How much action did the P-47N see and how did it perform?

[DAVIDICUS]

When did it become operational in the PTO?

How did it perform the air to air role?

How much action did it see?

 

[DAVIDICUS]

Anyone?


Anyone?


Bueller?



Bueller?

 

[cheddar cheese]

There is an account somewhere of a pilot who bacame in ace in one sortie with a P-47N, ill try find it for you.

 

[DAVIDICUS]

Thanks, my cheesy friend.

On an unrelated note, how is it that you are such a fan of Italian planes? I understand that you are neither Italian, nor live in Italy. I'm just curious.

 

[Anonymous]

A few P-47N's were flown by the 56th Fighter Group in Europe (alongside P-47M's), however the bulk flew in the PTO. There were evidently two P-47N Fighter Wings (3 FG's each), and they flew out of Ie Shima, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and briefly from Saipan. The following 318th, 413th, 414th, and 507th FG's were all equiped with P-47N's - there may have been more. The first 318th, 413th, and 507th were all part of the 301st Fighter Wing, 7th AF (which appears to have become the 8th around Aug/Sept 1945?), where the 414th was part of the 20th AF. So at least 4 FG's existed. Missions started being flown in May 1945 and continued to the last day of the war. IIRC something around 30,000 sorties were flown.

The Pedermo story can be read here:

http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/perdomo/perdomo.htm

Note that the "Oscars" were in fact really Franks (Ki-84's), and they were piloted by two of the most experianced Sentai's of the IJA.

It should also be noted that while Pedermo is famous as being the last "ace in a day" of WWII, and thus in history, Lt. Richard Anderson also became an ace in a day in the P-47N on May 25th 1945.

The 318th FG history (including a little 413 and 507 history) in the P-47N can be read here:

http://home.earthlink.net/~atdouble/~318thFighterGroup.IeShima.html

=S=

Lunatic

 

[DAVIDICUS]

Goof info. Thanks.

 

[cheddar cheese]

Thanks, my cheesy friend.

On an unrelated note, how is it that you are such a fan of Italian planes? I understand that you are neither Italian, nor live in Italy. I'm just curious.

Well, Italian planes have bucket loads more character than any other country. Most of them look absolutely fantastic, and they performed surprisingly well. Also Italy do everything brilliantly, and I just wish I lived there instead of crappy UK 8)

 

[DAVIDICUS]

I agree. At the point in time that Italy withdrew from the war in 1943, its 5 Series fighters were probably superior to the best fighters of Germany, the U.S. and Britain.

Lastly, if I lived in the U.K., I would probably rather live in Italy as well. My family comes from Moneglia which is a little south of Genoa on the coast.

 

[Jank]

How many saw combat in the Pacific? Would have been a flying terror to the Japs to be sure.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, at least four FG's flew the P-47N in the PTO. My guess would be something between 250 and 500 planes?

=S=

Lunatic

 

[Jank]

Were there more P-47 N than P-51 D in the Pacific?

 

[Anonymous]

Again, just a guess, but I'd think not. P-51's operated off the same bases that P-47N's operated from. The also operated from other bases, including bases in Burma and China.

It would be interesting to see actual unit deployment info from about March 1944 through the end of the war in the PTO.

=S=

Lunatic

 

[DAVIDICUS]

RG_Lunatic,

I just downloaded a Pilot Training Manual for the P-47N from that site you mentioned on another thread.

It had really astounding performance.