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  #1  
Old 31st January 2011, 11:52
johnboy johnboy is offline
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P-47 P-47 Thunderbolt "battlin beaut" 341st Squadron

I believe this aircraft was flown in New Guinea in 1943/44 by a Lt. Clarence J. Blend of the 341st Squadron - 348th Fighter Group USAAF. In some photographs this aircraft has the number 90 on the fin and engine cowling. In other photographs it has the number 28 on the engine cowling. The nose-art is the same in all photographs, so, my question is, why the different numbers? Any information would be appreciated.

Last edited by johnboy; 1st February 2011 at 03:17.
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Old 31st January 2011, 14:13
Leendert Leendert is offline
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Re: P-47 P-47 Thunderbolt "battlin beaut" 341st Squadron

Pilot most likely Lt Clarence J(oseph) Blend. He may well be still among us.

Can't help you with the numbers.

Regards,

Leendert
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Old 1st February 2011, 13:16
Col Bruggy Col Bruggy is offline
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Re: P-47 P-47 Thunderbolt "battlin beaut" 341st Squadron

G'Day Johnboy,

348th Fighter Group.

This Group introduced the P-47D Thunderbolt to operations in the Pacific. As it entered combat, its OD aircraft bore the new white tail theatre markings with the associated white wing leading edges being added a little later. Squadron colours were applied horizontally to the tail tip - Yellow for the 340th FS, Red for the 341st, Blue for the 342nd. An aircraft number was painted in the squadron colour or in black on the upper fin. Later, the aircraft number was also painted, in white or yellow digits four inches high, on either side of the cowl, about a third of the way up. The range of squadron aircraft numbers was - 1-25 for the 340th, 26-50 for the 341st, and 51-75 for the 342nd.

By October 1944, the group had many NMF P-47D-16 and 25 Thunderbolts and, since mid-year, the old markings were gone, Also, it had a fourth squadron assigned to it, the 460th. Markings consisted of a vertical band on the aft fin in the squadron colour, and pre-war rudder striping. The squadron aircraft numbers (now apparently based on the pre-war thirty numbers per squadron system) were in white or black on the vertical band. The 460th used the colour Black and numbers from 100 to 139. The 342nd sometimes did not apply the vertical blue band of the pre-war rudder striping, but applied only the red and white horizontal stripes, the squadron colour band on the fin completing the markings visually. by November, black band theatre markings were in use.

When the four squadrons of the 348th converted to P-51D Mustangs in January 1945, the markings applied to their late Thunderbolts were carried over and applied to the new mounts. The spinner was painted in the squadron colour or a distinctive pattern of it or black with white.

In two years of operations, pilots of the Group shot down a total of 356 Japanese aircraft.

See:
Fifth Air Force Story.
Rust,Kenn C.
Temple City:Historical Aviation Album Inc.,1973.
pp.40-1

Col.
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Old 2nd February 2011, 11:04
johnboy johnboy is offline
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Re: P-47 P-47 Thunderbolt "battlin beaut" 341st Squadron

Col, thanks for your reply, I'm not an expert, but some of the information you sent does not match up with what I have learned so far. In regards to squadron letters and colours, "battlin beaut" has the number 90 in a yellow stripe across the fin. It is therefore a 341st Squadron aircraft.
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Old 2nd February 2011, 22:10
Col Bruggy Col Bruggy is offline
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Re: P-47 P-47 Thunderbolt "battlin beaut" 341st Squadron

Johnboy,

Rust's data is now somewhat dated. Let's see if someone can add more for the later period.

Col.
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Old 4th February 2011, 21:18
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Re: P-47 P-47 Thunderbolt "battlin beaut" 341st Squadron

Yes, but doesn't fit either.

From "Air Force Colors Volume 3: Pacific & Home Front 1942-1947" by Dana Bell Page 27 :

348th FG (V AF) : First P-47s to the SWPA in June 43; squadron tail tip colors. Horizontal squadron-colored tail band in April 44. Fourth squadron added September 1944; plane numbers reallocated. With addition of rudder stripes, tail band become vertical bar forward of the rudder post. P-51Ds, fromJanuary 45, used same markings with squadron-color spinners. 340th
FS (Red; 1-25, later 10-39). 341st FS (Yellow; 26-50, latter 40-69 ). 342nd (Blue; 51-75, latter 70-99). 460th FS (Black; 101-129).

That's the theory, unfortunately strange things happened in the jungle of New-Guinea :

From "Kearby's Thunderbolts: The 348th Fighter Group in World War II" by John C. Stanaway
(the Schiffer version)

Page 39 & 58 : more or less same pic credited to C.J. Blend
around the beginning of 1944 at Finschhafen, half-hidden by Capt Weeks' plane sit 42-8071 with white tail, color-tipped fin & number 90 both I suppose yellow ( barely discernable againt the white ), caption number two states that 42-8071 belongs to the 342nd...

Page 56
around January 1944 at Finschhafen, number 55 in horizontal squadron-colored tail band sit between 67 and (?54 or ?64), both with squadron tail tip color.

Page 209
Photos without caption, 42-22510 "Helluya Wreck" with white tail, color-tipped fin & number 79, the font used for 79 looks like the one found only on early 340th's planes.

Could be wrong for the following :
- seems only 341st had plane numbers painted on cowling panels (27, 28, 29?, 31, 42, 48 )
- numbers in the 75-99 range were used before September 1944 ( when more than 25 planes where available ? )
- maybe 28 & 90 are two different aircrafts ( needs just a swap of cowling panels to have the same nose art ), only the serial numbers, if available, can tell.
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Old 5th February 2011, 03:41
johnboy johnboy is offline
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Re: P-47 P-47 Thunderbolt "battlin beaut" 341st Squadron

Thanks udf. I have a little more information. A USAAF accident report shows that P-47D 42-8183 was involved in a taxiing accident at Port Moresby in August 1943. Pilot was C.J.Blend. I have had another look at the photograph I have of "battlin beaut" in 1944, and although it is not perfectly clear, the serial number appears to be 275942. The number 9 may not be correct, but I'm confident the rest are OK.

John
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Old 8th February 2011, 01:06
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Re: P-47 P-47 Thunderbolt "battlin beaut" 341st Squadron

Not too sure about 42-8183

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/s...183&Submit4=Go

The shipping of 42-8183 back to the USA seems to me a bit strange.

Probably something between 42-8053 and / 42-8148

http://p-47.database.pagesperso-oran...se/42-8xxx.htm
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Old 8th February 2011, 04:09
johnboy johnboy is offline
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Re: P-47 P-47 Thunderbolt "battlin beaut" 341st Squadron

Thanks udf. I got the 1943 information from that same website. Perhaps it was incorrectly recorded all those years ago? Might never know.

John
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Old 1st November 2016, 20:55
cobrahistorian cobrahistorian is offline
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Re: P-47 P-47 Thunderbolt "battlin beaut" 341st Squadron

Hi all,

I realize this is a somewhat old conversation, but I can add in a little bit on "Battlin Beaut", since I've got a few original photos of her, both with and without the pinup nose art. She was P-47D-2-RE 42-8058 and originally flew without the 28 on the cowling or the tail. Both were added at some point at Finschafen. But this was not the only airplane that flew with that nose art and name/number. There was a D-15 that carried the same cowl panels after the original was wrecked in a takeoff accident in October 43. I do not have the tail number for that airplane, but it did carry the 28 on the nose and I have two photos of it with Lockheed 165 gallon tanks under the wings.

Jon
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