A jug in the Hudson

Bobzilla wrote: This is one of my favorite stories about the P47: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_S._Johnson

After pulling out of an uncontrolled spin and with the fire amazingly going out on its own, Johnson headed for the English Channel, but was intercepted by a single Fw 190. Unable to fight back, he maneuvered while under a series of attacks, and although sustaining further heavy damage from hundreds of 7.92 mm rounds, managed to survive until the German ran out of ammunition. The German rocked his wings to salute Johnson, then turned back. His opponent was likely the commander of III/JG 2, Oberst Egon Mayer, an infamous fighter ace.[2] [N 1]After landing, Johnson tried to count the bullet holes in his airplane, but gave up after the tally passed 200 - without even moving around the aircraft.

If you want the full version of that incident read "Thunderbolt" by Martin Caidin, Johnson's biography. He can't bail out--stuck in his plane because he can't retract the canopy due to 20mm cannon shell, can't see because of hydraulic fluid in his eyes, and a FW-190 pilot filling Johnson's '47 full of holes with nothing to stop him... Just waiting to sustain fatal damage to the plane and ride it all the way down.

stroker wrote:

Bobzilla wrote: This is one of my favorite stories about the P47: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_S._Johnson

After pulling out of an uncontrolled spin and with the fire amazingly going out on its own, Johnson headed for the English Channel, but was intercepted by a single Fw 190. Unable to fight back, he maneuvered while under a series of attacks, and although sustaining further heavy damage from hundreds of 7.92 mm rounds, managed to survive until the German ran out of ammunition. The German rocked his wings to salute Johnson, then turned back. His opponent was likely the commander of III/JG 2, Oberst Egon Mayer, an infamous fighter ace.[2] [N 1]After landing, Johnson tried to count the bullet holes in his airplane, but gave up after the tally passed 200 - without even moving around the aircraft.

If you want the full version of that incident read "Thunderbolt" by Martin Caidin, Johnson's biography. He can't bail out--stuck in his plane because he can't retract the canopy due to 20mm cannon shell, can't see because of hydraulic fluid in his eyes, and a FW-190 pilot filling Johnson's '47 full of holes with nothing to stop him... Just waiting to sustain fatal damage to the plane and ride it all the way down.

yEAH, I've read it before. IT's an awesome story of a determined man and plane.