A Naval P-47?

[pampa14]

Looking for naval fighters on the web I found this article with pictures of Republic P-47 Thunderbolts embarked on aircraft carriers. There was a naval version of this plane? The report and photos, never seen by me before, can be viewed at the link below:


http://aviacaoemfloripa.blogspot.com.br ... naval.html


Best Regards!

[joost900]

Just google a little bit more and although Wiki you will have most of your answers.

Some of those pictures are P-47's on delivery. Also to the UK
Believe all P-47M's to 56th FG were ferried by a carrier, Becasue of wrong or no protection against salty seawater it caused corrosion in the engines and subsequently all of them needed engine changes.

Other story of P-47 flying of a carrier: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Manila_Bay_(CVE-61)

After loading 37 Army Republic P-47 Thunderbolts of the Army Air Forces' 73rd Fighter Squadron, 318th Fighter Group, Manila Bay sailed on 5 June for the Mariana Islands. Steaming via Eniwetok, she reached the eastern approaches to Saipan on 19 June. During the next 4 days, she remained east of the embattled island as ships and planes of the Fast Carrier Task Force repulsed the Japanese Fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and inflicted staggering losses on the enemy, crippling the Imperial Navy’s air strength permanently.

On 23 June, Manila Bay came under enemy air attack during refueling operations east of Saipan. Four Aichi D3A Val dive bombers attacked her from dead ahead, dropping their bombs which exploded wide to port. As a precautionary and rather unusual move which Raymond A. Spruance later characterized as "commendable initiative", Manila Bay launched four of the P-47 thunderbolts she was ferrying to fly protective CAP until radar screens were clear of contacts. The Army fighters then flew to Saipan, their intended destination. Manila Bay launched the remaining planes the next day and returned to Eniwetok, arriving on 27 June. After embarking 207 wounded troops, she departed on 1 July, touched Pearl Harbor on the 8th, and reached San Diego on 16 July.

Another of P-47 flying of a carrier: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sargent_Bay_(CVE-83)

Following shakedown, Sargent Bay completed a ferry trip to Saipan, carrying P-47 Thunderbolts of the 333rd Fighter Squadron, 318th Fighter Group. The squadron's aircraft were catapulted[citation needed] from her deck on 18 July, after which she reported to the 3rd Fleet at Pearl Harbor on 17 August. The following day, she sailed for Eniwetok and Manus Island, and on 6 November, departed the latter for the first of four tours of duty with underway replenishment groups off the Philippines. While the carrier's aircraft patrolled overhead, the other units of the replenishment groups provided fuel and replacement aircraft to the fast carriers, enabling them to remain at sea for extended periods. Later based at Ulithi, Sargent Bay remained on this duty until 27 January 1945, with individual tours at sea lasting from two to four weeks.

So it seems P-47's on carriers were on ferry, launched but never landed on a carrier.
No naval version in my opinion.