U.S. THUNDERBOLT FIGHTERS OUTFIGHT BEST GERMAN PLANES. A P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane of the U.S.

U.S. THUNDERBOLT FIGHTERS OUTFIGHT BEST GERMAN PLANES. A P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane of the U.S. Army Air Forces roars into the sky over England to escort formations of U.S. Flying Fortresses and Liberator bombers in an attack on military installations in Germany and occupied Europe. These long-range fighters accompany bombers on round-trip flights of more than 800 miles an have outgunned and outfought Germany's best fighters in combat. They are armed with eight machine guns, in level flight and have recorded a speed of 720 miles an hour in a dive. On more than 3,000 sorties in one month, Thunderbolt formations shot down 77 German FW-190's at a loss of only five of their own planes - a ratio of 15 to 1. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.