellent kill rate vs German fighters and all the top P-47 aces survived the war – a testament to the ruggedness of the airplane.
It could be said that the arrival of the P-51 in Europe did not relegate the P-47 to ground attack, rather it freed it from escort duty, and gave the USAAF the ability to use the P-47 where it was most needed post D-Day, on the deck.
What would have happened if the P-51 had not come along? The P-47N which had a longer range than the Mustang would have filled that role, as it did when it escorted B-29’s over Japan.
You should read “Thunderbolt!” by Robert Johnson, second highest scoring American ace in Europe during WWII. Of his 27 kills the vast majority were single engine fighters ie, 109s and 190s. The greater danger to them at low altitude was the flak.
In Burma My Dad thought his Hurricane was a cramped cockpit and when you pressed to fire the guns that it would shake itself to pieces. They converted to P47’s and he loved it, spacious cockpit and like sitting in an armchair, flip up the cover at the end of the arm rest and press the button and the guns, “purred like a cat” and the airplane didn’t shake.
He said he felt like artillery because they were being used to drop T.N.T. on targets in the jungle. He wore an R.A.F. suicide pill around his neck with the instruction,” if you come down and capture is imminent, take the tablet, as a captured R.A.F. pilot the death will be far less painful.” – He flew against the Japs for 4 years, he was 23 on V.J. Day, what a life. !
Went on to fly the Meteor jet till 1957.
Maybe your dad knew my dad. He also flew P-47s in Burma. He was with 5 SQN RAF even though he was actually a RNZAF pilot (that sort of thing happened a lot during WW2). He too loved his Jug and would often tell me stories about flying them. His service number was NZ4210234. Google ‘Huia Chetwyn Parker’ for some photos and info on him if you want. Who knows, a photo of your dad might be in there somewhere as well.
Hello, I loved reading all these comments! I am a student in Evansville, Indiana. I am working with the Evansville Wartime Museum (EMW) building memorials throughout Evansville and since a large number of P-47 Thunderbolts were produced here we are making a memorial for those that helped build them and the pilots that flew them.
The EMW’s mission is sharing our history from WW2 with the people of Evansville and if any of you wish to share your story or a relative’s story we would really appreciate it. Also, I’m researching the P-47 because my school is building a 1/3 scale model and I have to present about the project quite often so if there are any other facts you could share with me about these plane I would love to listen!
Contact me at:
idow48@gmail.com
isaac.warren@evsck12.com
812-499-2234
What a terrific site. My Father-in-law, Eugene Armstrong, flew the “Jug” too was shot down on his 43rd mission just before Christmas 1944. Passed in 1992. Built a 40,000 acre farm/ranch in South Dakota, lived the life he always wanted. RIP
The P-47 was nicknamed ‘Juggernaut’ after Public Affairs got a hold of the nickname ‘Jug’ which the P-47 earned because of its milk jug shaped fuselage.
Really interesting. The mighty Jug was one of the least heralded planes of WWII — at least in the years afterwards. I am so delighted that 15 of them still fly today. Glorious.
My mother graduated from MIT during the war and was assigned to work on the team designing the first plastic bubble canopies for the Thunderbolt. Because the lead designers did not believe a plastic canopy could work, they made a team of “rejects” to get them out of the way. It had a “girl”, a black engineer and a grey haired old engineer. To great surprise, and my mother’s eternal satisfaction, they succeeded, and their 360 degree vision bubble design quickly spread to all new fighter planes.
The P47 was my favorite WW II fighter. It was the best looking, best fighting war plane ever built. I wish I had been born 16 yrs.sooner.
Bill Swain Juglover
My father flew the P-47 and was assigned to the 373d fighter group which I believe oerated out of Woodchurch, Kent, England. He LOVED the Jug, said it was amazing when he let loose the 8 50 cals. He liked it because it was a safe ride, 18 cylinders in front of you and armor plating in the rear, made sure you came home. Of course, I grew up hearing all about the plane, by the age of 8, I could tell you most of the specs – Pratt & Whitney R2800 twin row 18 cylinder radial engine – 2,600 hp, top speed of 433 mph, service ceiling of 43,000 ft, 39 ft, 1 in long and 40 ft. 9 in wingspan, man, that’s burned into my memory.
do you have any pic of the planes
i know you guys are talking about american air force but spare a thought for the royal Australian air force (RAAF) who mostly flew outdated planes like the kitty hawk which were used in the battle of miline bay (which by the way was the first time the Japanese were defeated on land) but flew with guts and determination my great uncle from the 25th battalion (which is from qld Australia) said as soon as they landed and were refuled and rearmed they took of again thanks to them we won if not for them australia would of been invaded
The “aussies” made a great effort and job in ww2, they are mentioned on many places on the web, great fighters, and will certainly not be forgotten! greetings Levi from Finland
It was the “Jug” because it’s SHAPED like a (milk) jug.
I am sourcing one for a film, west coast. Anyone know where I can get one?? steve 250-878-8382
Ok, here is the fact #12, you’ll love this one.
In 1991, Croatia had no army or weapons. So when Yugoslav army came in with Mig-21s and T-55, all the ww2 museums were raided for ANYTHING they could find. I Technical museum in Zagreb, there is a P-47, ww2 JNA (red star, yellow circle) markings. They tried starting it, but something was not working (battery?) so the plane survived and is still there.
There was a old Bell helicopter that got started, and I saw it in Hangar in Osijek in 1993, and later back in the museum in 1995. When asked about the Bell, our flying instructor just said “It was used for some… stupidities… during the war”. I also sat in the UTVA-75 cockpit that had a switchboard with options “Rockets/Machineguns/Bombs” so I have no doubt they WOULD have used the poor Jug as well.
I’d like to thank those descendants and acquaintances of the veterans of the greatest generation for sharing their stories. Your stories provide a powerful link to those true American patriots, their heroic efforts and the selfless contributions they made to keep the world free of fascism. In a time when we see fascism attempting to raise its ugly head again, when we see National Socialists and their Far Right Lickspittles stand at rallies feigning allegiance to the Stars-n-Stripes in one hand while hiding their true allegiance to the Reichsflagge in their other, when we see tiki torches and Hitler salutes being used in a warped interpretation of freedom of speech, it’s so good to hear from real patriots. Your stories are so comforting as they show that democracy and patriotism is alive and well as demonstrated through such displays of respect for the heros of the greatest generation. Your stories are so uplifting. America needs to hear from you guys more than ever.
I live in Evansville, Indiana (one of the 3 Republic Aviation production facility locations for the plane) and knew a little about the P-47 in WW2, but your information added a whole new perspective of how amazing this plane was. Thank you. [A female family member was a riveter of P-47 wings in Evansville.]
Aircraft could be very effective at ground attack, Ask the Germans what they thought of the Soviet Stormoviki..
My dad was fortunate enough to fly many different aircraft in his career. The ones most popular it seems, the P40, P51, P38, and P47. His favorite of them all was the P47. He said it was the “Cadillac of the sky”! And like many others have commented, it was built like a flying “TANK”: His most notable memory was when he had to crash land his P47 and to his amazement, it had minimal damage compared to seeing other pilots crash in other various aircraft besides the 47. Most importantly to him, he “walked away” unscathed!
My Uncle Bill, after whom I was named, flew the Jug over the not-so-friendly skies of Europe. He related several times how incredibly tough that plane was, and how much damage it could do with those eight Brownings. He was one of many pilots who had his plane all shot up and yet was able to fly it back to base (I saw a photo he took of his Jug after he landed from that mission—it looked like a flying sieve).
His motto about the P-47 and that mighty Double Wasp that powered it was, “When the bullets start flying, have trust in God, Republic Aviation and Pratt & Whitney.” God must have smiled on him many times when he was in his Jug, as he was never shot down and lived to the ripe, old age of 97.
I was a P47 Pilot in the 27th Fighter Group and flew 93 missions in a P47 from 1944 thru 1045 till the day the war in Europe ended. Thank God for the wonderful way that plane was built. Coming back from missions with holes in the plane was not out of the ordinary, but the thrill of having successfully completed the missions we were sent out for made up for it. I was the pilot chosen to fly the 1/2 million sortie for the 12th Air Force….a dive bombing mission against Italian machine gun nests….unfortunately the pilot in front of me was shot down as we dove on the target….but we still had the ceremony for the event with General Cannon and the newsreels when we landed.
Irwin… you’re gone now. I see you passed a few months after writing your comment at the age of 101. Godspeed. I just ordered your book and look forward to reading it.