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Service Details |
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Personal Details
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Home State
Indiana | |
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Year of Birth
1907 |
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This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SSgt Robert Bruce McClelland, Jr.
to remember
Sanders, Lewis Morgan (Lew, Ironass), Col.
If you knew or served with this Airman and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
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Contact Info
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Home Town
Elkhart, Indiana; Lillian, Alabama |
Last Address
Lillian, Alabama
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Date of Passing
Dec 22, 1984 |
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Location of Interment
Pine Rest Cemetery - Foley, Alabama |
Wall/Plot Coordinates
Not Specified |
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Last Known Activity
Not Specified
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Other Comments:
Citation for his Silver Star:
Awarded for actions during World War II
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant (Air Corps) Lewis M. Sanders, United States Army Air Forces, for gallantry in action while serving as a Pilot with the 46th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group, at Wheeler Field and over the Island of Oahu, Territory of Hawaii, and waters adjacent thereto, on 7 December 1941. During the surprise attack by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941, First Lieutenant Sanders took off with one flight for the purpose of attacking the invading forces, without first securing information as to the number or type of attacking Japanese aircraft. He proceeded to patrol the vicinity of Bellows Field, where he engaged six enemy planes. Although greatly outnumbered he succeeded in shooting down one enemy aircraft. First Lieutenant Sanders' initiative, presence of mind, coolness under fire, and expert maneuvering of his plane, contributed to a large extent toward driving off this sudden, unexpected enemy air attack.
General Orders: Authority: "Heroes of Pearl Harbor", Donald K. & Helen L. Ross
Action Date: December 7, 1941
Service: Army Air Forces
Rank: First Lieutenant
Company: 46th Pursuit Squadron
Regiment: 15th Pursuit Group
Sources:
https://aviation.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/A-Handful-of-Pilots.pdf
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From Year
1944 |
To Year
1945 |
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Aircraft/Missile Information
Specifications
StatsCentral
Model Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
Length 36.15 ft | 11.02 m
Width 40.68 ft | 12.40 m
Height 14.67 ft | 4.47 m
Engine(s) 1 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 Double-Wasp eighteen cylinder radial engine generating 2,535hp.
Empty Weight 9,949 lbs | 4,513 kg
MTOW 17,500 lbs | 7,938 kg
Max Speed 433 mph | 697 km/h | 376 kts
Max Range 449 miles | 722 km
Ceiling 40,994 ft | 12,495 m | 7.8 miles
Climb Rate 3,200 ft/min (976 m/min)
Hardpoints 3
Armament 8 x 12.7mm Machine Guns
10 x 5 in Air-to-Surface HE Rockets
Provision for bomb load, fuel drop tanks or rockets to a maximum of 2,500lbs (1,134kg).
Accommodations 1
Major Variants
* XP-47B - Prototype featuring XR-2800 radial generating 1,850hp.
* P-47B - Production model based on XP-47B prototype; R-2800-21 radial engine.
* P-47C - Extended fuselage; Later types of this model featuring R-2800-59 radial at 2,300hp; Provisions for drop tanks and bombs.
* P-47D - Main production model of which 12,602 produced; R-2800-21W (2,300hp) or R-2800-59W (2,535hp) water-injected radial powerplants; Increased MTOW capacity; Provision for drop tanks and air-to-surface HE rockets.
* P-47G - Wright-produced P-47D models of which 354 produced.
* P-47M - 'Sprinter' interception model designed to combat the V1 / V2 rocket threat; Featured specialized airbrake system and R-2800-57(C) radial generating 2,800hp; 130 produced.
* P-47N - Exclusive Pacific Theater model; Long range variant with increased and reinforced wing section of which 1,816 produced; Longer wingspan with blunt-tipped wing tips concealing fuel compartments; R-2800-77 radial generating 2,800hp.
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