P-47 Thunderbolt vs Bf 109G/K: Europe 1943–45

43 Pages·30.999 MB·English

by  Martin W. Bowman, Jim Laurier(Illustrator), Chris Davey(Illustrator), Gareth Hector(Illustrator)

Europe 1943-45
ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATORS
MARTIN BOWMAN haswritten morethan adozentitles onthe"Mighty Eighth"
overthe past 20 years,includingseveral highlysuccessfulvolumesin Osprey's
P-4? THUNDERBOLT
CombatAircraft series. Havinginterviewed manyveteransoverthe years, heis
the perfectauthorto describethe experiencesofbothAxis andAllied pilots. He is
based in Norwich,UK.Thisis hissecond Dueltitle.
Bfl09G/K
Based in Mansfield,Nottinghamshire,CHRISDAVEYhasillustrated morethan
20titlesforOsprey'sAircraft oftheAces,CombatAircraft andAviation Elite
Unitsseriessince 1994. He isoneofthelasttraditional airbrush artistsinthe
business,and hasbecomeOsprey'sartistofchoice forboth USAAFfighters and
Europe 1943-45
RAFsubject matter. Chriscompleted thethree-wayviewsandgun armament
artworkforthistitle.
JIMLAURIERisanativeofNewEngland and lives in NewHampshire.Heattended
PaierSchoolofArtin Hamden,Connecticut,from 1974-78,and since he
graduatedwith honours, hehasbeen workingprofessionally inthefield of
FineArt and Illustration. Hehasbeen commissioned topaintforthe USAir
Force and hasaviation paintingson permanentdisplay atthe Pentagon.Jim
completedthe cockpitartworkforthistitle.
GARETH HECTOR,who is based intheScottishseasidetown ofLargs,isadigital
artistofinternational standingaswell asan aviation historyenthusiast.Gareth
completed thebattlesceneartworkand coverartwork.Thisisthefirst bookhe
hasworked on forOsprey Publishing.
MARTIN BOWMAN
FirsrpublishedinGrearBrirainin2008byOspreyPublishing,
MidlandHouse,WesrWay,Borley,Oxford,0X2OPH,UK
443ParkAvenueSourh,NewYork,NY100]6,USA
E-mail:[email protected] P-47Dcoverart
Maj KennethGallup,commandingofficerofthe353rd
©2008OspreyPublishingLrd.
FG's350rhFS,plungesheadlonginroaformarionof CONTENTS
Allrightsreserved.Apartfromanyfairdealingforthepurposeofprivatestudy,research, 30+Bf]09Gsfrom III.lJG53ar]3]5hrsnorrhofrhe
criticismorreview,aspermittedunderrheCopyright,DesignsandParcmsAct, 1988,noparr GennantownofSoltauonAugust4, 1944.Gallupwas
ofthispublicationmaybereproduced.storedinaretrievalsystem,orrransmi([cdinanyform flyinghisassignedP-47D-2542-26634arrherime,
orbyanymeans,e1ecrronic,electrical,chemical,mechanical,optical,photocopying,recording having"madeace"inthismachinefourweeksearlier.
orotherwise,withoutrhepriorwrittenpermissionofthecopyrightowner. Inquiriesshouldbe Hissquadronwasdefendingsomc320B-17ssent[Q
addressedrorhePublishers. bombtheHamburgoilrefinerywhenitwasbounced
bythe"Gusravs"ofill./JG53,rhelarrerarrackingrhe
ACIPcatalogrecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritish Library
Thunderbolrsaraheighrof30,000fr.Theenrryinrhe Introduction 4
ISBN:978 ]846033155 353rdFG'scombatdiaryforAugust4notcdthat"at
approximately1315hrs,tenmilesnonhofSoltau.the
EdiredbyTonyHolmes 350rhFS,ledbyMajGallup,reporredbeingbouncedby Chronology 6
CockpitandgUllsighrartworkbyJimLaurier 30+Me I09s.Thefiercefighrwhichensuedbrokerhe
CoverartworkandbarrlescencbyGareth Hector squadronup,withsomepilotsfollowingenemyaircraft Design and Development 8
Three-viewsandarmamentscrapviewsbyChrisDavey downtothcdeckwhileothcrshuntedinthecumulus
PagelayourbyMyriamBellDesign,France cloud.GroupleaderGallupclaimed2Me]09sdesrroyed, Technical Specifications 22
IndexbyAlanTharcher butonehadtobereducedtoaprobable."KennethGallup
TypesetinITCConduitandAdobeGaramond finishedhiscombattourwithninevictories(including
MapsbyBoundford.com,Hunringdon,UK sevenBf109s)tohiscredit,allofthcmclaimcdwhilst The Strategic Situation 34
OriginaredbyPDQDigiralMediaSolurions flyingrheP-47D.(ArtworkbyCarethHectm)
PrintedandboundinChinathroughBookbuilders The Combatants 44
Bf109K-4coverarr
08 09 10 ]1 I2 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 I
1nrhefinalmonrhsofthewarinEurope.mostaerial Combat 57
FORACATALOGOFALLBOOKSPUBLISHEDBYOSPREYMILITARYAND clashesbelweenP-47sandBfI09ssawDefenceofrhe
AVIATION PLEASECONTACT: ReichfighterscngagingNinthAirForceThunderbolts
Statistics and Analysis 72
attackinggroundtargets.Onesuchclashtookplace
NORTHAMERJCA
duringtheearlyafternoonofFebruary19,1945,when
OspreyDirect,c/oRandom HouseDistributionCenrcr.400Hahn Road,
13Bf109K-4sofII.IJG53andeighrFw]90Asfrom Aftermath 76
Wesrminsrer,MD21]57
anunknown Ceschwlltlerbounced 16P-47D-30softhc
E-mail:[email protected] 362ndFGshordyafterrhelatterhadstrafedarailway Further Reading 78
marshallingyardatWesterburg,insouthwesternGermany.
ALLOTHERREGIONS
Leadingrheaircrafrfrom II.lJG53wasSraffelkapiran
OspreyDireerUK,I~O.Box 140Wellingborough,Norrhanrs,NN8-2FA,UK Index 80
LeurnanrGi.inrherLandt,whodivedthroughthe
U~on
E-mail:[email protected] Thunderbolrformarionfromaheighrof16,000fr.
hisreturnrobaseatKirrlach,LandtclaimcdtwOP-47s
OspreyPublishingissupportingtheWoodlandTrust,theUK'sleadingwoodland desrroyed,rhusrakinghistallyro 18.Hewouldlead
conscrvationcharity,byfundingthcdedicationoftrees. ]I.lJG53rhroughrowar'send,bywhichpoinrhe
www.ospreypublishing.com hadincreasedhisscoreto23victories(includingninc
Thunderbolts).AccordingtoofficialUSAAFlossrecords,
rhe362ndFGsufferednocasualtieson February]9,
1945,withtheThunderboltpilotsinturnclaimingthree
Acknowledgments:
Bf]09sandrhreeFw190sdesroyed.TheAmericanpilors
PhotographsforthisvolumehavebeensuppliedfromthearchivesofMarrinBowman,Eddie alsoreponedthatthe"Germanfighterswercaggrcssive,
Crcck,JcrryScuttS,JohnWealandthelateRogerFrceman. butseemcdinexperienced."(ArtworkbyGarethHectOJ)
Sf109G·6"White17"taxies
outatLille·Nordintheearly
springof1944.Thisaircraft
wasassignedtothe
Staffelkapitanof9./JG26,
HauptmannHans·Georg
Dippel.Anacewith19
victories[includingtwo
Thunderbolts)tohiscredit
duringthecourseof272
missionswithIII./JG26,Dippel
waskilledwhileperforming
lowspeedaerobaticsinthis
veryaircraftwhenitstalled
INTRODUCTION andcrashedatLille·Nordon
TheJagdwaffe pilots equipped wirh Bf109Gs were, in rhe main, as "salry" as rhe May8,1944.
aircraft rhey flew. Their experience was broughr to bear rhroughour 1943 and inro
early 1944,as rheP-47groupssnuggled to prorecrrhe longer-rangingheavybombers
rharwerestill beingbroughrdown in growing numbers byGerman fighrers.
Borh rheThunderbolrandtheBf109G represenredastoundingadvancesin fighrer
engineandarmamenrdesign, burrheycouldnorhavebeenmoredifferent.Thesleek,
aesrherically pleasing Messerschmitt was halfrhe weighr ofrhe heavyweighr, barrel
For muchof1942,thedefenseoftheGerman Reichwasentrustedpredominantlyto shaped, American fighrer. Indeed, rhe Thunderbolr was rhe largesr and heaviesr
Luftwaffe unitsequippedwith theMesserschmirrBf109. Pilorsofrhis iconicfighter, single-enginedsingle-searpropeller-drivenfighrereverbuilr.Itclimbed likeahomesick
along wirh their brerhren flying rhe equally deadly Focke-Wulf Fw 190, were angel and dived for rhe deck like a rock. This was due to the mighty power ofirs
inflicring increasing losses on rhe heavy bomber groups ofrhe fledgling Eighrh Air air-cooled, rurbosupercharged Prarr& Whimey R-2800 DoubleWaspengine. Pilors
Forceas rheUnired SraresArmyAir Force (USAAF) arrempted to make its presence disparagingly dubbed ir rhe "seven-ton milk bortle." Othersobriquers included "the
felt in the EuropeanTheater ofOperarions (ETO). On average, some 13.6 percent RepulsiveScatterbolr," "Thunderjug" and "Thundermug."
ofrhe attacking force sent our to hit targers in wesrern Europe would fall vicrim to Butsheersizewas nortoprovederrimenral to rheThunderbolr'soperarionalcareer.
rheJagdwaffe. Such losses could nor beallowed to continue, burat rhe rime neither Indeed, P-47s flew 546,000 combarsorries from March 1943 toAugusr 1945, and
rhe Royal Air Force (RAF) or rhe USAAF had a fighrer in-thearer wirh sufficienr only0.7 percentofrhem were lost in combar. Yeralrhough rhe"Jug" could our-dive
range to prorecr rhe vulnerable B-17 Flying Forrresses and B-24 Liberators as rhey any orher fighrer ar lowand medium a!rirudes, ircould nor march rhe rare ofclimb
venrured everdeeperinto enemy rerritory. or maneuverabiliryofrhe Bf109G and larer Bf109Kvarianr. Anorhershorrcoming
In lare 1942,as afirsr srep in providingthe"heavies"wirh much-neededsrraregic was insufficient range to permir deep penerrarion into Germany, and rhis was only
escorts, 200RepublicP-47CThunderbolrswereshipped to the UK.Alrhoughsome rectified wirh rhe introducrion ofprogressivelylargerwingdrop tanks.
believed rhe Lockheed P-38 Lighrning to be the bertersrrategicfighrer rhanks to irs P-47 pilorscameto rypifYrhemighrofrheEighrhAirForce'sfighrersrrengrh from
twin engines and longer range, demand for ir in other theaters meant rhar rhe thesummerof1943 rhrough tomid-1944,when rheP-51 assumed thecrownofking
Thunderbolr was rhe only modern fighrer available in sufficienrquantiry to serve as ofUSAAF fighrers in rhe ETO. Nonerheless, while rhe Musrang became rhe finesr
rhe principal inrerceptor for rheEighrhAir Force in rheshorr term. long-rangefighterofthewar, moreThunderbolrswerebuilrrhan anyorherUSfighrer.
ThreegroupsinVIIIFighrerCommandwereinitiallyequippedwithrheP-47,andthey Like rhe P-47, rhe Bf 109 was evenrually usurped as the besr pisron-engined
weredeclaredoperariona! inApril 1943.Thesegroupssubsequenclyenduredsome hard fighrer in Luftwaffe service, wirh rhe improved Fw 190 (radial and inline-engined
knocksatthehandsofbatcle-seasonedGermanfighterunirs,anddespiretheirbesrefforrs, versions) being seen as rhe better aircrafr as rhe war progressed. However, rhrough
Thunderbolrpilorswereiniriallyhandicappedbypoorracriesandcombarinexperience. sheer weighr ofnumbers, and hasry upgrades, rhe Bf 109G/K remained a deadly
One ofthe P-47's primary tormentors in 1943 was rhe Bf109G, which was rhe opponent in rhe hands ofcombar vererans. Unforrunarely for rhe Jagdwaffe, rhe
mosr-producedversionofrheMesserschmittfighrer. Havingseenfouryearsofcombar latter were in veryshorrsupply by rhe summer of1944, as so many ofirs Experten
in European skies, the German inrerceptor had been continually modified in order had fallen rrying to repel rhe overwhelmingAllied aerial onslaughr, at the hearr of
4 for it to remain a viable fighrer in rhe face ofgrowing Allied aerial opposirion. which was rheThunderbolr. 5
.
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Reichsluftfahrtministerium '
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frontline service.
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PZL P.24s destroy;ed . .
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JunkersJumo 21O-powered .
Air Force'P-47s
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- XP-47.B flies for a
runuflbyItspilotinfrontof mobilef
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maneuverable.
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EugeneRobertsonOctober20,1943.
fitted with aDaimler-Benz
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210Gaengineand wing-
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also enters series - -
However, the estimated performanceoftheAP-l0, designated theXP-47 (armed
with rwo 0.50-in. nose guns and four 0.30-in. machine guns in the wings) and
lightweightXP-47A (two nosegunsonly) by the USAAC, did notmeetwithofficial
approval. Karrveli therefore abandoned his inline-engined designs so that he could
concentrate all ofRepublic's resources on the development ofa radically different
fighter aircraft.
The most powerfulengine then availablewas the huge 2,000hp Pratt& Whitney
R-2800-21 DoubleWasp 18-cylinder two-row radial. Adapting this massive engine
to power afighter aircraft required a great feat ofengineering, but Karrveli and his
team knewthatwithoutit, theirdesign could notpossiblymeet theperformanceand
load-carrying demands required ofthe new fighter by the USAAC. A four-bladed
DESIGN AND 12ftdiameter propeller had to be used to harness the powercreated by the R-2800,
and Karrveli produced an efficient supercharging duct system that offered the least
interrupted airflow using the unorthodox methodofdesigning this feature first and
DEVELOPMENT
then buildingup the fuselage around it.
The engine's huge turbosupercharger was stowed internally in the rear fuselage,
with thelargeintakefor theairductmountedbeneath thepowerplant, togetherwith
the oil coolers. Exhaust gases were piped back separately from the engine to the
turbosupercharger and expelled through a waste gate in the bottom ofthe fuselage,
with ducted air fed to the centrifugal impeller and returned under pressure via an
intercooler to the engine.
Kartveli designed a telescopic landing gear that was nine inches shorter when
retracted thanwhenextendedsoas tomakeroomfor thewinginstallationofno fewer P-47C1Dsfromthe62ndFS/
P-47 THUNDERBOLT rhan eight 0.5-in. machine guns and their ammunition, which when fired imposed 56thFGformupinechelon
downformationforthe
immense loads and stresses on the aircraft that had to be taken into consideration.
benefitofthepresshuddled
In June 1940, the United StatesArmyAir Corps (USAAC) issued a requirement Last, but not least, thegreatquantities offuel necessary to power the 12,0861b beast
ina8-24duringaphotoflight
for new lightweight fighter designs, and among those manufacturers to respond required internal tanks to hold 307 US gallonsoffuel. overSuffolkonMay25,1943.
was the Republic Aviation Corporation ofFarmingdale, New York. Although a
relatively"new" company, Republichad inheritedvastexperienceinfighter design
from its predecessor, theSeverskyAircraftCorporation. Republic's chiefengineer,
Alexander Kartveli, who, like his former chief, Maj Alexander P. Seversky, was of
Russian extraction, had previously designed the P-35 to meet a 1935 USAAC
fighter requirement.
Republichad also received contracts in September 1939 for limited production
of the P-43 Lancer. This aircraft had good high-altitude performance, but it
was deemed to be inferior overall to European fighter types such as the Spi fire
and Bf109E.
Karrveli, meanwhile, had a new fighter project on the drawing board called the
AP-I0,whichwasarelativelylightweightmachinedesignedaroundaI,150hpAllison
V-Ill0-39 liquid-cooled V12 inline engine and armed with two 0.50-in. machine
guns in the nose. The Allison was more powerful and less expensive than the
air-cooledPratt& WhitneyR-1830 radialthathadpoweredtheSeverskypursuits,and
in 1939 the Curtiss XP-40, with its mechanically superchargedAllison V-lll0-19
8 inlineengine, had relegared theSeverskyfighters to also-rans. 9
OPPOSITE The XP-47B Thunderbolt prototype was larger than all previous fighters by a
AssignedtoleadingP-47 substantial margin. Indeed, it was more than twice the weight of most of irs
aceLtColFrancis"Gabby"
contemporaries, yet rhepowerful radial engineenabled ir to reach amaximumspeed
36ft175in
Gabreski,P-470-2542-26418
of412mphshordyafrer makingirs maiden flighr on May6, 1941.
wasoneofthefirst
"bubbletop"Thunderbolts Across rheAdantic, rheappearanceofanorher radial-enginedfighrer in rhe shape
issuedtothe56thFGinthe ofrhe BMW 801 powered Focke-WulfFw 190 over France jusr weeks earlier had
ETO.TheleadingP-47Bf109 caused alarm wirhin rhe ranks ofrhe RAE In European rerms, rhe P-47 and rhe
killer,Gabreskidownedat
Fw 190were unusual in concepr, as rhe majoriryoffighrer rypes in frondine service
leastfour"Gustavs"withthis
were powered by liquid-cooled inline engines. However, rhe Fw 190 in parricular
aircraftinJune-July1944,
takinghisfinalwartimetally ourperformed all exisring rypes by a wide margin, wirh irs compacr radial engine
ofaerialvictoriesto2B[11of rendering rhe Focke-Wulfespecially effecrive ar low airirude - a rrair rhar rhe P-47
thesewereBf109s].Gabreski
would also exhibironceir reached rheETO larerin rhewar.
hitthegroundin42-26418
While rhe Fw 190cememedirs repuration incombarborhon rhe ChannelFrom
whilststrafingHel11s
atBassenheimairfieldon and in rhe easr againsr rhe Soviet air force in rhe early momhs of1942, producrion
July20,1944,forcinghim difficulries and numerous rechnical problems hindered rhe developmem of rhe
tocrash-land.Hespentthe Thunderbolr. The firsr of171 P-47Bs lefr rhe Republic plam in Marchofrharyear,
restofthewarasaPOW.
burirwas nor umilJune rhar rhe 56rh FighrerGroup (FG) was issued wirh rhe firsr
examples to reach afrondine unir.
62ndFS/56thFGP-470-2
From Seprember 1942 producrion swirched to rhe P-47C, some 602 examples
42-22537wasphotographed
ataremotedispersalat evenrually being builL This variam differed from rhe B-model in having aslighdy
Halesworth,inSuffolk,in lengrhened (by 10.5in.) forward fuselage, a new engine mouming, changes to rhe
early1944.Thisaircraftwas rudderandelevatorbalancesysremto improveirsflighrcharacrerisricsandrheabiliry
theregularmountofBf109
to carry a 200-gal ventral drop-rank. The laner permined unirs equipped wirh rhe
killerMajLeroyA.Schreiber,
aircrafrinEngland (rhe56rhand78rhFGshadarrivedfrom rheUSinJanuary 1943,
whohadclaimed12victories
bythetimehewasshotdown joining rhe 4rh FG, which would swap irs Spirfire VBs for P-47Cs) (Q fly deep
andkilledbyflakonApril15, penerrarions into OccupiedEuropefromJuly 1943.
1944.Schreiberwascredited
TheP-47C-1 hadfixeddeflecrion plares fined between rheoilcoolershunersand
withthedestructionofeight
rhe exhausr wasre gares, improvemenrs made to irs elecrrical sysrem, undercarriage
Bf109s,5.5ofwhichwere
claimedinthisveryP-47. andbrakes,and rheaddirionofahydraulicflapequalizer.TheP-47C-2differedfrom
10 11
theC-l onlybybeingfittedwithametal-covered rudderandelevators.Allearly-build AnotherThunderboltwas in theair,and Ipulledalongside,signalingforaclimb. Ileft
P-47sleftthe factoryequippedwiththeMkVIII reflectorgunsight,aswellasasimple thatotherfighterbehindasifhewerestandingstill.TheJugsroodonhertailandhowled
ringandpostsight,asstandard.TheK-14gyroscopicgunsightwaseventuallyfactory her way inro the sky. Never again did an Fw 190 or Me 109 outclimb me in the
installed inThunderboltsfrom late 1944,although manyP-47sin theETO had had Thunderbolt.The newpropellerwaswonh 1,000hp,and thensome.
thesightfitted through base- ordepot-level modification.
Thefactory-installed rearviewmirrorabove thewindscreenframingwasgenerally According to Johnson's CO, the legendary 17.75-kill ace Col Hubert "Hub"
considered inadequate for a pilot to see behind him in combat, so P-47 units tried Zemke, the "wide blade propeller took a much bigger bite ofair and improved the
various mirrorarrangements. Itwas not uncommon for someofthe fighters to have fighter's rate ofclimb at low altitudes."The props, when combined with the newly
three mirrors, with additional ones fitted to the sides ofthe windscreen framing. introduced water injection equipment which boosted the engine's performance for
Others sported two large Spitfire-type mirrors fixed to the top ofthe windscreen shortintervals,gavetheP-47Dadramaticimprovementin its rateofclimbbyaround
framing. Plexiglas "bubble" panels originally supplied for better observation on 600ftper minute. "Wecould now top 30,000ftin about 13 minutes, insteadof20,"
bombers were also fitted in place ofthe side Plexiglas ofthe P-4Ts canopy. Such Zemke recalled.
modifications were rendered superfluous with the development ofthe "bubbletop" TheP-47D's top speedof433mphat30,000ftand its formidable performancein
P-47D in thespringof1944, however. thedivemadeitideal for flying topcoverforhigh-flyingB-17andB-24heavybomber
The P-47D-l, of which 114 were built from December 1942, was the first formations thateventually reached as far as Berlin from bases in eastern England.
Thunderboltmodelproducedatthecompany'snewEvansville,Indiana,plant.Itdiffered For the fighter-bomber role, the aircraft's "universal" wing and underbelly
little from previous models except for the standardization ofwater injection into the mountings permitted various combinations of up to 2,5001b of bombs, two
intakemanifoldtoproducemoreprolongedcombatpowerof2,300hpat27,000ft.Other 150-gal tanks and one 75-gal tank and, later, rocket projectiles in a tube cluster to
changes included additional armor protection for the pilot, fuel and oxygen system be carried. A full bombload meant that ammunition for each of the six or eight
upgrades and the exhaust ducting was again modified for improved reliability and 0.50-in. machinegunswas reduced from 425 to 267 rounds, buttheThunderbolt's
performance.The 114 P-47D-RAs from Evansvillewere identical toFarmingdale-built firepower remained undiminished.
P-47C-2-REs. P-47D-l-REsdiffered from earlierversions in havingan additional pair Duringstrafingattacks, theweightofthebombloadand drop-tanksadded to that
offlaps on the enginecowl to vastly improvecoolingofthe R-2800-21 engine, which oftheaircraft resulted inaterrificincreaseinspeedwhen the fighterwentintoadive.
P-47D-2844·19566ofthe
sufferedfrom cylinderheadoverheating. Itcould causeasurgeorvapor lock in the fuel lines, as the fuel pump was unable to
78thFGatDuxfordinD·Day
Paddle-bladedairscrewsofincreaseddiameterwerefittedtotheD-modelsasstandard, meetthe"g"loadsimposed,andanumberofP-47ssufferedenginefailureoverenemy markingsinlateJune1944.
and these helpedabsorb the full waremergency powerofthe R-2800-59 engine. One
ofthefirstpilotstoflyaP-47Dfittedwith broaderchordpropellersintheETO- inearly
1944- was 1LtRobertS.Johnsonofthe56thFG's61stFS,whowouldeventuallyclaim
27kills(nineofwhichwereBf109s) in theThunderbolt.Heprovideddetailsofhisfirst
flightinamodified P-47 in his postwarautobiography, THUNDERBOLT!:
NewYear's Day, and whata presenr we received. We Hew ro a mainrenance depot at
Warrisham ro have theThunderbolts modified. Ourengineeringofficerswere makinga
terrific fuss overanew propellerdesigned especiallyfor theThunderbolt.They insisted
that the fat paddle blades ofthe new propellers would bring a tremendous boost in
performance,asthei~lcreased bladeareawould permitthepropsro makethegreatestuse.
oftheThunderbolt's2,000 horsepower.Welistened ro theirenrhusiasticramblingswith
more than agrain ofsalt- and never were we more mistaken. What adifference the
bladesmadewhen1tookmymodifiedfighterupforthefirsttime. Itquiveredandbegan
to shake badly as ifpanially stalled.The next thing I knew Iwas in dive and wow!
Ihauled backon thestick, afraid that the engine would tear right outofthe mounrs.
WhatIdidn'trealizewasthatthenewpropellerwasmakingall thedifference.At8,000ft
I pulled theThunderbolr inro asteep climb. Normally, she'd zoom quickly and then
12 slowdown, rapidlyapproachingastall. BurnowtheJugsoated uplikeshe'dgonecrazy. 13
territory as a result ofthis problem. The P-47D-15 was the firstThunderbolt built Theone-piececlearcockpitcanopyprovided thepilotwithexcellentall roundvisibility,
with underwing pylons and fuel system plumbing within the wings to allow the and helpedcutdownthefatiguefrom necktwisting.Theonlydrawbackwasthattherear
aircraft to fly with expendable fuel tanks. Internal fuel capacitywas also boosted to fuselage cockpit fairing had been removed, affecting the directional stability ofthe
375-galandtheoverallbombloadincreasedto2,500Ib. Finally,thecanopywasmade aircraft.TheotherwelcomechangewiththeSuperboltwasanenlargedinternalfuel tank
completelyjettisonable too. providingan extra65 gallons.This allowed us to take the maximum advantageofour
The "razorback" P-47D was built in numerous sub-variants, ranging from the externaltanks, forwecould push muchfarther intoGermanyandstill beableto return
D-l up to the D-24, and these differed from one another in respect to their engine on internallyheld fuel.
specificationandwingweapon/plumbingfit.
Thefirstmajorstructuralchangeto theThunderboltcamewith productionofthe Bythe time productionoftheP-47Dended with the D-40-RA,whichfeatured a
P-47D-25 in late 1943. InJulyofthatyear, the lastD-5 builtwas givenacut-down dorsal fin (first installed as a retrofit in the field on the D-27) to cure instability
rearfuselageandaclear-viewbubblecanopysourcedfrom aBritishHawkerTyphoon. problems that had always afflicted the "bubbletop" Thunderbolt, some 12,602
Designated theXP-47K, the aircraft proved to beso popularwith test pilots that the D-models had been built - the largest production quantity ofone sub-type ofany
new "blown" Perspex canopy was immediately introduced to the Thundetbolt US fighter ever produced.
ThisP·47Mfromthe56thFG productionlinestartingwiththeP-47D-25-REatFarmingdaleandtheP-47D-26-RA The next P-47 variant to attain series production was the high-speed M-model,
wasstrippedofitspanelsand atEvansville. hastilybuilttocombattheVI flyingbomb threatin thesummerof1944.Theaircraft
putondisplayatBoxtedon
Priorto thephasingoutofproductionofthe"razorback"Thunderbolt,some3,962 wasessentiallyalate-buildP-47D fitted with amore powerfulR-2800-57(C) engine
August1,1945aspartofthe
D-modelshadbeenbuiltatFarmingdaleand 1,461 atEvansville. Fromthe"Dash25" thatboastedan upratedCH-5 turbosupercharger, thelatterhavingbeen trialed in the
USArmyAirForcesDay,which
sawthebaseopenitsgatesto onwards, the cwo plants produced2,547 and 4,632 D-models. By the time the first XP-47J- this machineattained504mphduringflight tests in 1944.TheP-47Mwas
theBritishpublic.Hundreds ofthese airctaft- unofficiallydubbed "Superbolts" byfrontline pilots- reached the also fittedwithairbrakes in thewings tohelp thepilotslowthebigfighterdownwhen
oflocalboysqueuedupto
ETO, aircraftwere beingdelivered to the USAAF unpainted.The 56thFG received trying to achieveafiring position behindaslowerenemyaircraft.
takeapeekintothecockpitof
itsfirst P-47D-25s in May 1944,and Col"Hub" Zemkewas an earlyrecipientas he Just 130 "sprint" P-47Ms were built, and thesewere used exclusively by the 56th
thebigfighter,parkedoutside
Boxted'sNO.1hangar. recalled inhis autobiography TheHUB- FighterLeader: FG from the late summer of 1944. Abnormally low cylinder head temperatures,
breakdownoftheignitionsystemsathighaltitudeandotherengineproblemsdogged
P-47Moperations, and thegroup enjoyedonly moderatesuccesswith the aircraft.
The final variant to attain production was the P-47N, which was significantly
different to the ubiquitous D-model. The aircraft was fitted with a new long-span
wing tailored to cope with the much-increased weightoftheThunderbolt- italso
containedfuel cellsfor theveryfirst time.Thewing,whichwas 18in.greaterinspan
and boasted 22 sq. ft ofextra area, incorporated larger ailerons and square-cut tips
that significantly increased the roll rate. The fighter's undercarriage was also
strengthened to meet the rise in weight by 750lb to 21,200Ib. Large orders were
placed for the aircraft, but Farmingdale had completed just 1,667 airframes and
Evansville 149 when contracts were canceled in December 1945 in the wake of
VE-andVJ-Days.
Itwas intendedthattheP-47Nwouldequip the56thFG, butthewarendedbefore
the"WolfPack"couldgetthemintocombat,andthe typewas usedexclusivelyin the
Pacific theater, where its extended range made the aircraft an excellent strategic
bomberescort.
P-47D/Ns remained in USAF servicefor anumberofyears after thewar, passing
toAir National Guard units before beingphased outofservice in 1955. By then all
survivingThunderbolts had been redesignated F-47D/Ns.
Altogether, 15,683examplesoftheThunderboltwere built.Although notashigh
a number as for the Bf109, Spitfire or Yak series offighters, this figure makes the
14 P-47 the most-producedAmerican fighter ofall time. 15
OPPOSITE Sf 109
ThisSf109G-5/ASwas
assignedtoleadingP-47killer
Undoubtedly the most famous German fighter ever, and built in greater numbers
HauptmannTheodor . .'. 29ft7tn.
Weissenbergerwhilsthe rhan anyotheraircraftexcept for the Ilyushin11-2, the MesserschmittBf109 fought
wasGruppenkommandeurof in theSpanish CivilWarandWorldWarII.Theaircraft'sorigins can be traced back
I./JG5,basedatGardelegen,
to the fledgling Luftwaffe'sdesire to modernizeitsfighter force in the early 1930s.
inGermany,inJune1944.
On July 6, 1933, the Reichsluftfahrrministerium (RLM), headed by Hermann
Wearingatextbooksetof
Kommandeur'smarkings Goring, issuedTactical Requirements for FighterAircraft (Land). This document
intheformof"doubleblack stated that the Luftwaffe needed asingle-seat daytime fighter armed with two fixed
chevrons"oneithersideofits machine guns (1,000 rounds) or one fixed cannon (100 rounds). It had to have a
fuselage,thiswasreportedly
radio for air-to-air and air-to-ground communication, as well as a safety harness,
theaircraftthatnewly
oxygen system, parachute, and heating for the pilot. The fighter had to be able to
appointedWeissenbergerflew
totheNormandyfrontshortly maintain a speed of400km/h for up to 20 minutes at 6,000m, possess at least an
aftertheAlliedinvasionof hour's flighr duration and take no longer than 17 minutes to reach this height. Its
June6,1944.Heusedthis
ultimateceilingwas to be 10,000m.
"Gustav"todownthemajority
Froma handling perspective, the aircraft had to becapableofdivingand turning
ofthe13P-47sheclaimed
destroyedinJune-July1944. withoutlosingalritude, and beeasily recoverablefrom aspin.Thefighter alsohad to
beoperablefrom theaverageGermanairfield,whichwas400mx400m insize, byan
average frontline pilot. It would also be required to fly in cloud and fog, and to
perform group (up to nine aircraft) take-offs and landings. Finally, the design must
besmall enough to enable it to be transported by rail.
Having already built fighters for the Luftwaffe, Arado, Heinkel and Focke-Wulf
were seen as front runners to win this lucrative conttact, and Messerschmitt, which
had no experience in designing fighters, wasseen as the rankoursider.Thecompany
had a long history ofaircraft construction, however, having taken over the Udet
Flugzeugbau in July 1926. Bayerische FlugzeugwerkeAG had merged with fellow
aircraft manufacturerMesserschmittFlugzeugbauatthis time, andcompanyfounder,
Dipl.-Ing.Willy Messerschmitt, assumed design controlwithin the new enterprise.
Its series offast sports aircraft from the late 1920s and early 1930s, boasting
low-set, cantileverwings, gave the RLM the confidence to instructMesserschmitt to
buildafour-seater touringaircraft tocompetein the 1934European FlyingContest.
The M 23 design by Willy Messerschmitt had won this prestigious international
competition in 1929 and 1930, and the new aircraft produced by the companywas
eventuallydesignated the Bf108.
Designwork0~1 theBf109commencedinsecretin March 1934at theBayerische
Flugzeugwerke AG facility jon Augsburg-Haunstetten, in Bavaria. Many f)atures
embodied in the Bf108 would find their way into the Bf109 prototype, including
flush-rivetedstressed-skinconsttuction,cantileveredmonoplanewings,equippedwith
Handley Page "slots" along the leading edges, and a narrow track undercarriage
attached to rhe fuselage and retractingoutwards intowells forward ofthemain spar.
Buoyed by thesuccess ofthe Bf108, Messerschmitt pressed on with the Bf109,
which incorporated all ofthe features previously mentioned. Aside from the wing
"slots," theaircraftalso had trailingedgeflaps, and the two combinedwith the flying
16 surfaces' smallsurfacearea (made possible by the growing powerofaero engines) to
17