During World War II, many American fighter planes, including the P-47D, flew in the skies over Europe. Sometimes, planes were damaged and forced to make emergency landings. Other times, they mistook the airfield and landed in enemy territory. During the war, the Germans captured at least three P-47Ds, which they used in training battles and various tests with other Allied aircraft, as well as for propaganda.

The German P-47D has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27. The Thunderbolt is an ideal high-speed fighter in terms of its characteristics: powerful armament, good maximum speed, excellent handling at high speeds, and high speed limit allow players to use air combat tactics favored by many, such as "Boom & Zoom" or attacks alike. However, it is large by fighter standards and has a low climb rate and almost no pilot armor. It is also inferior to many other fighters in a dogfight. This Thunderbolt differs from the P-47D-16-RE in that it has a bubble canopy and slightly different performance.