 | Thunderbolt!| Aviation Discuss Thunderbolt! in the World War II - Aviation forums; I just read Robert Johnson's book Thunderbolt!
A really good read. Great discriptions of combat. It's amazing how ... |
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05-28-2006, 10:20 PM
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#1 | | Junior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 12
Country:  | Thunderbolt!
I just read Robert Johnson's book Thunderbolt!
A really good read. Great discriptions of combat. It's amazing how they were able to mix it up with smaller Me-109's and Fw-190's in their larger Thunderbolts.
During one sortie, Johnson's aircraft took an amazing beating and still brought him back.
Did P-47's ever use napalm in the ETO? | 
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05-28-2006, 10:48 PM
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#2 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 8,301
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"Pilot to copilot..... what are those mountain goats doing up here in the clouds?" | |
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05-29-2006, 05:21 AM
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#3 | | Minister of Whoopass
Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi
Posts: 13,183
Country: | Yes they did, heres a vid clip of one dropping some..
__________________  "Boyington was a Drunk, but He was a Drunk We'd Follow Straight Into Hell..."
-- Lt. William Northrop Case | 
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05-29-2006, 05:42 AM
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#4 | | Der Crewchief
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 29,819
Country:  | Yeap sure did and good vid there.
__________________  US Army Blackhawk Crewchief 2000-2006 Classic ww2aircraft.net quotes: fly boy said: "isn't that the first jet bomber? becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles" "wait what ok who made the b-2 crash come on people that messed up its a b-2" "ah yes the mistel those things are so annoying is games and in real life" | |
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05-29-2006, 02:13 PM
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#5 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Redwood City
Posts: 223
| Nice vid. I thought they only used it in the PTO though. Are you sure that clip isn't from the PTO? | |
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05-29-2006, 02:30 PM
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#6 | | Der Crewchief
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 29,819
Country: | Actually it was used for the very first in WW2 against the Germans. On 17 July 1944 it was dropped by US bombers fuel depot at Coutances, near St. Lô, France.
I also used to think it was only used in the PTO until about a year ago. I learned other wise here on this forum.
__________________ US Army Blackhawk Crewchief 2000-2006 Classic ww2aircraft.net quotes: fly boy said: "isn't that the first jet bomber? becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles" "wait what ok who made the b-2 crash come on people that messed up its a b-2" "ah yes the mistel those things are so annoying is games and in real life" | |
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05-30-2006, 09:43 AM
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#7 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: City of the Angels California
Posts: 810
| Squeelig- look for books by Hub Zemke- "Zemke’s Wolfpack" and Gabby Gabreski- "A Fighter Pilot’s Life" to round off your P-47 combat info. Those and Thunderbolt paint a vivid picture of life with the 56th and several combats are described for each man's point ov view for an interesting picture of things.
As you have learned the Jug was an awesome machine that made no excuses and excelled in areas of performance no matter what the opponent was flying.
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05-30-2006, 02:51 PM
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#8 | | "Shooter"
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 12,728
Country: | Agreed Twitch, the Jug is a hell of an airplane!
__________________  http://www.vg-photo.com Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history of the free. Lt Col Honner DSO MC, 39th Commander speaking of the dead from the battle of Kokoda. | |
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06-01-2006, 12:40 AM
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#9 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Texas
Posts: 1,013
Country: | I wonder what luftwaffe pilots thought when they first saw it... "Heiliger Mist, diese Sache ist sehr groß!"
(love the free translator)
__________________ "I had ten rockets on board, and as I wasn't particularly fond of head-on attacks, I salvoed the whole lot at him. The rockets didn't hit him but but they must have scared the bejesus out of him, for he did a steep turn to starboard... I let him have the full blast, all eight fifty-calibers. I had never seen an aircraft completely disintegrate in the air the way this Me-110 did..."
Bill Dunn, 406th Fighter Group 
Matt | |
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06-01-2006, 03:03 AM
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#10 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country:  | i never trust online translators, for example putting that "german" into a translator it gave me Quote: |
Holy muck, this thing is much gro?lo?BES
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"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
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06-01-2006, 12:11 PM
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#11 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: City of the Angels California
Posts: 810
| One thing they said for sure when the P-47 performed some maneuver they didn't think was possible was "Scheissa!"
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06-05-2006, 02:09 PM
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#12 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Posts: 214
| What I thought was interesting from Robert Johnson's book is that he would have a climbing contest with a Spitfire. The early jugs couldn't beat them, but once they got their new paddle blade props (compared to the toothpick ones), he was able to outclimb a Spitfire. Didn't think it was possible.
Also, if I was in charge of the Air Force in post WWII, I would have kept the P-47N in service and retired the P-51. When it comes to ground support, most pilots would rather be in the Jug since it didn't have engine coolant.
I think they would have been more succesfull in Korea for that role. | |
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06-05-2006, 02:55 PM
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#13 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Praga Mater Urbium
Posts: 5,873
Country:  | Quote: |
Originally Posted by the lancaster kicks a5s i never trust online translators, for example putting that "german" into a translator it gave me Holy muck, this thing is much gro?lo?BES | ROFL LMFAO!!!! You killed me with that one!  | |
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06-05-2006, 02:57 PM
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#14 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Praga Mater Urbium
Posts: 5,873
Country: | Nice Jug pictures there VG.  | |
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06-05-2006, 06:11 PM
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#15 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 681
| Marshall, the USAAF data I have seen puts the climb rate of the P-47D with paddle blade and water injection at 3,200fpm. (Not bad for a 14,500lb aircraft and slightly better than an F4U-1) At about 12,000 feet, the climb is down to 3,000fpm. At 20,000 feet, she's down to 2,700 fpm.
No, that won't beat a spitfire. Not by a long shot. Perhaps he executed a zoom climb.
At any rate, the P-47's improved climb rate allowed it to stay on an axis fighter just long enough to bring its guns to bear. The paddle blade gave it a 400fpm boost which is not insignificant.
Think 6,000 rounds per minute coverging at 300 yards into a three or four foot circle. It doesn't take more than a fraction of a second to inflict serious damage on your opponent.
Last edited by Jank : 06-05-2006 at 06:35 PM.
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