Introduced as a fighter escorts for bombers attacking the German homeland, the Republic Thunderbolt went through the Razorback and Bubbletop variations as it fulfilled its duty. The P-47M was a special high-speed fighter that was specially designed to counter German threats like the V-1 buzz bomb and new jet-powered fighters evolved by the Luftwaffe. The P- 47M featured a P-47D-28-RE airframe fitted with a high-powered R-2800-57 engine capable of top speed of 761km/h, while air brakes were installed underneath the wings to aid in deceleration. Rushed to service with the 56th Fighter Group in Europe, the P-47M only saw combat in the last few weeks of the war, yet achieved the distinction of downing a German Me262 jet fighter.