Luftwaffe Technical Intelligence on the P-47

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Kurfürst, just for curiosity, what is the NAME of the pilot who flew the P-47? I do ask that because it seems that then Hauptmann Egon Albrecht may have flown an earlier P-47C at Rechlin, around the end of 1942 or circa early or mid 1943 (do not have the correct date to inform, though).

I do not know know if you have read the lat Lt-Col Robert Samuel Johnson's "Thunderbolt" war memories? If so, you will remember that he made a test, with the P-47 equipped with the new propeller, against a Spitfire Mark IXb and let it behind (with the dust behind). This is a very interessant first hand account of a test, the results which certainly gave him a full confidence onto his "new" machine/bird.

I do have the book somewhere stored down here and will check the correct passage for you...

And surely, there must exist a report somewhere informing about the new propeller and also from the lots of pilots who were shot down either climbing or trying to dive and that lived another day, to tell the tale that the "Jug" was a "hard nut to crack".

IF you ever do find this LW report, please do share the number and contents with us. A friend of mine will be particularly interested. As you may know, the 1st Brazilian Fighter Squadron (1º GAVCa) was attached to the 350th F.G. and flew the "Jug" in operation on the Italian Theater of War.

Adriano