This powerful aircraft was the definition of a reliable workhorse for the U.S. military.
Key point: The P-47 could hold its own with a wide variety of enemy aircraft. It was hard to kill and it carried a good amount of firepower.
Losses were high and morale low when the U.S. Eighth Air Force intensified its heavy bomber missions over Nazi-occupied Europe in late 1942.
This article first appeared earlier and is being reposted due to reader interest.
As the Americans persisted with their daylight offensive, complementing the Royal Air Force’s nightly raids, the air crews were eager and gallant, but misgivings mounted. The major threat came from the German fighter force, with its experienced pilots and rugged planes ready to maul the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator formations.