P-47 Thunderbolt with the USAAF in the MTO, Asia and Pacific
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Author: Tomasz Szlagor
Publisher: Kagero
ISBN: 978-83-62878-67-3
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 96
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is well known, being a major force during the Second World War over Europe. While its operations with the 8th Air Force out of England are well covered, the P-47 also flew in the Mediterranean, China, and the Pacific. This new title in the Kagero SMI Library line documents those lesser-known Thunderbolt theaters, with the bonus inclusion of a decal sheet with three options presented in three scales.
While this book covers the smaller theaters, those areas of operation by no means featured limited P-47 usage. Quite a few units operated in the Mediterranean, and the Far East likewise featured extensive P-47 usage. Rather than providing detailed unit histories, this book chooses to examine each theater as more of a general overview, briefly touching on each of the major P-47 Fighter Groups. This general overview then provides a backdrop for more detailed information presented in the photo captions.
The photos are what really make this book shine, and there are some great shots presented here. The vast majority of photos are in black and white, a common feature for World War Two books, but there are a handful of color photos at the back of the book. The text is presented in both English and Polish, with the photo captions providing some great anecdotal information about the aircraft, squadrons, people, and weapons. One interesting tidbit on the latter are several photos showing early versions of napalm bombs, consisting of standard fuel tanks with regular 500lb bomb fins attached.
The included decal sheet provides markings in 1/32, 1/48, and 1/72 scales, which will appeal to a very broad modeling audience. There are three options presented, A P-47D from the 65th FS, 57th FG out of Corsica in 1944, A P-47N from the 333rd FS, 318th FG out of Ie Shima in 1945, and a P-47D from the 310th FS, 58th FG. All three offer some colorful options, from the red, white, and blue striped tail of the 58th FG to the large blue numbers of the 57th FG. You get nose art, names, colorful squadron insignia, and even a scoreboard. Printed by Cartograf, the decals are of very high quality.
For those looking for something a bit different from the usual 8th AF P-47, this is a great book to pick up. My thanks to Casemate Publishing for the review copy.