World War II Fighters: America’s Rugged P-47 Thunderbolt

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Nicknamed “The Jug” and exceptionally huge by World War II standards, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was the heaviest fighter of the conflict. Clocking in at eight tons when fully loaded in its ground attack role, and 10,000 pounds empty, it was 50 percent heavier than the P-51 Mustang, and nearly twice as heavy as the Spitfire. Notwithstanding its weight, the P-47 was fast, capable of matching the Mustang’s 440 m.p.h. top speed, with one late war variant reaching 473 miles per hour. However, it had shorter range, at 800 miles, than the Mustang’s nearly 1600 miles. Ironically, the P-47 had initially been conceived of as a light interceptor. Between proposal and prototype, requirements and minds changed, and what emerged instead was a heavy fighter.

“The Jug”

P-47 equipped with rockets for ground attack. Imgur

Republic Aviation’s initial designs for what eventually became the P-47 Thunderbolt had called for a small fighter with a liquid cooled engine. However, when the US Army Air Corps raised concerns, designers turned to an air-cooled, and exceptionally powerful for its day, engine. The powerful engine meant the plane no longer needed to be small, and so its size grew, resulting in a heavy fighter with a respectable range.

While the increased weight reduced the P-47’s rate of climb, that only mattered for an interceptor, and by 1943 when Thunderbolts first saw combat, there was no significant enemy bomber threat that urgently required a fighter with interceptor characteristics. Moreover, the extra weight had its own benefits. It increased the P-47’s durability, and made it faster in the dive – a great asset that enabled Thunderbolts to overtake fleeing enemy fighters, or to break off contact and flee themselves if necessary.

The Transition to Ground Attack

A historic black and white photograph of four Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter planes flying in formation against a cloudy sky. — Formation of Republic P-47s prowl for targets over Italy. Each is hauling two 500 pound bombs, and an external fuel tank. National Archives

The Thunderbolt was deployed to Europe in 1942, and saw its first combat in 1943. It was used primarily in bomber escort duties. It gained a reputation for ruggedness because of its robust airframe and air cooled radial engine. That allowed it to absorb significant combat damage, and still bring plane and pilot back home. The P-47 was gradually phased out from its bomber escort role as the longer ranged P-51 Mustangs began to arrive.

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The Thunderbolt then found a new niche as a ground attack fighter. It excelled in the new role, wreaking havoc on airfields, locomotives, and road traffic. Indeed, when fully loaded in its fighter-bomber configuration, a single P-47 could deliver about half the payload of a B-17 heavy bomber. And when equipped with rockets, a salvo from a P-47 was equivalent to a battery of 155 mm howitzers.

P-47 firing rockets — A Republic P-47D firing rockets. National Museum of the US Air Force

The Thunderbolt was the most used American fighter of the war, with nearly 16,000 manufactured. During its production run, improvements were made, with each modification adding to the P-47’s speed, power, range, and maneuverability. In the war’s final year and a half , P-47s comprised nearly half of all US fighters in groups posted overseas.

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All in all, Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolts flew over half a million sorties in the Second World War, during which they shot down about 4000 enemy airplanes from the skies and destroyed another 3000 on the ground. P-47 Thunderbolts are also credited with the destruction of 6000 enemy armored vehicles, 9000 locomotives, and 86,000 trucks.