P47 Jug Juggernaut

[Guppy35]

In the 1946 printed history of the 4th Fighter Group the author who was the Group PR Guy throughout the war, talks about the Thunderbolt and how it 'resembled a milk bottle" hence the term "Jug"

I think it's safe to say it started with the Former Eagle Squadron guys who had to give up the graceful looking Spitfire for the 7 ton monster that looked like a "Milk Bottle" to them.  It was not a term of affection as they never felt much of it for the P-47.  I doubt the 56th guys who trained in it and came overseas looking to fight in it, looked at the P-47 the same way

[Kazan_HB]

[Randy1]

In the 1946 printed history of the 4th Fighter Group the author who was the Group PR Guy throughout the war, talks about the Thunderbolt and how it 'resembled a milk bottle" hence the term "Jug"

I think it's safe to say it started with the Former Eagle Squadron guys who had to give up the graceful looking Spitfire for the 7 ton monster that looked like a "Milk Bottle" to them.  It was not a term of affection as they never felt much of it for the P-47.  I doubt the 56th guys who trained in it and came overseas looking to fight in it, looked at the P-47 the same way

That is interesting.  Could be too, both Jug explanations could be true then. with a short time frame difference.  If an American was using the term Jug, they were thinking of a milk jug or bottle.  A Brit would take Jug meant a big heavy truck or Juggernaut.  As noted neither term one of endearment.

[B3YT]

I always thought that the RAF designated it as the Mustang as at the time (as is now) aircraft were named rather than given a prefix (for example the Pavina Tornado, Sepcat Jaguar , Hawker Hunter , EE Lightning , Vickers Viscount , Hawker Hurricane , Supermarine Spitfire ....ect. ) and that the USAAF adopted the name after they realised that it was a good plane and stopped poo pooing it .

[gyrene81]

   when did anyone refer to the p-47 as the mustang? 

[B3YT]

This is what I have heard in the past. Back in the 15th and 16th century, when milk was first being delivered to customers in England, the wageons that they carried the milk in were rough on anything carried, so they made the "milk Jugs" extra thick for toughness and you couldn't hardly break one on purpose. I heard that a Englishman, who observered after one of the "Jugs" returned after a mission, in his best English accent, "that bloody thing is tougher than a Jug".
Anybody know where the name "Mustang" came to be part of the P-51 series of aircraft? The English get credit for that, but it wasn't them that first coined the phase P-51 "Mustang".

there

[earl1937]

there

I swear I didn't make that up, I have been searching for the quote that I read and haven't found it yet, but I will keep looking!

[asterix]

Never gave this subject much attention but I have always thought that the P47 got the nickname because the frontal area looks like an old fashioned jug when viewed from above. Something like this:


After reading this topic I have a feeling that the moon-shiner’s whiskey jug had some part to play in this story. I bet the stuff it carried could make one see all kinds of things.

[Saxman]

Never gave this subject much attention but I have always thought that the P47 got the nickname because the frontal area looks like an old fashioned jug when viewed from above. Something like this:
(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)

I'd call that a pitcher, not a jug.

But yeah, I see more of a resemblance with the P-47's frontal area, than to the overall fuselage to a milk jug.