Another P-47 MTO question

[Wotan]

When did MTO jugs first fly combat sorties with the 5 in rockets (bazooka tubes)? All I can find is stuff related to the 8th and 9th AF:

n his book "Fighter Pilot", USAF Col Bill Dunn (also Eagle Sdn ace), said that on May 15th, 1944 he got the first P47D-25 bubble canopy AC with the bare alumninum finish in his unit. He was in the 9th AF flying out of England. The day before, he had the tail blown off of his Green humpback Jug which was loaded with 10-5in rockets and 2-500 lb bombs. While this dates the arrival of the bare finish, and the availability of the rockets for ground attack, it does not document their use in the Med

I am mainly concerned with Italy - May 1944...

TIA

Wotan

[Krusty]

I thought this was already asked and answered around the time OpHusky was taking place? Maybe the thread is still here, try a search.

[DweebFire]

Forgive me if I'm wrong but the bazooka tubes were 3.5" shells right? The HVARs were 5" and were mounted on tabs.

[Guppy35]

79th Fighter Group introduced the bazooka tube fired Rockets in the MTO on October 19th, 1944 with their P47s.

Definately not May 44

[Wotan]

Originally posted by DweebFire
Forgive me if I'm wrong but the bazooka tubes were 3.5" shells right? The HVARs were 5" and were mounted on tabs.

I believe they were 4.5" M8 rockets that were tube launched - this is what I meant just typed fast.

Thanks again Guppy

[Guppy35]

Originally posted by Wotan
When did MTO jugs first fly combat sorties with the 5 in rockets (bazooka tubes)? All I can find is stuff related to the 8th and 9th AF:

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n his book "Fighter Pilot", USAF Col Bill Dunn (also Eagle Sdn ace), said that on May 15th, 1944 he got the first P47D-25 bubble canopy AC with the bare alumninum finish in his unit. He was in the 9th AF flying out of England. The day before, he had the tail blown off of his Green humpback Jug which was loaded with 10-5in rockets and 2-500 lb bombs. While this dates the arrival of the bare finish, and the availability of the rockets for ground attack, it does not document their use in the Med



I am mainly concerned with Italy - May 1944...

TIA

Wotan

Thought about the Dunn quote and as much as I hate to say it, I'd question the validity of that recollection about the rockets.  The only Jug to carry 10 5 inch rockets was the N model.  Some late D-30s were modified to carry 4 but I've never seen a 9th AF bird with rockets on zero length rails.   And to be honest I can only find the 4.5 rocket tubes on MTO Jug photos and some CBI.  Those were grouped in three tubes so 6 was max.