The P-47 The Thunderbolt rose to fame during WWII, with the aircraft and its pilots and crews accumulating an impressive record against ground targets, destroying a myriad of enemy trains, trucks, armored vehicles, artillery, and aircraft on the ground. The massive fighter's accomplishments were not limited to strafing and bombing runs; indeed, many P-47 jockeys earned their ace status flying the P-47 against the aircraft of the Luftwaffe and Japan, where the Thunderbolts, aided by external fuel tanks, provided long-range escort for bomber formations. Chronicles the development and use of the famed "Jug" from its genesis in the P-35 to the long-legged P-47N. Production by Republic and Curtiss is discussed, along with the numerous experimental variations that did not see production.