Republic P-47D Thunderbolt II

The Thunderbolt was one of the three most important American fighters produced during the war and saw extensive service with the United States Army Air Force before its comparatively late introduction into RAF operational service in 1944.

This big and strongly built fighter bomber, with its good low level performance and long range made an ideal replacement for the RAF’s Hurricane fighter bombers operating over Burma. The RAF did not use the Thunderbolt in Europe, only against the Japanese in South East Asia. By 1944 air/ground co-operation had been successfully developed into a powerful tactical tool and RAF Thunderbolts in Burma quickly adopted ‘cab rank’ patrols available to attack any enemy ground target holding up the Allied advance. Directed from the ground, the Thunderbolts, with their heavy gun armament and 500lb bombs, created havoc amongst Japanese troop concentrations and their supply lines. During the air battles leading to the re-capture of Rangoon, RAF Thunderbolts also flew fighter escort missions with RAF Liberator bombers. The Museum's Thunderbolt did not serve with the RAF, but has been restored to the South East Asia Command markings of KL216 / RS - L of No 30 Squadron, which operated Thunderbolts between July 1944 and June 1946, when it reequipped with Tempests