A P-47 Thunderbolt of the 78th Fighter Group during a machine gun test, July 1943. Passed for publication 9 Jul 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'The defensive power of the Flying Fortresses. The extremely heavy defence of the Flying Fortresses has enabled them to fight their way through targets like Huls and Kiel in the face of the most intensive fighter opposition aerial warfare has ever seen. The result of these and other encounters has been the destruction of more than 1100 enemy aircraft. Formations of Flying Fortresses have an average of 12 1/2 .50 calibre machine guns per plane (which can be manned simultaneously by the usual crew of ten).' Printed caption also attached: '27050. A fighter - Thunderbolt - firing her 8 forward .50 calibre machine-guns into a sand target. Note the discharged shell cases leaving the machine. S.&G. G.C.' On reverse: Sport & General, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps].