German Pilots Laughed At The P-47 Thunderbolt, Until Its Eight .50s Rained Lead on Them Discover how the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt transformed from a mocked "flying milk bottle" into the Luftwaffe's most feared nightmare during World War II, as German pilots who initially laughed at the bulky American fighter learned to dread the devastating firepower of its eight .50 caliber machine guns that could destroy a Messerschmitt in seconds. This meticulously researched 12,000-word historical account t