P-47 show on the Military Ch

[Pat Carry]

I just got done watching a show I recorded on the Military Ch about the P-47. Towards the end of the show they mentioned how the Jug escorted B-29's from Saipan all the way to Japan and back. This is the first time I have ever heard this. I say no way the P-47 had that kind of range. I was under the impression that the only escorting of the B-29's enroute to Japan were the P-51's flying off of Iwo Jima. Can anyone enlighten me?

[SaxMan]

The P-47N did have that kind of range. The N was a monster, with a fully loaded takeoff weight of some 21,000 pounds IIRC. It had innovations such as an autopilot for the long flights and a General Electric tail warning radar. I believe the plan was that the 8th AF P-51 groups once transferred to the Pacific theater were going to be re-equipped with the P-47N. The Enola Gay kept that from becoming a reality.

I know some of the Ns were based on Ie Shima in 1945, but I don't know if any were on Saipan.

[Jack Cook]

The 318th FG was on Saipan starting in mid 44 but their 47Ds would have splashed down a long ways from Japan. They re-equipted with 47Ns and flew over Japan from Ie Shima only.

[Dan K]

Pat, I don't believe Jugs ever escorted all the way from Saipan to Nippon and back, but the -N definitely had both greater range and a higher top speed at altitude than the P-51D. The big gain in range came from the -N's new wing design (providing 186 more gallons of internal fuel).