1st Lt. 'Mike' Sobanski's P-47D Thunderbolt 42-7924 and another 334th Fighter Squadron aircraft - both equipped with 200-gallon external tanks - prepare to take-off at Debden. The ungainly external tank was referred to as a 'baby' by the crews, and when first employed, the store could not be jettisoned in flight. This was quickly rectified by groundcrews, who modified the tank mounts, but the drag-inducing 200-gallon store was soon replaced by streamlined, pylon-mounted, 75- and 108-gallon tanks.