USAAF P-47 Thunderbolts c 1943 ...

[Mark Allen M]

Per request.


Ground personnel of the 78th Fighter Group refuel a P-47 Thunderbolt at Duxford, August 1943.


Lieutenant J.D. Brownof the 56th Fighter Group with his P-47 Thunderbolt nicknamed Windy, 29 May 1943.


Captain S.W. Burke of the 56th Fighter Group with his P-47 Thunderbolt.


Lieutenant-Colonel Hubert Zemke, commanding officer of the 56th Fighter Group with his P-47 Thunderbolt,26 April 1943.


P-47 Thunderbolt (UN-V, serial number 41-6325) of the 63rd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group prepares for take off at Horsham St. Faith, 16 March 1943.


A P-47 Thunderbolt (serial number 41-6209) of the 56th Fighter Group at Kings Cliffe, 11 March 1943.


A P-47 Thunderbolt (serial number 41-6209) of the 56th Fighter Group prepares to take at Kings Cliffe, 11 March 1943.


A P-47 Thunderbolt of the 56th Fighter Group prepares for take-off past an A-29 Hudson at Kings Cliffe, 11 March 1943.


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group line up for take off, 11 March 1943.


A P-47 Thunderbolt of the 353rd Fighter Group prepares for take off, 11 March 1943.


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group fly low, 26 April 1943.


A P-47 Thunderbolt (serial number 41-6264) of the 56th Fighter Group takes off, March 1943.


A P-47 Thunderbolt (serial number 41-5931) of the 56th Fighter Group in flight


A P-47 Thunderbolt (UN-C) of the 63rd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group in flight.


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group fly in formation, 11 March 1943.


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group fly in formation, 11 March 1943


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group fly in formation, 11 March 1943


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group escort a bomber during a mission.


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group peel off formation.


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group fly in formation, 11 March 1943


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group fly in formation over Kings Cliffe, 11 March 1943


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group fly in formation over Kings Cliffe, 11 March 1943


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group fly in formation over Kings Cliffe, 11 March 1943


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group fly in formation over Kings Cliffe, 11 March 1943.


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group fly in formation over Kings Cliffe, 11 March 1943


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group break formation over a B-17 Flying Fortress (LL-E) of the 401st Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group at Kings Cliffe, 11 March 1943.

[Mark Allen M]

56th Fighter Group.


A map of Boxted, home of the 56th Fighter Group.


Captain Francis S Gabreski of the 56th Fighter Group in the cockpit of his P-47 Thunderbolt.


Captain Gerald Johnson of the 56th Fighter Group in the cockpit of his P-47 Thunderbolt.


A P-47 Thunderbolt of the 56th Fighter Group takes off, March 1943.


A tractor pulls a P-47 Thunderbolt across the grass. This aircraft was flown by the 78th Fighter Group who were based at Duxford between April 1943 and October 1945. 15 May 1943.


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 62nd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, lined up on the grass at Horsham St. Faith. Passed for publication 10 May 1943


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group fly in formation, 10 March 1943.


Formation of P-47 Thunderbolts of the 4th Fighter Group in the air over Debden air base. Passed by the U.S. Army on 25 June 1943-2


Formation of P-47 Thunderbolts of the 4th Fighter Group in the air over Debden air base. Passed by the U.S. Army on 25 June 1943.


A formation of P-47 Thunderbolts of the 4th Fighter Group in flight over Debden air base with General Devers and his party looking on. Passed for publication 17 June 1943.


Colonel Francis S 'Gabby' Gabreski

[Chris Brame]

A P-47 Thunderbolt of the 56th Fighter Group prepares for take-off past an A-29 Hudson at Kings Cliffe, 11 March 1943.

Show this to Taigh. Then run.

[Mark Allen M]

I've got a feeling he won't be too upset

[4RG.I.'S]

Cool photos Mark, thanks again for posting all of this history!
So, pic #1, WTF with the belly of the plane?! If that were a Warner Bros. cartoon, one would be lead to believe the crew filling her up didn't stop when she was full and she just bloated from it...
But seriously, any ideas as to the shape? It looks really close to the ground!

[Mark Allen M]

Your mucho welcome ...


Another view of that bladder looking tank on a P-47 of the 83rd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group 28 August 1943

[lmritger]

That's two shots of the "babies" (the nickname for the 200 liter tanks) which I've never seen... thanks as always Mark, just terrific stuff!!! Also, I note you have one additional shot of 41-2609 which I hadn't previously seen either- I built a model of that ship back in 2007 for a magazine called "Model X" and traced it's loss along with it's pilot Robert Stover. Just as the issue was about to go to press, a fellow in the Netherlands named Dennis Notenboom contacted me to tell me they had just recovered the wreckage of that ship... what an incredible coincidence!

Cheers,

Lynn

[Mark Allen M]

A couple more of the crazy looking deals on 78th FG P-47's. So I'm guessing the scoop looking thing is for drag reduction?

[raconnel]

My guess it that it was to allow a clean separation when ejecting the tank.

Richard