�2003 John Eckhardt

The P-47 Thunderbolt, also known affectionately as the'Jug' was a most effective American fighter. Eight Browning machine guns made it pack quite a punch, even greater than the Mustang's.  Originally designed to be an American fighter and bomber escort, it adapted well to ground attack.  Its air-cooled engine and huge frame absorbed damage, and this brought it back from missions even if parts of the wings and tail had been knocked off.  It was first used in late 1943, as a bomber escort over Germany, thanks to its drop tanks.  Once the Luftwaffe was virtually eliminated, so was the need for the P-47s to escort the bombers.  This freed the planes to attack anything and everything on the ground in France that was German.  The P-47 shined in its new role as ground attack plane.

Once the pilot of a Thunderbolt was out of ammunition, and his squadron was still being attacked by German Me-109s.  He worked his way onto to the tail of one of the Messerschmitts, and once the German pilot had been convinced that the Thunderbolt had no bullets left, he flew straight and level.  The American pilot pushed the throttle slowly forward and ran his propeller into the tail of the Me-109.  The propeller survived, but the Gernan's plane had it tail chopped off!  Score one bulletless kill for the Americans!

This red tail is the mark of the 301st and 302nd squadrons, the first Black Army Air Corps units.  They were known as the the Tuskegee Airmen.  They were based in England and Italy.