P-47D-16-RE (Germany)

Description

The ▀P-47D-16-RE Thunderbolt is a premium rank German fighter with a battle rating of (AB), (RB), and (SB). It was introduced in Update "New Power", replacing the ahistorical P-47D (Germany), a bubble-canopy model. Germany captured and tested a few P-47 "razorback" models during WWII. This model represents the aircraft designated T9+LK in Luftwaffe service.

General info

Flight performance

Details

Survivability and armour

The pilot and fuel tanks have decent armour protection from the front, but the engine is vulnerable from the front. The pilot has no armour protection from the rear, leaving him vulnerable.

• 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Windshield
• 9.5 mm Steel - Below windshield
• 9.5 mm Steel - Behind engine, in front of fuel tanks and pilot
• Self-sealing fuel tanks (1 under pilot, in front of pilot's legs)

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Offensive armament

The P-47D-16-RE (Germany) is armed with:

• 8 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (425 rpg = 3,400 total)

Usage in battles

Air Battles

As with the other P-47s, it is highly recommended to primarily use Boom & Zoom (BnZ) tactics for this aircraft. You may need to side climb in order to get into a viable position, given that many Allied aircraft, especially P-47s have similar or better climb rates and can gain an altitude advantage on you a good amount of the time.

It is highly recommended to not try and turn with the aircraft you are tailing, as doing so will quickly bleed energy and cause the P-47D-16-RE (Germany) to become easy pickings. Due to the relatively heavy weight of the aircraft, it will usually maneuver slower than enemy aircraft turnfights. Instead, using Boom and Zoom tactics, after your first pass initiate a relatively steep climb. This will allow you to once again take the altitude advantage on the enemy, which will give more opportunities for BnZing. When climbing back up, however, it is advisable to pay attention to what enemy aircraft may be around. Not being vigilant during the climb out can allow enemies to get into killing positions and destroy you before you can react.

Ground Battles

The P-47D-16-RE (Germany) does not offer any secondary payload options, so its capabilities in the Close Air Support (CAS) role is reduced compared to Allied P-47 variants.

Simulator/EC

In Simulator/Enduring Confrontation, bulkier planes that may struggle in AB & RB can shine. Sitting at BR 3.7, the lowest BR for Rank 3 EC, it can respawn infinitely which makes it a great learning platform for new EC players. In Sim, the P-47D-16-RE (Germany) has very stable control handling and fast speed. However, as mentioned above, this aircraft has no suspended armaments, relegating its use to traditional BnZ fighting, light ground pounding and bomber hunting.

Bomber Hunting

It is recommended to be careful when hunting bombers, since with the Simulator control (whether using mouse joystick or a real stick) will cause the plane will manoeuvre much more gently than other gamemode's controls, making itself an easier target for the bomber's gunners. Following behind a bomber's tail with active gunners will likely ensure your destruction. The large radial engine of the P-47D-16-RE (Germany) will often get damaged when taking fire from the front.

Instead of launching an attack directly behind the bomber, it is recommended to gain an altitude advantage over the bomber by flying around 2 km above it. The most advantageous position for an attack is above and behind the bomber so that you can adjust for lead easier and retain speed for maneuverability. To maximise damage it is recommended to aim for a bomber's wings and engines, as the fuselage usually soaks up large amounts of bullets without taking critical damage. Although the window for attack might seem inadequate, the 8x M2 Browning heavy machine guns on the P-47D-16-RE (Germany) are quite destructive. Sometimes, it only takes one bullet to set critical components of the target aflame.

Dogfighting

As for dogfighting, because almost all aerial battles in Simulator battles occurs at or below 3,000 m, the P-47D-16-RE (Germany) can easily climb to this altitude and gather plenty of speed before engaging. Most dogfighting tactic are similar to the tactics mentioned above.

If, unfortunately, you find yourself being chased and you are unfamiliar with defensive manoeuvres, you can do a large, smooth turn towards the nearest friendly airfield. Following this turn, you can go into a shallow dive towards the airfield. The P-47D-16-RE (Germany) can easily outrun opponents like the I-16 or IL-2, but might struggle to outrun faster aircraft such as the P-51, P-38 or other P-47s.

Another way of disengaging from a dogfight is to do a sudden split-S turn to dodge under the pursuer. Average Sim players will generally try to look for you in the direction of the initial turn. If performed quickly enough, they may immediately lose track of you. After successfully breaking away, you can then either run for your airfield or initiate a shallow climb to set up an attack.

Ground Attack

For ground pounding, you can dive at a shallow angle to approach the target. This will allow you to get as close as possible to the target without crashing into the ground. The M2 Browning machine guns are very good for killing unarmored trucks, AA guns and artillery pieces. However, while attacking ground targets it is recommended to be on high alert for enemies, especially ones in your blind spots behind and above you.

Enemies worth noting

• Me 264: This giant is one of the few bombers who get air spawns in Sim, so it usually flies at very high altitudes. On top of this, the Me 264 is armed with large calibre machine guns and cannons covering almost all angles. Therefore, tailing an Me 264 is basically suicide unless all of their gunners are knocked out. You can treat the Me 264 almost like a B-17 or B-29 as they are similar in both design and defensive capabilities. It is highly recommended to attack the Me 264 in a head-on, as you can easily knock out the pilots due to the Me 264's unarmored cockpit while also taking minimal risk of damage. Another thing to note is that the Me 264 lacks a ventral turret on its belly, making it easy to deal damage from below. However, be wary of the downwards facing rear 20 mm MG 151 cannon near the tail. As mentioned above, the most recommended way to attack this bomber is from a higher altitude, diving at an oblique angle and focusing fire on the wings and nose. It is inadvisable to attack this bomber if you have no altitude advantage.

• Bf 110, Ki-45, A-26: Twin engine aircraft can be a big threat since their lack of manoeuvrability compared to single engine fighters are minimised in Sim. They are usually armed with heavy guns & cannons in the nose, so an accurate burst will tear any plane apart. The P-47D-16-RE (Germany) manoeuvres rather sluggishly and you might get out-turned from even these heavy fighters. It is recommended to engage them with either an altitude or speed advantage to avoid taking a bad position. If they are not manoeuvring aggressively, you can aim for their wings or engines. If the fight is intense and you cannot aim well, you can fire bursts anywhere. As long as you hit them, the 12.7 mm bullets can cause significant damage to aircraft modules.
• A6M (Family): The A6M "Zero" family of Japanese fighters are excellent turnfighters and will easily be able to outmaneuver the P-47D-16-RE (Germany) at low speeds. Many variants of these aircraft will also carry cannons that can make short work of your aircraft. It is recommended to always maintain an altitude advantage over these aircraft and perform BnZ attacks. One advantage that your armament has is that incendiary rounds from the Browning M2 machine guns can easily set Zeroes on fire. Although Sim battles will gaurantee that the Japanese are friendlies, it also means you may possibly encounter captured Zeroes on the Allied team such as the A6M2 (USA) and A6M2 (China). These may not be easily recognizeable as enemy fighters until you get close enough to study their roundels. However, they may be confused about your identity as well, as the P-47D-16-RE (Germany) is of Allied origin.
• Spitfire (Family): Similarly to the A6M Zero family, the Spitfire family are also all excellent turnfighters and will beat the P-47D-16-RE (Germany) at low speeds. It is recommended to employ the same BnZ tactics against these as other fighters.

Manual Engine Control

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent high altitude performance
• High top speed
• Effective in Boom and Zoom tactics
• 8x M2 Browning machine guns can output significant damage, quickly
• Guns are accurate at long ranges
• Large ammo capacity
• Tough airframe that can take significant damage
• Can confuse Allied players in Simulator battles due to being a captured P-47
• Bright yellow underbelly and large German roundels can notify friendly units to your alliance

Cons:

• Frontal armour can easily be penetrated by 20 mm rounds
• No armour protection for the pilot from behind
• Mediocre climb performance; side climbing is recommended
• Heavy and can struggle to manoeuvre at low altitudes
• Poor stall characteristics
• Larger than the average fighter; large radial engine can be easily damaged during a head-on attack
• Poorer cockpit visibility than bubble-canopy P-47s
• No suspended armaments
• Can confuse friendly Axis players in Sim battles into shooting it down due to being a captured P-47
• Bright yellow underbelly increases visibility for enemies

History

Captured German P-47 in a hangar, designated T9+LK

There are a few instances of captured P-47s having been used by the Luftwaffe.

On 7 November 1943, a P-47 piloted by U.S. 2nd Lt. William E. Roach made an emergency landing on a German airfield. The pilot was made prisoner and the Thunderbolt was given German markings T9+LK, presumably having been used for reconnaissance over England before D-Day. This plane was recaptured later by the Americans when they took the airfield it was based at.

At least two other captured P-47s saw service in the German ranks, being used for reconnaissance, testing and propaganda.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the P-47D-16-RE (Germany) from live.warthunder.com.

See also

• P-47 (Family)
  • P-47D-22-RE
  • P-47D (Germany)

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance