Colorized photo of ground crew loading .50 cal ammunition into a P-47 Thunderbolt. 1944.

Ground crew members carefully load .50 caliber M2 ammunition into the wings of a P-47 Thunderbolt, the legendary U.S. fighter of World War II. Each of its eight wing-mounted guns could hold up to 425 rounds, making the “Jug” a fearsome force in air-to-air combat and ground attack missions, built for durability and intense aerial battles in 1944.