Robert Johnson, P-47 Ace

Robert Johnson

P-47B "Lucky"

Artwork and research are by;

Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette

There are 750 limited edition prints in this series. Print Size; 12x18"

Limited Edition are signed and numbered by the Artist and by P-47 Ace, Robert Johnson. $75.00

Poster Print $14.95

Poster prints are autographed by the artist only.

Here is Robert the mid-western young American.

Robert Johnson.

Barely one month before the United States entered World War II Robert S. Johnson entered the Army aviation cadet training program on November 11, 1941. Johnson started his training at Sikeston , Missouri and finished at Kelly Field, Texas where he received his wings and commission as second lieutenant in July 1942.

Johnson during training in a Ryan.

Robert was assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group where he was introduced to the new P-47 Thunderbolt. The Thunderbolt was an impressive fighter larger than anything else Johnson and his fellow pilots had flow. Johnson was impressed with the performance of the fighter considering its size. After the group checked out in the P-47 they waited their turn to be sent to the front which was in three different areas of the globe at the time. North Africa , England and the Pacific were in flames. The Axis was also in a winning position.

Finally the group received their orders and they were transferred to Boxed , England in April 1943. The group settled in to this new home and base. Practice flights around England showed Robert a different type of terrain than what he was us to back home. England was beautiful but the weather can be uncomfortable. Robert told me that when it rained it rained a lot. And the fogs were unbelievable. On one trip into the local town he said that the fog was so thick that he had to walk down the sidewalk keeping his hand on the side of the buildings to keep from getting totally lost in the mist.

Johnson with his P-47.

The group started flying their first missions and everyone was ready especially after reading every newspaper article about the great aerial clashes during the Battle of Britton. Robert and the rest of the group were inspired by the news reels they had watched at the local theatres back home in America . Films of combat were new to everyone and to actually see films of war was new and intriguing. Now Robert and the rest of his group were primed, trained and ready to fly and fight, this was their moment.

Robert earned his first aerial victory on June 13^th by downing a Focke-Wulf FW190 southwest of Burgues. Slowly he would gain not just one victory after another but would become famous for his many multiple victories during each mission. His next victory was on August 19^th this time against the notorious Messerschmitt 109. Five days later he was credited with damaging another Focke Wulf.

It was months before Robert would down another enemy fighter. People do not understand how many of our pilots would fly many missions and never encounter an enemy aircraft. That was a part of combat. With the battlefield being three-dimensional and spread over a vast area of the sky it was not that uncommon for a fighter pilot to miss the fray. Robert and his fellow pilots continued to escort bombers doing their jobs.

Johnson and Sgt. Penfold.

It was not until October before Robert would tangle with the Luftwaffe again. On October 8^th he downed another Focke Wulf giving him now three aerial victories and one damaged. Two days later on October 10^th he downed an Fw-190 and a twin engine Messerschmitt 110 fighter. As Robert winged over and headed back to base he knew he would be honored as an Ace. There were not that many Aces in the Group as yet so there would be a celebratory occasion.

By December 31, 1943 Johnson was a double ace with ten confirmed kills. This was truly an accomplishment that quickly earned him much respect with his fellow pilots. Robert served with Gabby Gabreski and many of our finest Aces. Gabby who ended the war as the top American ace in Europe gave Johnson credit as a gifted fighter with a keen eye, and the added ability to use the powerful Thunderbolt to its fullest capabilities.

"Lucky", the P-47B above was the aircraft that Johnson scored most of his victories while flying.

"Lucky", the second P-47 that Johnson flew was the fighter that he scored most of his victories in. The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was one of America ’s finest aircraft of World War II.

During his combat duty, Johnson increased his victories at a rapid pace with one triple and seven doubles all on single missions. Johnson was the first American ace to break Eddie Rickenbacker’s score who was our top ace in World War I with 26 Victories.

Johnson ended his combat duty in May 1944 as the second highest-scoring ace in Europe with 27 confirmed aerial victories. He also flew in the first raids on Berlin in some of the fiercest fighting of the war.

Johnson and scoreboard.

Johnson knew that his true number of aerial kills exceeded 35 aircraft and he never claimed any enemy aircraft that he destroyed on the ground, which were many.

It is an honor for me to be able to meet and work with Robert Johnson. A true American Hero who earned the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with 8 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Presidential Unit Citation with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the British Distinguished Flying Cross, the Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm, and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. Robert earned a total of 26 medals for his achievements.

Johnson and Sgt. Penfold.

Sgt. Penfold, Johnson, and Sam, his machine gun armor.

Fighter pilots of every nation would bond with the men that kept his fighter in the air. The ground crew and armor were a team who celebrated the success of the fighter pilot they worked with. Robert was a great guy and everyone loved him.