While the Republic P-43 Lancer is a little-known step in the development of the famous P-47 Thunderbolt,
even more obscure is an aircraft it spawned, the YP-43L2 Lancer II.
The ultimate refinement of the original Lancer, this fighter had enough updates to be worthy of a new USAAF designation, but since it had been sold to congress as modification to an existing design, it would be branded with the ignominious P-43 number.
Officially known as the YP-43L2, this slick pursuit would be known in (very brief) service as the Lancer II or more often, the sobriquet from blistered ground crew, the "Lance it, too!"
The tight fit of the aircraft's panels aside, it was well-streamlined and powered by a 14 cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-2200 Twin Wasp II which gave the Lancer II a top speed of 387 m.p.h. and a ceiling just south of 40,000 feet.
The new fighter was heavily armed with two 20 mm cannon, two .50 caliber machine guns in the wings and two more .50s on the engine decking synchronized to fire through the propeller. The cowling blast tube fairings which were such a prominent feature of the P-43 were omitted on the P-43L2 to ease maintenance.
The Lancer II's sole claim to fame is local air defense during
the bombing of Boise City, Oklahoma in 1943.On that fateful (painfully early) morning, the continental United States was bombed for the first time, but unfortunately, by their own air force.
Fortunately, the service-test batch of Republic YP-43L2s was providing local air defense based just outside the sprawling metropolis of Enid.
At the first panicked sign of trouble, those brave pilots took to the sky to defend America from the enemy. Then they met the enemy only to discover that enemy was them.
A training flight of Flying Fortresses had gotten lost on their way to the bomb range. Before any guns could be fired in anger, YP-43L2 #76 "Little Luke" picked up the B-17s on a single side-band frequency and after verifying I.F.F. via the C-14 discriminator, was able to abort interception.
Even though no air victories were scored in that action, the fact that no actual axis enemy ever attacked Oklahoma during World War II is stunning testimony to the potency of this forgotten fighter.
Only built in small numbers, the Lancer II was superseded by better types before entering service and none survive today. Still, the YP-43L2 remains a crucial, if almost unknown, step closer to the legendary P-47 Thunderbolt.
Brian da Basher
