Compared to its peer aircraft in the European theater, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was a brute. It was the heaviest “lightweight” single-seat fighter aircraft by at least 1.5 tons and lacked nearly all the aerial graces found in the British Spitfire, American Mustang (P-51), or German Würger (Focke-Wulf 190). It possessed just enough finesse to be airworthy and not a single rivet more. The P-47 has been described as a dinosaur, the hammer, the beast of the airways, the unbreakable, etc. I personally liken it to an ox; what it lacks in equine beauty it makes up for in sheer power and perseverance. The nickname that stuck in WWII was “Jug”, due to both its jug-like appearance as well as its juggernaut level of performance. When stood up on its blunt nose, the shape of the fuselage resembled a glass milk bottle and it was merciless, near unstoppable, when on the attack. Nicknames aside, the first step in aiding the Spitfire and Mustang against the Würger, was getting the Jug off the ground.
Comparison of the most popular fighter aircraft in the European theater.
The development concept for the P-47 was so simple even Tim “The Toolman” Taylor would have understood the assignment—make a 2000-horsepower engine, an armored cockpit, and eight .50-caliber machine guns fly… oh-ho-ho-ho-ho. The engine was a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 18-cylinder twin-row air-cooled radial piston engine. A translation for my fellow non-mechanically inclined people: phenomenal cosmic powers in an itty-bitty living space. It was selected specifically for its greater power compared to the Würger's engine and the U.S. believed a more powerful aircraft was vital to breaking the Luftwaffe.
The task of getting this monster engine airborne fell to the Republic Aviation Company and their chief aeronautical engineer, Alexander Kartvelishvili, who was Georgian born, French educated, and American immigrated. Much to my disappointment, he did not resemble Tim Taylor. And fortunately for the Allies, he exceeded even Al Borland’s intelligence level. Kartvelishvili designed an efficient fuselage around the P&W R-2800 and humorously called it “a dinosaur with good proportions.” His other genius design features included:
1) Telescoping struts for the landing gear. These decreased the gear's size/weight & increased its service life.
2) Pairing the engine with a turbosupercharger turbine... a very big word for air compressor. This could "turbo-normalize" the engine, which means it could automatically adjust air compression so that the engine didn't lose power as the air became thinner with altitude.
3) Separating the engine from the turbosupercharger turbine. Placing it in the rear of the aircraft increased survivability by making it harder to damage both components at the same time.
4) Staggering the wing-mounted machine guns to consolidate ammunition boxes. This eased the loading process, increased the rate of fire, and reduced the jamming risk.
Kartvelishvili’s first prototype flew in May 1941 and the Jug entered war service with the Eighth Air Force in November 1942.
Once the Jug was operating overseas, the Eighth Air Force had to figure out the best way to use it. It only had half the range of the Mustang and the Würger could out-climb and out-turn the Jug any day of the week. Jugs were initially used as close fighter escorts to protect bomber aircraft. But it quickly became apparent this role was best suited for the Mustang. As tactics and airpower doctrine developed during the war, the Allies realized the P-47’s decent diving speed and superior high-altitude performance (thanks to the air compressor thingy) made it ideal for stand-off overhead bomber escorts. In other words, the Jug would fly a good distance above the bomber, identify enemy aircraft, and then pounce by diving with guns blazing at 100 rounds per second. A Würger’s best chance of escape in this situation was to turn and abandon the mission or execute a steep climb to an altitude where more Jugs were often waiting and could out-perform them in the thinner air. If the Würger dove instead, it likely died.
The Jug’s hefty payload capacity—just shy of half a B-17 payload—made it versatile beyond escorting bombers. Before D-Day, it often conducted ground attacks on targets of opportunity with any of its remaining armaments during the return leg of an escort mission. More firepower was a distinct advantage over the Mustang, as was higher survivability in a flak-heavy environment. The Jug was notoriously die-hard. German pilots were surprised at how difficult it was to shoot down. German ace Heinz Bär once commented it "could absorb an astounding amount of lead and had to be handled very carefully.” Other Luftwaffe pilots expressed it was easier to down a well-armed heavy bomber (B-24, B-17, B-29) than a Jug.
Nose and wing damage.
An 8-inch flak hole in the propeller. 1.5 inches to the right or left would have downed the aircraft.
Flak damage to the right stabilizer.
Flak damage to the rear fuselage, precisely where the turbosupercharger turbine was located. A close call and the pilot knows it.
The P-47’s early performance with the Eighth Air Force led to placing it in a direct ground attack role as D-Day approached. By the time the Ninth Air Force shifted focus from the Mediterranean to northern Europe in October 1943, P-47 production had also hit its peak. The Allies began amassing personnel and equipment at astonishing rates in preparation for Operation OVERLORD (cue my grandfather’s arrival in the UK in January 1944). Once the Jug was present in significant numbers, it was increasingly used in a ground attack role, leaving the Mustang, with its stellar range, to continue escorting bombers. From D-Day preparation in early 1944 until V.E. Day, the Jug was used primarily to “soften” German fortifications, cripple German war industry, destroy the Luftwaffe wherever they could find it, and enable movement of Allied ground troops who encountered heavy fighting. The Jug was the rugged gunslinger the Allies needed to compliment the Mustang’s sleek workhorse capability. Together, Allied airpower broke the Luftwaffe to ensure air superiority on D-Day and drastically shortened the time it took to get to Berlin.
Fun closing fact: The Tuskegee Airmen piloted P-47’s in northern Africa, the Mediterranean, and northern Europe. Check out this awesome video by the Smithsonian to see some P-47's and first-rate pilots in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCNFNh2QL48
Happy Mother’s Day to all my momma readers! Tango Sierra out!
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