As the jet aged dawned other USAAF squadrons were transitioning from props to “stovepipes” (as the jet engine was commonly called), the 92nd in Hawaii was defending the islands with the tried and true P-47 Thunderbolt. In fact, the “Jug” provided Hawaii’s air defense until well into the 1950s. This is not at all surprising: jets were needed in Korea, and besides, were someone to launch an aerial attack on Hawaii, it could not have been with jets (there were as yet no Soviet jet bombers, and the MiG-15 posed no threat to far-off Hawaii).
The P-47N was hardly a post war hand-me-down, as it was the ultimate Thunderbolt that saw limited service in the Pacific as the war drew to a close. The aircraft had excellent range and loiter ability, with features that made it very suitable for over-water operations. It would have made an excellent interceptor/strike aircraft.
Lucky dogs. Flying over massive water, with the tried and true PW-R-2800. The Jug would be fun duty. Were the USAAF pilots trained for any ship dive attacks? I know B-25’s did Pacific skip bombing.
That would indeed have been a great assignment. Blue skies, warm seas, and no ATC. You raise a good question regarding the possibility of an anti-shipping mission; The P-47 was an outstanding fighter bomber, but I would suspect that its primary purpose in Hawaii was air defense.
The Jive Bomber 
The P-47N was hardly a post war hand-me-down, as it was the ultimate Thunderbolt that saw limited service in the Pacific as the war drew to a close. The aircraft had excellent range and loiter ability, with features that made it very suitable for over-water operations. It would have made an excellent interceptor/strike aircraft.
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No “hand-me-down” indeed – the ’47 was a great aircraft.
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Lucky dogs. Flying over massive water, with the tried and true PW-R-2800. The Jug would be fun duty. Were the USAAF pilots trained for any ship dive attacks? I know B-25’s did Pacific skip bombing.
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That would indeed have been a great assignment. Blue skies, warm seas, and no ATC. You raise a good question regarding the possibility of an anti-shipping mission; The P-47 was an outstanding fighter bomber, but I would suspect that its primary purpose in Hawaii was air defense.
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Yes, but practicong dive attacks on unsuspecting fishermen would have broken up the boredom of air defense missions.
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