French Air Force fly P-47 Thunderb in WWII?
 

Hello,
du anybody know that the French Air Forces fly P-47 Thunderbolt during the WWII, if yes which unit and are Losses Listings available, also had the plane French mark of the fusselage?
I search a P-47 where was crash on 16 March 1945, it is possible it was an French Pilot.
Thanks for your help.
regards Klaus

Re: French Air Force fly P-47 Thunderb in WWII?
 

Hi Klaus,

In this French website :

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/p-47.database/index.html

you could find list of production of P-47 and if you browse each “serial 42-7”, “serial43-8” may be the loss of 16 march 1945 will be quoted.

Bertrand

Re: French Air Force fly P-47 Thunderb in WWII?
 

Hello Bertrand,
Thank you for the information.
regards Klaus

Re: French Air Force fly P-47 Thunderb in WWII?
 

Hello ,

The following P-47 were lost on march 16 1945 according to the ArmyAirforce forum :


42-25723 3/16/1945 13074 404 P-47 42-26409 3/16/1945 13046 50 P-47 42-27335 3/16/1945 13076 362 P-47 42-28947 3/16/1945 13101 36 P-47 44-32977 3/16/1945 13099 36 P-47 44-32975 3/16/1945 13109 371 P-47 44-20619 3/16/1945 13075 362 P-47 44-20596 3/16/1945 13078 86 P-47

Re: French Air Force fly P-47 Thunderb in WWII?
 

Klaus ,

Were did the P-47 crashed ?

Re: French Air Force fly P-47 Thunderb in WWII?
 

Hello,
the p-47 crash by the City Eberbach (30km south/east of Heidelberg)
Thanks for your help.
regards
Klaus

Re: French Air Force fly P-47 Thunderb in WWII?
 

Klaus ,

Here some more :

42-25723 crashed near Altenkrichen
42-26409 near Petersberg
42-27335 near Koblenz
42-28947 near Neuenkircken-Seelscheid
44-32977 near Olpe
44-32975 near Hecken
44-20619 near Simmeren
44-20596 near Ramsen

All these info via the above mentioned French P-47 site

Greets

Re: French Air Force fly P-47 Thunderb in WWII?
 

Hi Bertrand

What a great site. Thanks for the information. Is there anything comparable for the P-51?

Happy New Year
Brian

Re: French Air Force fly P-47 Thunderb in WWII?
 

Hi Brian

Yes very useful website. I am afraid there is anything for the Mustang.

Have a good year too and many books, articles and more !

Bertrand

Re: French Air Force fly P-47 Thunderb in WWII?
 

The problem with the P-47 in French service is pretty much the same as the Spitfire.
In all 449 were delivered by the US, of which only 295 brand new machines under a numbered Lend-Lease "project F".
More were in fact handed over with little or no "red tape", so that it's very difficult to figure out how many were actually used by the French. Moreover, at least 131 P-47s were delivered after WW2.