Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
While used on Hawaii extensively for training and defense of the island, P-47Ds of the 7th Air Force had a very interesting start to their combat as Thunderbolts were launched from escort carriers during the invasion of Saipan in June 1944. The 318th Fighter Group arrived at Aslito Airfield, and immediately flew ground support missions for US troops still fighting on the island. They continued, supporting the assualts on Guam and Tinian in the summer of 1944. When operations began against Iwo Jima and the Bonin Islands, 318th FG P-47’s traveled from Saipan and tried to escort the heavy bombers there. Throughout their time in the Central Pacific, the 318th FG flew 5,102 combat sorties and 14,944 patrol sorties. The P-47D’s dropped 1,142 tons of bombs, including napalm, while firing 1,591 rockets. The pilots shot down 31 enemy aircraft during this time.
In April of 1945, the new P-47N Thunderbolt was being introduced, which was modified and designed with the concept of long range flight capabilities in mind. These new Thunderbolts began to arrive to the 318th FG who now operated from Ie Shima. Joining them with the P-47N was the 413th Fighter Group and the 507th Fighter Group, arriving in May and June 1945 respectively. In early July, another P-47N unit arrived to the theater, but this time on Iwo Jima. The 414th Fighter Group and only flew a few VLR missions in August 1945.
15th Fighter Group
The 15th Fighter Group operated P-47D Thunderbolts while stationed in Hawaii. Though never seeing actual combat ‘overseas’, the group used the P-47’s for training and island defense. The 47th and 78th Fighter Squadron had fully marked Thunderbolts painted up with insignia and nose art, but the units switched to P-51 Mustangs when the orders came through that they would be part of the VLR missions.
318th Fighter Group
The 318th Fighter Group was activated in Hawaii in October of 1942. They flew P-47D aircraft (as well as P-39’s and P-40’s) for training and patrols around the island. In June 1944, they moved to the Marianas Islands and began offensive attacks on Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. This continued for quite sometime, until the group received new P-47N’s in April 1945, where they moved to the Ryukyu Islands and began offensive operations against mainland Japan, as well as defense of the islands.
413th Fighter Group
The 413th Fighter Group was activated on October 15, 1944 with their primary mission to be the Very Long Range missions to Japan. They would fly the P-47N. Assigned to the 20th Air Force, they first arrived in Saipan in May 1945 before moving to Ie Shima. They would stay at Ie Shima through the end of the war, flying ground attack missions to Japan as well as in China. After the war, the group served as part of the air defense and occupation force for the Ryukyu Islands.
414th Fighter Group
Another group that was constituted specifically for the VLR mission, the 414th Fighter Group was activated October 15th, 1944. Assigned to the 20th Air Force, they arrived in Guam in early July, and quickly moved to Iwo Jima for their operations by the middle of the month. Consisting of the 413th, 437th, and 456th Fighter Squadrons, the group only flew a few VLR missions before the war was over. The group then moved to the Philippines at the very end of 1945, where they remained till they were inactivated in September 1946.
507th Fighter Group
Along with the 413th and 414th Fighter Group, the 507th was activated in October, 1944, with the Very Long Range flights as their primary mission. Also assigned to the 20th Air Force, they entered combat on July 1, 1945 with their P-47N’s from their base on Ie Shima. From there, the group flew missions to Japan, Korea, and China attacking Japanese targets such as airfields, shipping, bridges, factories, and army bases. The group moved to Okinawa in January 1946 and remained there till they were inactived in May of the same year.
