A Destroyed Fortress at Brest
The 362nd Fighter Group was sent to bomb parts of the city and harbor of Brest on multiple occasions.
The German army fortified many of the port cities in France, and none were attacked with such ferocity as Brest. The photo shows the leftover rubble of one of these strongholds at Brest, which was bombed by pilots of the Ninth Air Force.
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
Colonel Joseph Laughlin Describes Devastation in Germany to his Hometown Newspaper
Colonel Laughlin describes the devastation inflicted on a region in Germany by his 362nd Fighter Groups
In this article, Colonel Laughlin describes what he sees on the ground after his 362nd Fighter Group bombed and strafed a region outside Mainz in Germany.
Grand Island Daily Independent
National Museum of the United States Air Force - Research Division
United States Air Force
March 19, 1945
1,000-lb Bomb for the P-47
The largest bomb for use by the P-47
P-47s were durable, easy to maneuver, and versatile. Its' versatility was in both the types of missions it could fly and the armament it could carry. For the bombing missions that involved large targets, like storage depots and ships, the 1,000-lb bomb proved most effective.
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
1940s
Armament on a P-47
The 500-lb. bombs affixed under the wings and the 8 .50-caliber machine guns on a P-47
The bombs were positioned just to the outside of the last machine gun, which was also where the bullets to the machine guns were stored in the wings. That made the wings the most vulnerable part of the plane, especially if the bombs had not been deployed yet.
Republic Aviation Corporation
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
1940s
A Damaged P-47
The durability of the P-47
The heavy P-47 Thunderbolt was built to withstand a lot of damage. According the the National Museum of the USAF, this P-47 from the Ninth Air Force landed with a hung up 500-lb bomb. The force of the landing made it detached and the explosion destroyed the aircraft. The pilot, however survived, and returned to duty not long after.
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
1940s
500-lb Bombs on a P-47
Two 500-lb bombs are affixed under each wing on a P-47
In addition to the .50-caliber machine guns, the P-47 was able to hold multiple kinds of bombs. This P-47 decorated as the one flown by Colonel Joseph Laughlin has 500-lb bombs attached under each wing. The planes were also capable of holding 1,000-lb general purpose bombs, 250-lb fragmentary bombs, 100-lb white phosphorous bombs, napalm, and air-to-ground-rockets.
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
1940s
A P-47 with Razorback Canopy
A P-47 with the Razorback canopy was flown by the 362nd Fighter Group until late 1944.
The original versions of the P-47 that were sent to the 362nd Fighter Group had the Razorback canopy. Pilots of the 362nd credit Colonel Laughlin with the change to the Bubble Top canopy, a positive change for visibility and accessibility. This photo shows a P-47 Razorback being prepped for a mission, with a fuel tank and two bombs already loaded under the plane.
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
1943-1944