Author Topic: P-47 'Bubble Top' deliveries MTO (Read 369 times)

Wotan · « **on:** July 20, 2007, 06:10:03 PM »

I am trying to find out when the first P-47D (25/27) first appeared in Italy. The only data I have is according to MACR data - 2 P-47s (a D-25 and a D-27) were lost at the end of June 1944 (22nd and 25/27th). I am specifically looking for information regarding May 1944.

TIA

Wotan

Guppy35 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 20, 2007, 06:50:36 PM »

Nothing concrete, but a comment in Bodie's book on the Thunderbolt suggest the first of the D25s and 26s were sent to the ETO due to the impending invasion.

As with the Bubble Top P51D, I'd think that it would have been a small trickle of the bubble top Jugs at the end of May 44 if that with deliveries not really picking up until late June early July 44

Stoney74 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 20, 2007, 08:33:03 PM »

Only references in P-47 Aces of the 9th and 12th Air Forces shows photos of bubble top Jugs based in Italy around April of '45.

Wotan · « **Reply #3 on:** July 21, 2007, 03:02:55 PM »

Thanks guys - We are doing phase 3 of our Italian Campaign in another game and it will be for May '44. The only data that we have for D-25s / D-27s is the MACR losses for the end of June. We are trying find out when these were delivered and first flew combat sorties in the MTO. Most of the information outside of MACR data is not variant or date specific enough. I would imagine that the 8th AF would have been receiving the bubble tops before the MTO and very few would have been delivered to the MTO prior to D-Day but that's just a guess.

Any additional information appreciated,

Thanks,

Wotan