well it happened in real life a lot...not too much during dogfights but usually on straffing runs. but you will be amazed how much damage those planes can take...like the example below..which is from this thread:
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/avi...yle-24161.html
P-47 flown by Lt. Richard Sulzbach of the 364th Fighter Squadron, 350th Fighter Group, 12th Air Force. Lt. Sulzbach had a little run-in with some trees while on a strafing run over Italy. He was able to fly the plane 120 miles back to base.