The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was the largest and heaviest single-engine fighter to see service in WWII. In the early stages of the USAAF's campaign against "Fortress Europe," the P-47 was the only fighter able to provide the bombers with an escort until the ultimate escort, the P-51 B & D Mustangs entered service. However, far from making them obsolete, this freed the P-47s to attack ground targets, a role at which they excelled.
