December 1944 - The Battle of the Bulge begins, and U.S. troops are cornered. Enter the P-47 Thunderbolts of the 48th Fighter Group. Known as the "Grim Reapers," they flew into the storm, braving ...

The P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt were two of the most important American fighters of WWII. The Mustang had legendary range and speed, while the Thunderbolt was built like a flying tank.

In the 1930s, he created the Seversky P-35 for the U.S. Army Air Corps, which served as the model for the P-47. The new fighter made its first flight on May 6, 1941.

The P-47 was powered by a 2,000 horsepower engine and armed with eight .50 caliber machine guns, so the phrase thunder in the skies was not hyperbole.