The Cross Channel Sparring has heated up and the US 8th Air Force has just added two more new P-47 Thunderbolt Groups, the 56th and 78th Fighter Groups. On April 15 1943 the P-47 Groups staged Rodeo 204, a fighter sweep of the St. Omer area. They stumbled across 15 Fw-190’s of II./JG1 and claimed 4 for the loss of two P47’s. “Diving Away is the ace in the hole for a fighter pilot. Once the Focke Wulf could break combat and get away in a high speed dive. But the P-47 can out dive the FW and since, like all American planes it is extremely well built, will hold together in a dive. What’s more, a one second burst from those eight fifties will down any fighter made. Our 47’s have been in combat since April 43. Since that time we’ve made a believer out of many German pilot. We worry them and that alone is a big part of our job”Major, later Lt Col James J Stone JrP-47 pilot, 83rd FS CO, 78th FGAnd acting CO, 78th FG 1-12 July 1943, CO,31 July 1943 to 22 May 1944.
