China Burma India Theater - CBI - P-47 Thunderbolt photo gallery

 P-47 Thunderbolt lands on the recently captured field at Thabutkan Burma Feb 1945 NA191

Photo description: AIRBORNE RESERVES FOR THE BATTLE OF MEIKTILA - An unexpected arrival on the field at Thabutkan, Burma, was this Republic P-47 of the 1st Air Commando Group which landed a few minutes after the field vas opened. While on a close support mission a few miles away the planes oil line was shot out and the pilot had to make an emergency landing at Thabutkan. Only the nearness of the field to the target saved the pilot from having to bail out. If it had been a few hours earlier the field would not have been in any condition for him to make a landing. February 1945. (U.S. Air Force Number 72822AC)

Photo Source: National Archives Identifier NAID: 204969483 Local ID: 342-FH-3A37425-72822AC

 1st Air Commando Group P-47D Thunderbolts being armed with 500lb bombs in India 10th Feb 1945 NA447

Photo description: Five-Hundred Pound Bombs Are Delivered To Republic P-47'S At An Airbase In India. 1Sy Air Commando Group, 10 February 1945. (U.S. Air Force Number 72730AC) NAID: 204959207 Local ID: 342-FH-3A33917-72730AC

Photo Source: National Archives Identifier NAID: 204959207 Local ID: 342-FH-3A33917-72730AC

China Burma India - Theater Operations - 10AF

P-51 Mustang photo gallery header

USAAF 10th Air Force emblem

1st Air Commando Group

1st Air Commando Group

Constituted as 1st Air Commando Group on 25 Mar 1944 and activated in India on 29 Mar. The group, which began operations immediately, was organized to provide fighter cover, bombardment striking power, and air transportation services for Wingate's Raiders, who were operating behind enemy lines in Burma. The organization consisted of a headquarters plus the following sections: bomber (equipped with B-25's); fighter (P-51's); light-plane (L-1's, L-5's, and helicopters) transport (C-47's); glider (CG-4A's and TG-5's); and light-cargo (UC-64's). The group supported operations in Burma by landing and dropping troops, food, and equipment; evacuating casualties; and attacking airfields and transportation facilities. Received a DUC for operations against the enemy, Mar-May 1944. Withdrew from the front late in May 1944 and, with the bomber section eliminated and the P-51's replaced by P-47's, began a training program. Reorganized later, with the sections being eliminated and with fighter, liaison, and troop carrier squadrons being assigned. Transported Chinese troops and supplies from Burma to China in Dec 1944, and carried out supply, evacuation, and liaison operations for Allied troops in Burma until the end of the war. Attacked bridges, railroads, barges, troop positions, oil wells, and airfields in Burma and escorted bombers to Rangoon and other targets during the early months of 1945. Changed from P-47's to P-51's in May 1945, the fighter squadrons being engaged in training from then until the end of the war. Moved to the US in Oct 1945. Inactivated on 3 Nov 1945. Disbanded on 8 Oct 1948.

Squadrons. 5th Fighter: 1944-1945. 6th Fighter: 1944-1945. 164th Liaison: 1944-1945. 165th Liaison: 1944-1945. 166th Liaison: 1944-1945. 319th Troop Carrier: 1944-1945.

Stations. Hailakandi, India, 29 Mar 1944; Asansol, India, 20 May 1944-6 Oct 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 1-3 Nov 1945.

Commanders. Col Philip G Cochran, 29 Mar 1944; Col Clinton B Gaty, 20 May 1944; Col Robert W Hall, c. 7 Apr 1945-unkn.

Campaigns. India-Burma; Central Burma.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Burma and India, [Mar 1944]-20 May 1944.

Insigne. None.

P-51 Mustang photo gallery header

311th Fighter Group

Constituted as 311th Bombardment Group (Light) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 2 Mar 1942. Redesignated 311th Bombardment Group (Dive) in Jul 1942, 311th Fighter-Bomber Group in Sep 1943, and 311th Fighter Group in May 1944. Trained with V-72 aircraft. Moved to India, via Australia, Jul-Sep 1943. Assigned to Tenth AF. Operating from India and using A-36's and P-51's, the group supported Allied ground forces in northern Burma; covered bombers that attacked Rangoon, Insein, and other targets; bombed enemy airfields at Myitkyina and Bhamo; and conducted patrol and reconnaissance missions to help protect transport planes that flew the Hump route between India and China. Moved to Burma in Jul 1944 and continued to support ground forces, including Merrill's Marauders; also flew numerous sweeps over enemy airfields in central and southern Burma. Moved to China in Aug 1944 and assigned to Fourteenth AF. Escorted bombers, flew interception missions, struck the enemy's communications, and supported ground operations, serving in combat until the end of the war. Ferried P-51's from India for Chinese Air Force in Nov 1945. Returned to the US in Dec 1945. Inactivated on 6 Jan 1946.

Redesignated 101st Fighter Group. Allotted to ANG (Maine) on 24 May 1946. Extended federal recognition on 4 Apr 1947. Ordered to active service on 1 Feb 1951. Assigned to Air Defense Command. Redesignated 101st Fighter-Interceptor Group in Feb 1951. Inactivated on 6 Feb 1952. Relieved from active service, returned to ANG (Maine), and activated, on 1 Nov 1952. ANG allotment changed in 1954 (withdrawn from Maine on 30 Apr and allotted to Vt on 1 Jun). Extended federal recognition on 1 Jun 1954.

Squadrons. 136th: 1951-1952. 385th: 1942-1943. 528th (formerly 382nd, later 132nd): 1942-1946; 1951-1952. 529th (formerly 383rd, later 133rd): 1942-1946; 1951-1952. 530th (formerly 384th, later 134th): 1942-1946; 1951-1952.

Stations. Will Rogers Field, Okla, 2 Mar 1942; Hunter Field, Ga, 4 Jul 1942; Waycross, Ga, 22 Oct 1942-18 Jul 1943; Nawadih, India, 14 Sep 1943; Dinjan, India, 11 Oct 1943; Tingkawk Sakan, Burma, 6 Jul 1944; Pungchacheng, China, 28 Aug 1944-14 Dec 1945; Ft Lawton, Wash, 5-6 Jan 1946. Dow AFB, Maine, 1 Feb 1951; Grenier AFB, NH, 23 Apr 1951; Larson AFB, Wash, 2 Aug 1951-6 Feb 1952.

Commanders. Lt Col Clinton U True, 1942; Lt Col John R Kelly, 10 Aug 1942; Col Harry R Melton Jr, 26 Nov 1942; Col Charles G Chandler Jr, 25 Nov 1943; Col John S Chennault, 12 Feb 1945; Col Gabriel P Disosway, 24 May 1945; Col Allen R Springer, 5 Aug 1945-unkn. Col George Labreche, 1951-1952.

Campaigns. American Theater; India-Burma; China Defensive; China Offensive.

Decorations. None.

Insigne Shield: Or a tornado issuant from base throughout azure, a demi-Indian issuant from chief proper, with war bonnet of the like and shooting from a bow sable a drop bomb gules. Motto: Fulminat - It (He) Strikes as Lightning. (Approved 13 Nov 1942.)

USAAF 10th Air Force emblem

China Burma India Theater (CBI)

China Burma India Theater (CBI) covered the following locations: China, Burma, India (also Thailand, French Indochina).

China Burma India Theater (CBI) was the United States military designation during World War II for the China and Southeast Asian or India–Burma (IBT) theaters. Operational command of Allied forces (including U.S. forces) in the CBI was officially the responsibility of the Supreme Commanders for South East Asia or China. However, US forces in practice were usually overseen by General Joseph Stilwell, the Deputy Allied Commander in China; the term 'CBI' was significant in logistical, material and personnel matters; it was and is commonly used within the US for these theaters.

U.S. and Chinese fighting forces in the CBI included the Chinese Expeditionary Force, the Flying Tigers,[1] transport and bomber units flying the Hump, including the Tenth Air Force, the 1st Air Commando Group, the engineers who built the Ledo Road, the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), popularly known as 'Merrill's Marauders', and the 5332d Brigade, Provisional or 'Mars Task Force', which assumed the Marauders' mission.

U.S. strategy for China

Japanese policy towards China had long been a source of international controversy. Western powers had exploited China through the open door policy, advocated by United States diplomat William Woodville Rockhill, while Japan intervened more directly, creating the puppet-state of Manchukuo. By 1937, Japan was engaged in a full-scale war of conquest in China. The infamous Rape of Nanking galvanized Western opinion and led to direct financial aid for the Kuomintang (Nationalists) and increasing economic sanctions against Japan.

In 1941, the U.S. made a series of decisions to support China in its war with Japan: Lend Lease supplies were provided after President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the defense of China to be vital to the defense of the United States. Over the summer, as Japan moved south into French Indo-China, the U.S., Britain and the Netherlands instituted an oil embargo on Japan, cutting off 90% of its supplies. The embargo threatened the operations of the Kwantung Army, which had over a million soldiers deployed in China. Japan responded with a tightly co-ordinated offensive on 7/8 December, simultaneously attacking Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, Malaya, Singapore, Hong Kong, Guam, Wake Island, and Thailand.

Japan cut off Allied supplies to China that had been coming through Burma. China could be supplied only by flying over the Himalaya mountains ('The Hump') from India,[2] or capturing territory in Burma and building a new road—the Ledo Road.[3][4]

Burma

In 1941 and 1942, Japan was overextended. Its naval base could not defend its conquests, and its industrial base could not strengthen its navy. To cut off China from Allied aid, it went into Burma and captured Rangoon on 8 March 1942, cutting off the Burma Road. Moving north, the Japanese took Tounggoo and captured Lashio in northern Burma on 29 April. The British, primarily concerned with India, looked to Burma as the main theater of action against Japan and wanted Chinese troops to fight there.[5] The United States conjured up visions of millions of Chinese soldiers who would hold the Japanese then throw them back, while providing close-in airbases for a systematic firebombing of Japanese cities. Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek realized it was all fantasy. On the other hand, there were vast sums of American dollars available if he collaborated. He did so and managed to feed his starving soldiers, but they were so poorly equipped and led that offensive operations against the Japanese in China were impossible. However, Chiang did release two Chinese armies for action in Burma under Stilwell. Due to conflicts between Chiang, the British, Stilwell, and American General Claire Chennault, as well as general ill-preparedness against the more proficient Japanese army, the Burma defense collapsed. Stilwell escaped to India, but the recovery of Burma and construction of the Ledo Road to supply China became a new obsession for him.[6][7]

'On April 14, 1942, William Donovan, as Coordinator of Information (forerunner of the Office of Strategic Services), activated Detachment 101 for action behind enemy lines in Burma. The first unit of its kind, the Detachment was charged with gathering intelligence, harassing the Japanese through guerrilla actions, identifying targets for the Army Air Force to bomb, and rescuing downed Allied airmen. Because Detachment 101 was never larger than a few hundred Americans, it relied on support from various tribal groups in Burma. In particular, the vigorously anti-Japanese Kachin people were vital to the unit's success.'[8]

Detachment 101's efforts opened the way for Stilwell's Chinese forces, Wingate's Raiders, Merrill's Marauders, and the counter-attack against the Japanese Imperial life-line.[9]

Allied command structure

U.S. and Allied land forces

US forces in the CBI were grouped together for administrative purposes under the command of General Joseph 'Vinegar Joe' Stilwell. However, unlike other combat theaters, for example the European Theater of Operations, the CBI was never a 'theater of operations' and did not have an overall operational command structure. Initially U.S. land units were split between those who came under the operational command of the India Command under General Sir Archibald Wavell, as the Commander-in-Chief in India, and those in China, which (technically at least) were commanded by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek,[10] as the Supreme Allied Commander in China. However, Stilwell often broke the chain of command and communicated directly with the US Joint Chiefs of Staff on operational matters. This continued after the formation of the South East Asia Command (SEAC) and the appointment of Admiral Lord Mountbatten as Supreme Allied Commander.

When joint allied command was agreed upon, it was decided that the senior position should be held by a member of the British military because the British dominated Allied operations on the South-East Asian Theatre by weight of numbers (in much the same way as the US did in the Pacific Theater of Operations). Admiral Lord Mountbatten was appointed as the Supreme Allied Commander of South-East Asia forces in October 1943.

Gen. Stilwell, who also had operational command of the Northern Combat Area Command (NCAC), a US-Chinese formation, was to report in theory to Gen. George Giffard – commander of Eleventh Army Group – so that NCAC and the British Fourteenth Army, under the command of General William Slim, could be co-ordinated. However, in practice, Gen. Stilwell never agreed to this arrangement. Stilwell was able to do this because of his multiple positions within complex command structures, including especially his simultaneous positions of Deputy Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia, and Chief of Staff to Chinese leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. As SEAC's deputy leader, Stilwell was Giffard's superior, but as operational commander of NCAC, Giffard was Stilwell's superior. As the two men did not get on, this inevitably lead to conflict and confusion.

Stilwell, however, bitterly resisted [taking orders from Giffard] ... To watch Stilwell, when hard pressed, shift his opposition from one of the several strong-points he held by virtue of his numerous Allied, American and Chinese offices, to another was a lesson in mobile offensive-defence.
— William Slim[11]

Eventually at a SEAC meeting to sort out the chain of command for NCAC, Stilwell astonished everyone by saying 'I am prepared to come under General Slim's operational control until I get to Kamaing'.[11] Although far from ideal, this compromise was accepted.[11]

Although Stilwell was the control and co-ordinating point for all command activity in the theater, his assumption of personal direction of the advance of the Chinese Ledo forces into north Burma in late 1943 meant that he was often out of touch with both his own headquarters and with the overall situation.[10]

Not until late 1944, after Stilwell was recalled to Washington, was the chain of command clarified. His overall role, and the CBI command, was then split among three people: Lt Gen. Raymond Wheeler became Deputy Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia; Major-General Albert Wedemeyer became Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-shek, and commander of US Forces, China Theater (USFCT). Lt Gen. Daniel Sultan was promoted, from deputy commander of CBI to commander of US Forces, India–Burma Theater (USFIBT) and commander of the NCAC. The 11th Army Group was redesignated Allied Land Forces South East Asia (ALFSEA), and NCAC was decisively placed under this formation. However, by the time the last phase of the Burma Campaign began in earnest, NCAC had become irrelevant, and it was dissolved in early 1945.

U.S. Army and Allied Air Forces

After consultation among the Allied governments, Air Command South-East Asia was formed in November 1943 to control all Allied air forces in the theater, with Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Peirse as Commander-in-Chief.[12] Under Peirse's deputy, USAAF Major General George E. Stratemeyer, Eastern Air Command (EAC) was organized in 1943 to control Allied air operations in Burma, with headquarters in Calcutta.[13] Unlike the strained relations and confusion encountered in coordinating Allied ground force commands, air force operations in the CBI proceeded relatively smoothly. Relations improved even further after new U.S. military aid began arriving, together with capable USAAF officers such as Brigadier General William D. Old of CGI Troop Carrier Command, and Colonels Philip Cochran and John R. Alison of the 1st Air Commando Group.[14] Within Eastern Air Command, Air Marshal Sir John Baldwin commanded the Third Tactical Air Force, originally formed to provide close air support to the Fourteenth Army. Baldwin was later succeeded by Air Marshal Sir Alec Coryton. U.S. Brigadier-General Howard C. Davidson and later Air Commodore F. J. W. Mellersh commanded the Strategic Air Force. In the new command, various units of the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Tenth Air Force worked side-by-side. In the autumn of 1943 SEAAC had 48 RAF and 17 USAAF squadrons; by the following May, the figures had risen to 64 and 28, respectively.[13]

At Eastern Air Command, Gen. Stratemeyer had a status comparable to that of Stilwell.[15] Coordinating the efforts of the various allied air components while maintaining relations with diverse command structures proved a daunting task. Part of Stratemeyer's command, the Tenth Air Force, had been integrated with the RAF Third Tactical Air Force in India in December 1943 and was tasked with a number of roles in support of a variety of allied forces. Another component, the US Fourteenth Air Force in China, was under the jurisdiction of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek as China theater commander. Although the India-China Division of the AAF's Air Transport Command received its tonnage allocations from Stratemeyer as Stilwell's deputy, ICD reported directly to Headquarters ATC in Washington, D.C.

In the spring of 1944, with the arrival of command B-29s in the theater, another factor would be added to air force operations. XX Bomber Command of the Twentieth Air Force was tasked with the strategic bombing of Japan under Operation Matterhorn, and reported directly to the JCS in Washington, D.C. However, XX Bomber Command remained totally dependent on Eastern Air Command for supplies, bases, ground staff, and infrastructure support.

After a period of reshuffling, Eastern Air Command's air operations began to show results. In August 1944, Admiral Mountbatten noted in a press conference that EAC fighter missions had practically swept the Japanese air force from Burmese skies. Between the formation of SEAAC in November 1943, and the middle of August 1944, American and British forces operating in Burma destroyed or damaged more than 700 Japanese aircraft with a further 100 aircraft probably destroyed.[16] This achievement considerably reduced dangers to Air Transport Command cargo planes flying in support of the Hump airlift operation. By May 1944, EAC resupply missions in support of the Allied ground offensive had carried 70,000 tons of supplies and transported a total of 93,000 men, including 25,500 casualties evacuated from the battle areas. These figures did not include tonnage flown in the Hump airlift missions to China.[16]

USAAF Order of Battle

USAAF 10th Air Force emblem

Tenth Air Force

  • 1st Air Commando Group (1944–1945)
    Burma, India (B-25, P-51, P-47, C-47)
  • 1st Combat Cargo Group (1944–1945)
    Burma, India, China (C-47, C-46).
  • 2nd Air Commando Group (1944–1945)
    Burma, India (P-51, C-47)
  • 3d Combat Cargo Group (1944–1945)
    Burma, India (C-47).
  • 4th Combat Cargo Group (1944–1945)
    Burma, India (C-47, C-46).
  • 7th Bombardment Group (1942–1945)
    India (B-17, B-24).
  • 12th Bombardment Group (1944–1945)
    India (B-25).
  • 33d Fighter Group (1944–1945)
    India (P-38, P-47)
  • 80th Fighter Group (1943–1945)
    India, Burma (P-38, P-40, P-47)

Transferred in 1944 to Fourteenth Air Force:

  • 311th Fighter Group (1943–1944)
    India, Burma (A-36, P-51)
  • 341st Bombardment Group (1943–1944)
    India, Burma (B-25)
  • 443d Troop Carrier Group (1944–1945)
    India (C-47/C-53)
  • 426th Night Fighter Squadron (1944)
    India (P-61)
  • 427th Night Fighter Squadron (1944)
    India (P-61)

USAAF 14th Air Force emblem

Fourteenth Air Force

  • 68th Composite Wing
    • 23d Fighter Group (1942–1945) (P-40, P-51)
      Formerly American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers".
  • 69th Composite Wing
    • 51st Fighter Group: 1942–1945 (P-40, P-38, P-51).
    • 341st Bombardment Group 1944–1945 (B-25).
  • 312th Fighter Wing
    • 33rd Fighter Group: 1944 (P-38, P-47).
    • 81st Fighter Group: 1944–1945 (P-40, P-47).
    • 311th Fighter Group: 1944–1945 (A-36, P-51).
  • Chinese-American Composite Wing (Provisional) (1943–1945)
    • 3rd Fighter Group (Provisional) (P-40, P-51)
    • 5th Fighter Group (Provisional) (P-40, P-51)
    • 1st Bombardment Group (Medium, Provisional) (B-25)
  • Other assigned units:

    • 402d Fighter Group:
      May – July 1943. Assigned but never equipped.
    • 476th Fighter Group:
      May – July 1943. Assigned but never equipped.
    • 308th Bombardment Group:(B-24)
      March 1943 – February 1945

    From Tenth Air Force in 1944–1945:

    • 341st Bombardment Group: (B-25)
      January 1944 – November 1945
    • 443d Troop Carrier Group: (C-47/C-54)
      Aug – November 1945
    • 426th Night Fighter Squadron: P-61)
      1944 – 1945
    • 427th Night Fighter Squadron: (P-61)
      1944 – 1945

    USAAF 20th Air Force emblem

    Twentieth Air Force
    (Attached To CBI 1944–1945)

    • XX Bomber Command (1944–45)
      (Kharagpur, India)
      • 1st Photo Squadron
      • 58th Bombardment Wing
        (Chakulia, Kharagpur, Hijli AB, India) (B-29)
        • 40th Bombardment Group
        • 444th Bombardment Group
        • 462d Bombardment Group
        • 468th Bombardment Group

    Twentieth Air Force XX Bomber Command (XX BC) combat elements moved in the summer of 1944 from the United States to India where they engaged in very-long-range Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombardment operations against Japan, Formosa, China, Indochina and Burma. While in India, XX BC was supported logistically by Tenth Air Force and the India-China Division of the Air Transport Command. B-29 groups moved to West Field, Tinian, in early 1945.

    Timeline

    Early 1942 Stilwell was promoted to lieutenant general and tasked with establishing the CBI.

    25 February 1942 Stilwell arrived in India by which time Singapore and Burma had both been invaded by the Japanese Army.

    10 March 1942 Stilwell is named Chief of Staff of Allied armies in the Chinese theatre of operations.

    19 March 1942 Stilwell's command in China is extended to include the Chinese 5th and 6th Armies operating in Burma after Chiang Kai-shek gave his permission.

    20 March 1942 Chinese troops under Stilwell engage Japanese forces along the Sittang River in Burma.

    9 April 1942 Claire Chennault inducted into U.S. Army as a colonel, bringing the AVG Flying Tigers squadrons under Stilwell's nominal authority.

    16 April 1942 7,000 British soldiers, and 500 prisoners and civilians were encircled by the Japanese 33rd Division at Yenangyaung.

    19 April 1942 The 113th Regiment of the Chinese Expeditionary Force's New 38th Division led by General Sun Li-jen attacked and defeated the encircling Japanese troops rescuing the encircled British troops and civilians. This is historically called Battle of Yenangyaung.

    2 May 1942 The commander of Allied forces in Burma, General Harold Alexander, ordered a general retreat to India. Stilwell left his Chinese troops and began the long evacuation with his personal staff (he called it a 'walk out') to India. Most of the Chinese troops, who were supposed to be under Stilwell's command, were deserted in Burma without knowledge of the retreat. Under Chiang Kai-shek they made a hasty and disorganised retreat to India. Some of them tried to return to Yunnan through remote mountainous forests and out of these, at least half died.

    24 May 1942 Stilwell arrived in Delhi.

    New Delhi and Ramgarh became the main training centre for Chinese troops in India. Chiang Kai-shek gave Stilwell command of what was left of the 22nd and 38th Divisions of the Chinese Army. 1 December 1942 British General Sir Archibald Wavell, as Allied Supreme Commander South East Asia, agreed with Stilwell to make the Ledo Road an American operation.[17] August 1943 US creates a jungle commando unit, similar to the Chindits, to be commanded by Major General Frank Merrill; it is informally called 'Merrill's Marauders'.[18] Exhaustion and disease led to the early evacuation of many Chinese and American troops before the coming assault on Myitkyina.[19]

    21 December Stilwell assumed direct control of operations to capture Myitkyina, having built up forces for an offensive in Northern Burma.

    24 February 1944 Merrill's Marauders, attacked the Japanese 18th Division in Burma. This action enabled Stilwell to gain control of the Hakawing Valley.

    17 May 1944 British general Slim in command of the Burma Campaign handed control of the Chindits to Stilwell.

    17 May 1944 Chinese troops, with the help of Merrill's Marauders, captured Myitkina airfield.

    3 August 1944 Myitkina fell to the Allies. The Marauders had advanced 750 miles and fought in five major engagements and 32 skirmishes with the Japanese Army. They lost 700 men, only 1,300 Marauders reached their objective and of these, 679 had to be hospitalized. This included General Merrill who had suffered a second-heart attack before going down with malaria.

    Some time before 27 August 1944, Mountbatten supreme allied commander (SEAC) ordered General Stilwell to evacuate all the wounded Chindits.

    During 1944 the Japanese in Operation Ichi-Go overran US air bases in eastern China. Chiang Kai-shek blamed Stilwell for the Japanese success, and pressed the US high command to recall him. October 1944 Roosevelt recalled Stilwell, whose role was split (as was the CBI): Lieutenant General Raymond Wheeler became Deputy Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia. Major General Albert Wedemeyer became Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-shek and commander of the U.S. Forces, China Theater (USFCT).[20] Lieutenant General Daniel Sultan was promoted from deputy commander to become commander of US Forces India-Burma Theater (USFIBT) and commander of the Northern Combat Area Command

    12 January 1945, the first convoy over the Ledo Road of 113 vehicles led by General Pick from Ledo reached Kunming, China on 4 February 1945. Over the next seven months 35,000 tons of supplies in 5,000 vehicles were carried along it.[5]

    Operational history

    Operational history

    US service

    By the end of 1942, P-47Cs were sent to England for combat operations. The initial Thunderbolt flyers, 56th Fighter Group, was sent overseas to join the 8th Air Force. As the P-47 Thunderbolt worked up to operational status, it gained a nickname: the "Jug" (because its profile was similar to that of a common milk jug of the time).[Note 4] Two Fighter Groups already stationed in England began introducing the Jugs in January 1943: the Spitfire-flying 4th Fighter Group, a unit built around a core of experienced American pilots who had flown in the RAF Eagle Squadrons prior to the US entry in the war; and the 78th Fighter Group, formerly flying P-38 Lightnings.

    Beginning in January 1943, Thunderbolt fighters were sent to the joint Army Air Forces - civilian Millville Airport in Millville, New Jersey in order to train civilian and military pilots.

    The first P-47 combat mission took place 10 March 1943 when the 4th FG took their aircraft on a fighter sweep over France. The mission was a failure due to radio malfunctions. All P-47s were refitted with British radios, and missions resumed 8 April. The first P-47 air combat took place 15 April with Major Don Blakeslee of the 4th FG scoring the Thunderbolt's first air victory (against a Focke-Wulf Fw 190).

    By mid-1943, the Jug was also in service with the 12th Air Force in Italy[13] and against the Japanese in the Pacific, with the 348th Fighter Group flying missions out of Port Moresby, New Guinea. By 1944, the Thunderbolt was in combat with the USAAF in all its operational theaters except Alaska.

    Luftwaffe ace Heinz Bär said that the P-47 "could absorb an astounding amount of lead [from shooting at it] and had to be handled very carefully".[14]

    Although the North American P-51 Mustang replaced the P-47 in the long-range escort role in Europe, the Thunderbolt still ended the war with 3,752 air-to-air kills claimed in over 746,000 sorties of all types, at the cost of 3,499 P-47s to all causes in combat.[15] By the end of the war, the 56th FG was the only 8th Air Force unit still flying the P-47, by preference, instead of the P-51. The unit claimed 677.5 air victories and 311 ground kills, at the cost of 128 aircraft.[16] Lieutenant Colonel Francis S. Gabreski scored 28 victories,[17] Captain Robert S. Johnson scored 27 (with one unconfirmed probable kill leading to some giving his tally as 28),[18] and 56th FG Commanding Officer Colonel Hubert Zemke scored 17.75 kills.[Note 5] Despite being the sole remaining P-47 group in the 8th Air Force, the 56th FG remained its top-scoring group in aerial victories throughout the war.

    With increases in fuel capacity as the type was refined, the range of escort missions over Europe steadily increased until the P-47 was able to accompany bombers in raids all the way into Germany. On the way back from the raids, pilots shot up ground targets of opportunity, and also used belly shackles to carry bombs on short-range missions, which led to the realization that the P-47 could perform a dual-function on escort missions as a fighter-bomber. Even with its complicated turbosupercharger system, its sturdy airframe and tough radial engine could absorb a lot of damage and still return home.

    The P-47 gradually became the USAAF's primary fighter-bomber, by late 1943, early versions of the P-47D carrying 500 lb (230 kg) bombs underneath their bellies, mid production versions of the P-47D could carry 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs and M8 4.5 in (115 mm) rockets under their wings or from the last version of the P-47D in 1944, 5 in (130 mm) High velocity aircraft rockets (HVARs, also known as "Holy Moses"). From D-Day until VE day, Thunderbolt pilots claimed to have destroyed 86,000 railroad cars, 9,000 locomotives, 6,000 armored fighting vehicles, and 68,000 trucks.[20] During Operation Cobra, in the vicinity of Roncey, P-47 Thunderbolts of the 405th Fighter group destroyed a German column of 122 tanks, 259 other vehicles, and 11 artillery pieces.[21]

    Specifications (P-47D-40 Thunderbolt)

    Data from [61]

    General characteristics

    Crew: 1
    Length: 36 ft 1.75 in (11.0173 m)
    Wingspan: 40 ft 9+5⁄16 in (12.429 m)
    Height: 14 ft 8+1⁄16 in (4.472 m)
    Airfoil: Seversky S-3[62]
    Empty weight: 10,000 lb (4,536 kg)
    Max takeoff weight: 17,500 lb (7,938 kg)
    Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 2,000 hp (1,500 kW)
    Propellers: 4-bladed Curtiss Electric C542S constant-speed propeller, 13 ft 0 in (3.96 m) diameter

    Performance

    Maximum speed: 426 mph (686 km/h, 370 kn) at 30,000 ft (9,100 m)
    Range: 1,030 mi (1,660 km, 900 nmi)
    Service ceiling: 42,000 ft (13,000 m)

    Armament

    Guns:
    Eight .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns (3400 rounds)
    Up to 2,500 lb (1,100 kg) of bombs
    Ten 5 in (130 mm) unguided rockets

     Flight Simulators
     

       IL-2 Sturmovik 'Cliff's of Dover' Blitz - has no 3D model

       IL-2 Great Battles Series IL-2 - has a 3D model

       DCS World - has a 3D model

     

     

     Palel India Map

     Pandaveswar India Map

     Karachi South Karachi City, Sindh Pakistan Map

     

        Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Notes

    1. Fairchild Republic was the most recent incarnation of the original Republic aerospace company, now considered defunct.[2]
    2. The P-47 can trace its lineage back to earlier Seversky designs: P-35, XP-41, P-43 and the unbuilt P-44.[3]
    3. After a change in the board of directors, Alexander P. de Seversky was removed from the newly reorganized Republic Aviation company, with former Managing Director Wallace Kellett taking over as CEO.[5]
    4. Historians argue that the nickname 'Jug' was short for 'Juggernaut' when aviators began using the longer word as an alternate nickname.[11] Another nickname that was used for the Thunderbolt was "T-bolt".[12]
    5. Zemke flew a P-38 for three of his kills.[19]
    6. Quentin C. Aanenson documented his experiences flying the Thunderbolt on D-Day and subsequently in the European Theater in his documentary, A Fighter Pilot's Story (also released as Dogfight.).

        Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Citations

    1. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. aviation-history.
    2. Rummerman, Judy. Fairchild Republic. Archived 2011-10-14 at the Wayback Machine Centennial of Flight Commission, 2003.
    3. Dorr and Donald 1990, pp. 84-85, 88.
    4. Dwyer, Larry. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. Aviation History Online Museum, 11 November 2010.
    5. Alexander de Seversky, Russian Ace of World War One, Aircraft Designer & Founder of Republic Aviation. acepilots.com, 2003.
    6. Republic XP-47B Thunderbolt. www.joebaugher.com.
    7. The Turbosupercharger and the Airplane Power Plant. General Electric, January, 1943.
    8. P-47 Thunderbolt. TopFighters.com.
    9. Masefield, Peter. First Analysis of the Thunderbolt. Flying, August 1943, p. 190.
    10. Green 1961, p. 173.
    11. Graff 2007, p. 53.
    12. Air Force Association 1998, p. 110.
    13. Bernstein, Jonathan (2012). 1. P-47 Thunderbolt Units of the Twelfth Air Force. Botley, Oxfordshire: Osprey Publishing. p. 8. ISBN 9781849086721.
    14. Rymaszewski, Michael (July 1994). Playing Your Aces. Computer Gaming World. pp. 101-105.
    15. Republic P-47D Thunderbolt. Archived 2007-03-24 at the Wayback Machine Museum of Flight.
    16. 8th Air Force 56th FG. Archived 2006-06-12 at the Wayback Machine U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, 18 June 2004.
    17. Francis S. 'Gabby' Gabreski. USAF Air University, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, 17 April 2006.
    18. Rose, Scott. Robert S. Johnson. Warbirds Resource Group, 11 June 2006.
    19. Col. Hubert 'Hub' Zemke. Acepilots.com, 29 July 2003.
    20. Republic P-47D-30-RA Thunderbolt (Long Description). Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
    21. Zaloga p.65
    22. Berliner 2011, p. 20.
    23. Air Power History. goliath.ecnext.com.
    24. RAF Thunderbolts, Flight: 600 (photo caption), 7 December 1944
    25. Republic P-47D Thunderbolt II, RAF Museum
    26. Dias de Cunha, Rudnei. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. www.rudnei.cunha.nom.br.
    27. Sinopse e Créditos. 10 December 2004. Archived from the original on 10 December 2004.
    28. Velasco, E. Alfonso, Jr. Aztec Eagle - P-47D of the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force. IPMS Stockholm, 9 January 2006.
    29. Sgarlato 2005.
    30. Hardesty 1991, p. 253.
    31. Gordon 2008, p. 449.
    32. http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal13/12201-12300/gal12272-P-47-Heeps/00.shtm
    33. Merriam, Ray (2017). World War 2 in Review: Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. New York: Merriam Press. ISBN 9781365884856.
    34. Bergerud 2000, pp. 269-70.
    35. Spick 1983, p. 96.
    36. Caldwell 2007, p. 89.
    37. Sims, Edward H. American Aces of World War II, London: Macdonald, 1958.
    38. Sims 1980, pp. 160-61.
    39. Jordan, C. C. Pushing The Envelope With Test Pilot Herb Fisher. Planes and Pilots of WW2, 2000.
    40. Sims 1980, pp. 134-35.
    41. Colonel Neel Earnest Kearby. Archived 2004-10-17 at the Wayback Machine Air Force History, Air Force Historical Studies Office, 20 January 2004.
    42. Hallion, Richard (August 15, 2014). D-Day 1944 - Air Power Over The Normandy Beaches And Beyond. Pickle Partners Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78289887-0.
    43. Barnes 1989, p. 432.
    44. Achtung! Jabos! The Story of the IX TAC. Stars & Stripes, U.S. Army, 1944.
    45. Page 4 illustration of M10 triple-tube launcher, iBiblio.
    46. Dunn, Carle E. (LTC). Army Aviation and Firepower. Archived 2008-12-23 at the Wayback Machine Army, May 2000.
    47. Hagedorn 1991, p. 37.
    48. P-47 Thunderbolt/42-19663. Warbirds Resource Group.
    49. P-47 Thunderbolt/42-26450. Warbirds Resource Group.
    50. P-47 Thunderbolt/42-26757. Warbirds Resource Group.
    51. P-47 Thunderbolt/42-26762. Warbirds Resource Group.
    52. P-47 Thunderbolt/45-49151. Warbirds Resource Group.
    53. P-47 Thunderbolt/45-49219. Warbirds Resource Group.
    54. P-47 Thunderbolt/45-49509. Warbirds Resource Group.
    55. Lake 2002, p. 162.
    56. Lake 2002, p. 163.
    57. Lake 2002, p. 164.
    58. Klemen, L. 201st Mexican Fighter Squadron. The Netherlands East Indies 1941-1942.
    59. Lake 2002, p. 165.
    60. Republic F-47D-40-RE Thunderbolt. Aeronautical Museum-Belgrade.
    61. Davis, Larry (1984). P-47 Thunderbolt in Action. Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-89747-161-X.
    62. Lednicer, David. The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage. m-selig.ae.illinois.edu.
    63. Hayward, James. USAAF at War (1942-45): Audiobook CD on CD41 label. ltmrecordings.com.
    64. Rarey, George (June 1996). Laughter and Tears: A Combat Pilot's Sketchbook of World War II Squadron Life. ISBN 1-56550-057-1.
    65. Unbreakable World War II aircraft that were shot to hell—and came back. By Cory Graff Air & Space Magazine
    66. Thunderbolt (1947). imdb.com.
    67. Fighter Squadron (1948). imdb.com.
    68. P-47 Thunderbolt Named Official State Aircraft of Indiana. WFIE-TV. June 24, 2015.

        Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Bibliography:

    • Air Force Fifty. Nashville, Tennessee: Turner Publishing (Air Force Association), 1998 (limited edition). ISBN 1-56311-409-7.
    • Barnes, Frank C. Cartridges of the World. Fairfield, Ohio: DBI Books, 1989. ISBN 978-0-87349-605-6.
    • Berliner, Don. Surviving Fighter Aircraft of World War Two: Fighters. London: Pen & Sword Aviation, 2011. ISBN 978-1-8488-4265-6.
    • Bergerud, Eric M. Fire in the Sky. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 2000. ISBN 0-8133-3869-7.
    • Bodie, Warren M. Republic's P-47 Thunderbolt: From Seversky to Victory. Hiawassee, Georgia: Widewing Publications, 1994. ISBN 0-9629359-1-3.
    • Bull, Steven. Encyclopedia of Military Technology and Innovation. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood, 2004. ISBN 978-1-57356-557-8.
    • Cain, Charles W. and Mike Gerram.Fighters of World War II. London: Profile Publications, 1979.
    • Caldwell, Donald L.; Muller, Richard R. (2007). The Luftwaffe over Germany: Defense of the Reich. London, UK: Greenhill Books. ISBN 978-1-85367-712-0.
    • Davis, Larry. P-47 Thunderbolt in Action, Squadron/Signal Publications (#67). Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1984. ISBN 0-89747-161-X.
    • Donald, David, ed. American Warplanes of the Second World War. London: Airtime Publications, 1995. ISBN 1-84013-392-9.
    • Dorr, Robert F. and David Donald. Fighters of the United States Air Force. London: Temple, 1990. ISBN 0-600-55094-X.
    • Freeman, Roger A. 56th Fighter Group. Oxford, UK: Osprey, 2000. ISBN 1-84176-047-1.
    • Freeman, Roger A. Camouflage and Markings 15: Republic P-47 Thunderbolt U.S.A.A.F., E.T.O. And M.T.O. 1942-1945 (Ducimus Classic). London: Ducimus Books, 1971.
    • Freeman, Roger A. Thunderbolt: A Documentary History of the Republic P-47. London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1978. ISBN 0-354-01166-9.
    • "Goebel, Greg. ""The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt."" Air Vectors, April 2009."
    • Gordon, Yefim. Soviet Air Power in World War 2. Hinkley, UK: Midland/Ian Allan Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-1-85780-304-4.
    • Graff, Cory. P-47 Thunderbolt at War (The At War Series). St. Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Press, 2007. ISBN 978-0-7603-2948-1.
    • Green, William. Fighters Vol. 2 (Warplanes of the Second World War). New York: Doubleday and Company Inc., 1961.
    • Guillemin, Sébastien. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (Les Materiels de l'Armée de L'Air 4) (in French). Paris: Histoire et Collections, 2007. ISBN 978-2-915239-90-4.
    • Gunston, Bill. Aircraft of World War 2. London: Octopus Books Limited, 1980. ISBN 0-7064-1287-7.
    • Hagedorn, Dan. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt: The Final Chapter: Latin American Air Forces Service. St. Paul, Minnesota: Phalanx Publishing Co. Ltd., 1991. ISBN 0-9625860-1-3.
    • Hardesty, Von. Red Phoenix: The Rise of Soviet Air Power 1941-1945. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1991 (first edition 1982). ISBN 0-87474-510-1.
    • Hess, William N. P-47 Thunderbolt (Warbird History). St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International Publishers, 1994. ISBN 0-87938-899-4.
    • "Lake, Jon. ""P-47 Thunderbolt Part 1: Early development and combat in the ETO"". International Air Power Review, Volume 1, Summer 2001. Westport, Connecticut: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 138-69. ISSN 1473-9917."
    • "Lake, Jon. ""P-47 Thunderbolt Part 2: Final developments and combat in the Mediterranean, Far East and Pacific"". International Air Power Review, Volume 7, Winter 2002. Westport, Connecticut: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 128-65. ISSN 1473-9917. ISBN 1-880588-48-X."
    • Mondey, David. The Concise Guide to American Aircraft of World War II. London: Chartwell Books, 1994. ISBN 0-7858-0147-2.
    • O'Leary, Michael. USAAF fighters of World War Two in action. London: Blandford Press, 1986. ISBN 0-7137-1839-0.
    • Ryan, Cornelius. A Bridge Too Far. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974. ISBN 978-0-445-08373-8.
    • Scutts, Jerry. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (Combat Legend). Ramsbury, Wiltshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-84037-402-0.
    • Sims, Edward H. Fighter Tactics and Strategy 1914-1970. Fallbroock, California: Aero publisher, 1980. ISBN 0-8168-8795-0.
    • "Sgarlato, Nico and Giorgio Gibertini. ""P-47"" (in Italian). I Grandi Aerei Storici n.14, January 2005. Parma, Italy: Delta Editrice. ISSN 1720-0636."
    • Spick, Mike. Fighter Pilot Tactics. The Techniques of Daylight Air Combat. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens, 1983. ISBN 0-85059-617-3.
    • Panzer IV vs Sherman: France 1944 by Steven Zaloga
    • Stoff, Joshua. The Thunder Factory: An Illustrated History of the Republic Aviation Corporation. London: Arms & Armour Press, 1990. ISBN 1-85409-040-2.

        Magazine References: +

    • Airfix Magazines (English) - http://www.airfix.com/
    • Avions (French) - http://www.aerostories.org/~aerobiblio/rubrique10.html
    • FlyPast (English) - http://www.flypast.com/
    • Flugzeug Publikations GmbH (German) - http://vdmedien.com/flugzeug-publikations-gmbh-hersteller_verlag-vdm-heinz-nickel-33.html
    • Flugzeug Classic (German) - http://www.flugzeugclassic.de/
    • Klassiker (German) - http://shop.flugrevue.de/abo/klassiker-der-luftfahrt
    • Le Fana de L'Aviation (French) - http://boutique.editions-lariviere.fr/site/abonnement-le-fana-de-l-aviation-626-4-6.html
    • Le Fana de L'Aviation (French) - http://www.pdfmagazines.org/tags/Le+Fana+De+L+Aviation/
    • Osprey (English) - http://www.ospreypublishing.com/
    • Revi Magazines (Czech) - http://www.revi.cz/

        Web References: +

    • History of RAF Organisation: http://www.rafweb.org
    • Imperial War Museums - https://www.iwm.org.uk
    • American Air Museum - https://www.americanairmuseum.com/
    • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_P-47_Thunderbolt
    • Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/

     

    This webpage was updated 14th April 2024