P-47D (Germany)

Description

The ▀P-47D Thunderbolt is a premium gift rank German fighter with a battle rating of (AB), (RB), and (SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27. Since Germany never captured any bubble-canopy variants of the P-47, this aircraft was removed from sale for historical reasons during Update "New Power". It was replaced by the more historically accurate "razorback" P-47D-16-RE (Germany).

General info

Flight performance

Details

Survivability and armour

• 9.5 mm steel behind the pilot
• 9.5 mm steel underneath the windshield
• 38 mm bulletproof glass in front of the pilot
• 2 self-sealing fuel tanks (1 below the pilot, 1 in front of the pilot)

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Offensive armament

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

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

Usage in battles

Realistic Battles

As with the other P-47s in-game, the most recommended strategy for this aircraft is using Boom & Zoom tactics. Using this strategy, you may need to side-climb to get into a viable position, given that Allied aircraft will usually be at a higher altitude than you. It is highly recommended to not try and turn with the aircraft you are trailing, as you will quickly lose energy and become vulnerable. Instead, you can initiate a relatively steep climb after your first pass. This will allow you to once again take the altitude advantage over the enemy and give you further opportunities for 'BnZ'ing. When climbing back up, however, it is advisable to pay attention to what aircraft may be around. You may become a free kill for anyone in the vicinity if you are not aware of what is around.

Ground Battles

The German P-47D does not feature any payload options, so using it in the CAS (Close Air Support) role may not be as effective as other P-47 variants.

Simulator / EC

In Simulator / Enduring Confrontation, many bulkier planes that struggle in AB & RB shine, including the German P-47D. This aircraft can be a great learning platform for new EC players. In Sim, the P-47D has stable control handling, all-round unobstructed vision and fast speed. However, as mentioned above, this German P-47D has no suspended armaments, limiting its use to bomber intercepting, traditional BnZ fighting and light ground attacks.

Due to this aircraft being a captured P-47D, some enemy Allied players may mistake this for an Allied P-47 and ignore it. Pilots flying the German P-47D can use this advantage to get very close before launching a surprise attack. It is important to note that the German P-47D has a very distinctive evaluation camouflage with a bright yellow tail and underbelly, intended to warn Axis anti-aircraft gunners to not shoot down captured aircraft during test flights. This paint serves its purpose and may prevent friendly Axis units from shooting you down. This is a double-edged sword, however, as the bright yellow colour will also easily alert vigilant Allied pilots and anti-aircraft vehicles to what side the aircraft is on.

Attacking Bombers

It is recommended to be very careful when hunting bombers, since with the Sim control (whether it be mouse joystick or a real stick) the plane will manoeuvre much more gently, making itself an easy target for the bomber's gunners. It is inadvisable to follow closely behind a bomber unless you are sure that its tail gunners are knocked out. The large radial engine of the P-47D, located in the front of the aircraft, will usually get damaged if taking defensive fire from a bomber.

A strategy used to combat bombers is to first get an altitude advantage over the bomber by flying around 2 km above it. The bomber should only fill up about 1/6 of your gunsight. Using this strategy, the best position for an attack is behind and above which allows you to adjust the lead much easier. Diving at the bomber, but not directly at it, you can try to predict where you two will clash and aim at that point (deflection shooting). Aiming for wings and engines will maximise damage, as the fuselage usually can soak up high volumes of bullets without suffering critical damage. When the bomber passes in front of your guns, it is time to fire. This short window might seem inadequate to do anything, but the eight 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns on the German P-47D are quite destructive, as sometimes it only takes one bullet to set the target aflame.

Attacking Fighters

When used for dogfighting other fighters, because most aerial battles in Sim occur below 3,000 m, the P-47D can easily climb to this altitude and gather up lots of speed before engaging in a battle. These tactics are similar to the RB tactics outlined above. If you find yourself being chased and don't know how to do any defensive manoeuvres, you can pull a large, smooth turn towards the nearest friendly airfield to avoid bleeding too much speed. A shallow dive towards your airfield can force the enemies to follow within range of the ground-based anti-aircraft guns. The German P-47D can quite easily outrun slower opponents like the I-16 or IL-2 series but might struggle to outrun faster aircraft like the P-38 series or other P-47s. A way to disengage a fighter is to do a sudden split-S to dodge under the pursuer. Most Sim pilots will try to follow where you went if they did not immediately lose track of you. After completing this manoeuvre, you can then run for your airfield or shallow climb for another attack.

Attacking Ground Targets

For a ground attack, you can dive at a shallow angle to approach the target, trying to get as close as possible but avoiding crashing into the ground. The eight machine guns can quickly destroy trucks, AA guns and artillery pieces as they have decent penetration against unarmored targets and have plenty of ammo. However, it is inadvisable to attack targets featuring heavier than very light armour. One important thing to note is that since the German P-47D will face Allied vehicles in Simulator modes, there is a high likelihood that enemy tanks will be equipped with the 12.7 mm M2HB, the ground-based version of your machine guns. As pilots will know, these are equally dangerous when used against the P-47D as they can easily punch through the front of the aircraft and can light important modules on fire.

Enemies worth noting:

• Me 264 (mixed battle): This German bomber will usually fly at very high altitudes above the battlefield, leaving it out of reach of most fighters. If fighters do manage to get close, the Me 264 is armed with large calibre machine guns and cannons all over it. Tailing a Me 264 is essentially suicide unless all of their gunners are knocked out. The most recommended strategy is to head on the Me 264 if you can, as you can easily knock out the pilots due to its glazed nose while having the least risk of counterattack. Another vulnerable spot is in front and below as this bomber lacks a ventral turret on its belly. However, if you find yourself below and behind, you may be torn apart by the downwards-facing rear 20 mm cannon near the tail. One of the most recommended strategies to attack the Me 264 is the bomber attacking strategy outlined above. It is inadvisable to attempt to attack this aircraft if you have no altitude advantage.

• P-61C-1, A-26: Twin-engine aircraft can be a big threat since their relative lack of manoeuvrability is minimised in Sim game modes. They are usually armed with heavy guns & cannons in the nose, so an accurate burst from them will tear any plane apart, including the P-47D. The P-47D manoeuvres rather sluggishly and you might get out-turned from even those heavy fighters. It is recommended to engage them with either an altitude or speed advantage to avoid being targeted. If they are not manoeuvring aggressively, you can aim for their wings or engines. If the fight is intense and you cannot aim accurately, you can fire bursts towards them and you will likely hit something because of their large surface area.
• P-47: Proficient Thunderbolt pilots will have a very good understanding of how to use a P-47 and how to counter a P-47. In many cases, their P-47 variant will be equal to or even exceed your German P-47D's capabilities with some variants like the P-47N-15 or Bostwick's P-47M-1-RE being especially dangerous. It is recommended to try to take Allied P-47s by surprise, staying away from their guns. If encountering an early "razorback" cockpit P-47 like the P-47D-22-RE, then it is notable that they will have reduced rearward visibility and may not detect you if you are behind and below them.

Manual Engine Control

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great at diving and Boom & Zoom tactics
• Impressive speed, good engine performance above 6,000 m
• Very rugged construction which can absorb significant damage
• Impressive firepower of 8 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns with
• Large ammunition pool
• P-47 airframe may trick enemy Allied pilots and ground vehicles into ignoring this aircraft in Simulator modes

Cons:

• Poor overall manoeuvrability at low speeds
• Big target, larger than average fighters
• No suspended armament for ground attack
• The American P-47 airframe may trick friendly Axis pilots and ground vehicles into shooting down this aircraft in Simulator modes
• Bright yellow colour can help enemy units easily spot the aircraft from above and below

History

Media

Skins

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

Videos

See also

Other aircraft of the same series

• P-47D-16-RE (Germany) (historical)

• P-47 (Family)
  • P-47D-25

External links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_P-47_Thunderbolt#In_German_service