Curtis P-36 "Hawk" (USAF Museum)

In early 1935, the Air Corps was trying hard to prove the feasibility of operating under field conditions as self-contained units. Aiding the cause, the 36th Pursuit Squadron participated in exercises the Southeastern US, specifically designed to test those theories.

By 1940, the war clouds were darkening over Europe and it looked like the U.S. would soon be pulled into the conflict. In October 1940 in a program to test and develop procedures for possible wartime use, the 8th Pursuit Group made the first launch of Army Air Forces fighters from an aircraft carrier. In the test, the group launched twenty five P-40 fighters from the U.S.S. Wasp east of Norfolk, Virginia, and flew to Langley Field. (NOTE: The 8th Fighter Group had P-40s before WWII, then in 1943 and into early 1944 while assigned to the 5th AF for combat.)

According to the Web-birds.com: "The 8th provided the talent to set up the first Air Defense Control Center in Boston and later in New York City where Brigadier General James E. Chaney was in command at Mitchel Field.

With the development of the Curtis P-40 new tactics and procedures were introduced and a litany of firsts began when 25 P-40s were launched from the USS Wasp on October 14, 1940. (NOTE: The 8th FW History states "Significantly, on 11 October 1940, the 8th Pursuit Group participated in a test designed to compare the take-off runs of standard Navy and Army aircraft. On that day, 24 P-40s from the 8th Pursuit Group launched from the USS Wasp, an aircraft carrier, and returned to Langley Field. That experiment, the first time that Army planes had flown from a Navy carrier, foreshadowed the use of the ship in the ferry role that it performed admirably in World War II.)

In November 1940, the group moved to Mitchel Field, New York, where it became responsible for the air defense of New York City. The 33rd Pursuit Squadron transferred to another unit in Iceland in August 1941, leaving the group with two flying squadrons -- the 35th and 36th Pursuit Squadrons.

The 33rd Pursuit Squadron transferred to another unit in Iceland in August 1941, leaving the group with two flying squadrons, the 35th and 36th Pursuit Squadrons. Using procedures developed at Langley, the air portion of the Task Force sent to Iceland early in 1941 was built around the 33rd Squadron. E. M. Morris was the designated Commander of the Air Units and the P-40s were delivered by Carrier. It is reported that Lt. Joseph D. R. Shaffer was responsible for downing a Folke-Wulfe 200K, the first Nazi aircraft before hostilities, for which he received a Silver Star.

In January of 1941, Captain Frederic H. Smith took command with training in all departments emanating from Mitchel Field to surrounding States thoroughly testing radio and communications. In preparation for moving, experimentation in packaging and all phases, then putting it to the test in maneuvers through Louisiana, South Carolina finally Greensboro, North Carolina with the new P39 Aircobra. The information obtained from these field tests proved most valuable when War began just a few days upon the 8ths return to Mitchel Field. Fearing an attack by German Submarines and rumors of the enemy just offshore, the Squadrons were deployed along the East Coast.

To replace the 33rd now in Iceland the 58th was activated then transferred to form the 33rd Fighter Group.

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The following excerpted from Baugher Site:

Curtis P-40 Warhawk/Kittyhawk/Tomahawk: In the late 1930s, the USAAC was planning to expand its force, and on January 25, 1939. manufacturers were invited to submit proposals for pursuit aircraft. The Army was still thinking in terms of low-altitude, short-range fighters. Among the contenders were the Lockheed XP-38, the Bell XP-39, the Seversky/Republic XP-41 (AP-2) and XP-43 (AP-4), and no less than three planes from Curtiss, the H75R, XP-37, and XP-42. Although the XP-40 could not match the performance (especially at altitude) of the turbosupercharged types, it was less expensive and could reach quantity production fully a year ahead of the other machines. In addition, the XP-40 was based on a already-proven airframe that had been in production for some years. Consequently, on April 26, 1939, the Army adopted a conservative approach and ordered 524 production versions under the designation P-40 (Curtiss Model 81). At that time, it was the largest-ever production order for a US fighter, and dwarfed the service test orders placed that same day for YP-38 and YP-39 fighters. A couple of weeks later, 13 YP-43s were also ordered.


Curtis P-40 Warhawk with AVG markings

The P-40 was similar to the final XP-40 configuration except for the use of 1040 hp V-1710-33 (C15) engines. The armament was the standard USAAC armament of the day-two 0.50-inch machine guns, mounted in the upper nose and synchronized to fire through the propeller arc. Provisions were made for the mounting of one 0.30-inch machine gun in each wing. Flush riveting was used to reduce drag. Armor, bulletproof windshields, and leakproof fuel tanks were not initially fitted, were later added to the aircraft while it was in in service. The P-40 was a relatively clean design, and was unusual for the time in having a fully retractable tailwheel.

The first flight of a P-40 (Ser No 39-156) was on April 4, 1940. Maximum speed was 357 mph at 15,000 feet, service ceiling was 32,750 feet, and initial climb rate was 3080 feet per minute. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 5.2 minutes. Cruising speed was 272 mph, landing speed was 80 mph, and the range at 250 mph was 950 miles. The length of the P-40 was 31 feet 8 3/4 inches, which became standard for all early models. Weights were 5376 pounds empty, 6787 pounds gross, and 7215 pounds maximum.

Deliveries of the P-40 to Army units began in June of 1940. Three of the P-40s were used for service testing, the USAAC contract making no provisions for the standard practice of supplying YP models. They were delivered with full camouflage applied-olive drab on the top and grey on the undersides. The standard rudder stripes and star insignia were applied to both wings.

The first USAAC units to operate the P-40 were the 33rd, 35th and 36th Pursuit Squadrons of the 8th Pursuit Group, based at Langley Field, Virginia. It was soon followed by the 55th, 77th, and 79th Pursuit squadrons of the 20th Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Michigan, and the 21th, 34th, and 70th Pursuit Squadrons of the 35th Pursuit group which trained on P-40s prior to being issued with P-39s. Foreign air forces were beginning to take notice of the P-40, and in May of 1940, the Armee de l'Air of France placed an order for 140 H-81As (export model of the P-40).

The P-40 lacked such things as armor for the pilot, self-sealing fuel tanks, and a bulletproof windshield, so it was not considered as being suitable for combat. On October 22, 1942, those P-40s still in USAAF service were ordered restricted from combat duty and were redesignated RP-40.

The P-39 Airacobra was one of the most unusual single-seat fighters ever ordered by the Army Air Corps. It had been a standard practice among manufacturers to design an airplane around an engine. However, this was the first time a plane had been designed around a gun; the American Armament Corporation's 37-millimeter cannon.

The Bell engineers wanted to mount the cannon so it would fire directly through the propeller shaft. This meant the engine would have to be located deep in the fuselage, behind the pilot, so he would have access to the breech mechanism of the cannon. This, in turn, dictated that the machine should have a tricycle landing gear--the first such gear ever used on a production fighter.

The Air Corps ordered one XP-39 on October 7, 1937. The plane was ready for flight testing in April 1939, and that same month Bell was contracted to build another 13 for service testing. Meanwhile, various design changes were made in the XP-39 to improve performance. one of these changes was to eliminate the supercharger, which lowered the effective operating altitude.

The P-39 Airacobra had a tricycle landing gear. It was the first such gear ever used on a production fighter. Eighty production models of the P-39 were ordered by the Air Corps in August 1939. Before the first of these was delivered, the French ordered the airplane in quantity. When France was defeated in 1940, the order was taken over by the British Purchasing Commission.

Production models of the P-39C started arriving at Air Corps squadrons in January 1941; six months later the first Airacobras reached England. The British had planned to order 675 of the planes, but after disappointing combat experience, the order was canceled. At that time, the Royal Air Force needed planes for aerial fighting, and while they found the Airacobra fine for low-level operations, performance fell off sharply at high altitudes.

About 9,560 of the planes were produced, approximately half of which were sent to Russia under the Lend-Lease program.

When Japan attacked the United States, the P-39 and the Curtiss P-40 were the principal American land based fighters. Airacobras first went into action against the Japanese in April 1942. Three months later they made their first sortie in Europe--and six of the 12 planes that took off failed to return to their base.

The Airacobra was never outstanding in combat. Ironically it was extremely difficult to service because of the engine placement. However, it was excellent for low-level operations against ground targets. About 9,560 of the planes were produced, approximately half of which were sent to Russia under the Lend-Lease program. The final model, the P-63 Kingcobra, was considerably improved.

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Maximum Speed: 368 mph (592 km/h) @ 12,000 ft (3,658 m)
Service Ceiling: 32,100 ft (9,784 m)
Range: 1,545 miles (2,486 km)
Powerplant: Allison V-1710-35 , 1,150 hp 12-cylinder Inline Vee, Liquid cooled.
Armament: One 37 mm cannon. Two .50 inch machine guns. Four .30 inch machine guns. Bomb load 500 lb (227 kg).

Pearl Harbor Attacked (7 Dec 41) On December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and on December 17, 1941, the group was alerted for overseas deployment. Ten days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the group received orders to relocate to the Pacific Theater.

Numerous pilots who would later become post-War leaders would come from this group. Two of them being Lt. Gen. Glenn O. Barcus, who served as the CO of the 35th Pursuit Squadron and later the commanding general of 5th Air Force in the Korean War. Another Lt. Gen. William D. Eckert who served with the 36th Pursuit Squadron and later became the comptroller of the Air Force.

The 8th Pursuit Group in World War II

Acknowledgement: Special thanks to Dino Cerutti of New York City for his narratives and photos of the 36th Fighter Squadron (Interceptor), 8th Fighter Group during World War II and during the Occupation at Ashiya AFB, Japan.

"BLACK PANTHERS" 35th FS

"FLYING FIENDS" 36th FS

"HEADHUNTERS" 80th FS

8th Pursuit Group Departs for Australia When World War II started in December 1941, the 8th Pursuit Gp (Interceptor) was attached to the I Interceptor Command, 1st Air Force at Mitchel Fld, NY with the 35th Pursuit Sqd (Interceptor) and 36th Pursuit Sqd (Interceptor) flying Bell P-39 Airacobras. After the outbreak of the war, America scrambled to mobilize. The 80th Pursuit Squadron was activated January 6, 1942 at Mitchell Field, N.Y. and attached to the 8th Pursuit Group (Interceptor).

One must remember that in the early months of 1942, the outlook for the U.S. forces in the Pacific was very bleak. The allies were being pushed back by the Japanese on all fronts -- and the Philippines was about to fall. A report of February 27, 1942 read,

"SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): The Battle of Java Sea. Allied air and naval units try to stop a convoy of some 80 ships approaching Java from the NE. All available B-17's, A-24's, P-40's and LB-30's are put into the air but achieve only insignificant results. An Allied naval force, 5 cruisers and 11 destroyers, under Rear Admiral Karel W Doorman, Royal Netherlands Navy, meets the enemy near Surabaya, Java and is decisively defeated, losing 5 ships. Most of the 5th Air Force ground echelon in Java is evacuated by sea. The SS Sea Witch delivers 27 crated P-40's to Tjilatjap, Java, but these will be destroyed to prevent their falling into Japanese hands. 32 P-40's aboard the Seaplane Tender USS Langley (AV-3), which sailed from Australia for India on 23 Feb, are lost when the USS Langley is sunk by aircraft 100 mi (160 km) S of Tjilatjsp. The pilots are rescued by other vessels in the convoy, but the enemy sinks these ships with the exception of a destroyer, which delivers 2 of the pilots to Perth, Australia. 13th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives at Melbourne, Australia from the US with B-17's; first mission is Oct 42." Things were not looking good. In April it looked even bleaker. Reports read, "Japanese capture Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands after 3 months. The US-Philippine forces surrender unconditionally. Japanese artillery emplaced on Bataan opens fire on Corregidor Island in conjunction with air attacks."

Move to Antill Plains According to E. Dunn, the 8th Pursuit Group consisted of the Headquarters, the 35th Fighter (Pursuit) Squadron, the 36th Fighter (Pursuit) Squadron, the 80th Fighter (Pursuit) Squadron, and the 683 Ordinance Coy., 2 & 3 Platoon. The 8th Fighter Group Headquarters was based at Antill Plains airfield where there were 2 landing strips.

The 35th PS then moved to Woodstock outside of Townsville on April 26, 1942.

The 36th PS moved to Lowood on March 13, 1942 and then in April 1942 they moved to Antill Plains airfield near Townsville where there were 2 landing strips. The moved with their P-39's and P-400's (a variation of the P-39).

The 80th PS moved to Lowood airfield on 13 March 1942. By 10 May 1942, the 80th PS had moved from Lowood airfield to Petrie air field, just north of Brisbane where they trained for combat for 2 months.

Move to Port Moresby, New Guinea for 35th & 36th Pursuit Squadrons However, on April 26, 1942, the 35th and 36th Pursuit Squadrons (Interceptor) transfered from Brisbane and Townsville, Australia respectively to Port Moresby, New Guinea with their P-39's and P-400's (a slightly inferior export variation of the P-39). According to the Web-birds.com: "On April 26 while the U.S. Navy was preparing to engage the Japanese invasion fleet headed for Port Moresby, men from the 35th and 36th arrived at the 7 mile strip where the 75th and 76th Australian Squadrons were sacrificing their last P-40s to the Japanese Zero's. When "Buzz" Wagner arrived with the first flight of P-39s his first act included preparation and take-off over the Owen Stanley Range to surprise the Japanese at Lae. Meanwhile the Japanese fleet withdrew from the intended invasion and the Battle of the Coral Sea."

They arrived in Port Moresby on 30 April 1942, but periodically returned to Townsville for various rest and re-equipment tasks. Dedicated mainly to air defense, the group occasionally attacked ground targets, flying its first offensive mission on 30 April 1942, by strafing aircraft and fuel dumps at Lae and Salamaua. On this mission, 1Lt. George B. Greene of the 35th Pursuit Squadron scored the group's first aerial victory by shooting down a Japanese plane.

The following is an account by at 2d Lt Donald McGee assigned to the 36th Pursuit Squadron:

We sailed from San Francisco on January 6, 1942. Our unescorted convoy consisted of the S.S Mariposa and the S.S President Coolidge. After we arrived in Melbourne, Australia, on January 31, the 9th Squadron was sent to the Williamtown RAAF station, near Newcastle, where we waited for our planes to arrive. None of us had yet flown fighter aircraft, so we tried to snatch a few flying hours in a Wirraway loaned to us by the RAAF. Also, I jumped into a wrecked P-40E as often as possible to "cockpit-check" myself-when our P-40s started to arrive, I wanted to be one of the first to check out. After being designated to fly "that one over there," I grabbed the bit and ran. But the exuberance of youth wasn't all that was required to do the job right and, in less than an hour, I found myself in pretty much the same state as the guy who had wrecked that other P-40. Not long after this, the 49th Group started receiving pilots who had had combat experience in the Philippines and Java, so most of us were transferred to the 8th Pursuit Group, which was then arriving in Brisbane. When the experienced combat pilots had trained my fellow novices who remained with the unit, the 49th moved up to Darwin. Meantime, my contemporaries and I from the 9th Squadron were assigned to the 8th Group's 36th Squadron when we reached Lowood Station, near Brisbane. We began checking out in P-39Ds.

Then we moved to Antil Plains, a grass strip near Townsville. Most of us had, ten to fifteen hours of fighter transition but no high-performance or gunnery training when we were ordered to proceed to Port Moresby, New Guinea. The 36th Pursuit Squadron left Townsville for Port Moresby on April 26, 1942, stopping that night at Cairns. Both the 35th Squadron, from Woodstock, and the 36th Squadron, from Antil Plains, made this move together. We stayed at Cairns on April 27, probably to patch up a few broken birds. I logged a 40-minute local flight there in the afternoon. This was probably to check out work on my prop, since I was flying an F-model P-39 whose prop spattered oil all over the windshield and took out any forward vision. On April 28, we moved on to Horn Island, arriving there just after a raid by the Japanese. Their leavings were a burned-up B-25 and a couple of wrecked Aussie aircraft. We flew a field-cover mission right after arrival, and I logged two hours and 30 minutes. Next day, on April 30, we took off for Port Moresby; ruining our arrival to be after noon because we expected that any raids by the Japanese would be over by then. We were 'told that the runway at 7-Mile Strip was very narrow and that we should clear straight ahead after landing and then taxi back on the dirt track at our right. By the time we arrived, ole Lucky Pierre here had a windshield full of dust and prop oil again, so another blind landing was necessary. That was no big deal except that Izzy Toubman, our operations officer, was taxiing back on the runway as I came in. I couldn't see his plane until just before we hit wingtips - my left to his left. This wouldn't have been a big deal, because the damage was slight, but it kept me off our first attack on Lae.

This attack was cooked up and led by Lieutenant Colonel Boyd "Buzz" Wagner, from V Fighter Command, that same afternoon. I stopped my bitching about this turn of events by extracting a promise from 1/Lt Bill Meng, our acting CO, that I'd be on the first field-cover patrol the next day. That promise was kept, and it resulted in my shooting down the 36th's first Zero. That day, May 1, we were out of bed at about 0400; had a breakfast of bread, Australian canned jam, and tea; and got to the flight line before daylight. Leading the field-cover patrol was 1/Lt Don Mainwaring. On his wing was 2/Lt Patrick "Army" Armstrong. I led the second element, but my wingman never got airborne. The three of us climbed to about 8,000 feet and covered an area north and northwest of the field, expecting to meet any raids coming in from Lae. After two hours or so we were supposed to be relieved, so Don started back toward the field and set us up in trail formation for landing. We peeled normally and took our distance for landing, but, as I broke, I could see that the near half of the runway was covered in ground fog. Don continued his pattern and tried to land through the fog, but he hit hard and wiped out his landing gear. He called on the radio and told us not to try to land, that the runway was blocked. Army and I pulled up and broke out of the traffic pattern. Army chose to stay down low because he was low on gas, but I told him I was going to get some altitude. I was low on gas, too, but I didn't want to get caught down there if a raid came in. Also, if I ran out of fuel before the runway was cleared, I wanted to be able to pick a soft spot to dead-stick it in. I had just reached 3,500 feet when our controller started yelling, "Zeros attacking the field!" I looked back and started a turn toward the field, but I didn't see any Zeros. Then I gulped and checked my gas. The gauges registered just under 20 gallons, which, in combat, would last about 9 minutes. I was heading in a northerly direction when I saw a single Zero making a run from south to north across our revetment area. I had a debate with myself here, the gist of which was, `It's not smart to jump into a fight with no gas. I'm down low at low airspeed. I can't out-turn a Zero. They left me off the mission yesterday. Piss on it, I'm goin’ in !

I rolled in on the Zero and pushed over. To conserve fuel, I did not push it to full power. The pilot of the Zero hadn't seen me, and I didn't see several other Zeros above. As I closed in-too slowly-I tried to figure out which crossbar in, the gunsight I was supposed to use. Giving up, I simply worked the whole sight out in front of the enemy plane and fired a burst at about 40 degrees deflection. The tracers flew by the Zero on the right side. I adjusted-my lead and fired another burst. The tracers flew by just under my target. Adjusting again, I pulled the sight farther out in front, raised rit some, and fired at about 15 degrees deflection. This time, the tracers covered an area in front of and all around the :enemy plane. There was no fire or smoke, but the Zero rolled slowly to the left as if to start a split-S. I followed the Zero, but, suddenly, I realized that we were only about 150 feet off the ground ! I pulled out at just about the level of the trees and saw the explosion over my right shoulder as the Zero hit the ground. I assume my bullets had the pilot. Then all hell broke loose. A mess of red balls surrounded coming from my left, so I automatically broke hard left, fled too hard, snap-stalled as I tightened the turn, popped the stick (quickly pushed it forward to break the stall), and overed. Then I was surrounded by red balls coming from the right, so I yanked the airplane around to the right: suddenly realizing that I had given one of my pursuers a sharp, no-deflection shot, I thought, "I got me one, but I'm gonna be around to tell anybody about it." As I racked plane around to the right, I snap-stalled again, spun, and veered just about at treetop level. I was now headed not for Port Moresby, but the sea, so I hugged the treetops, and started jinking violently so I could keep those others from getting a good shot at me. That I had the good sense to do the jinking, I attribute to Captain Ajax Baumler, who had shot down 8 planes while flying for the Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War and had been our tactics instructor at Selma.

I looked back and saw that I had three Zeros lined up in back of me. The closest one was getting a burst in now and then. He missed me on my right, on my left, and over the top, so I knew the jinking was working well, but it still made me flinch when I saw the guns blinking at me. I wondered what it was going to feel like when I got hit. But, one by one, they gave up the chase. Then I only had to think about how far I'd have to swim home if my gas gave out before I reached land again. As soon as the last Zero left, I turned around immediately, staying down on the water. I practically followed the last Zero in as he climbed out to the north. Then, as I crossed the south end of 7-Mile Strip, still at treetop level, I dropped the gear, made a left pattern, and landed. As I turned off the runway, I saw that several of the ground crewmen were pointing at my airplane, so, with pride in my victory, I stuck my arm out of the window and held up one finger. Then the engine quit - out of gas. The pointing, I learned, was at the damage to my aircraft. It had taken two 20mm hits in the tail, one on each side of the rudderpost, with plenty of little shrapnel holes in the horizontal stabilizer and elevators. There were five 7.7mm holes in the left wing root, four in the right wing root, and one in the top of my canopy. That one had taken my sunglasses off my head without even scratching me (the glasses were a mess, though).

The shooter's cowl guns had apparently straddled me. The Zero I shot down was the first confirmed victory for the 36th Pursuit Squadron. Confirmation was easy since the Zero had gone down only about a mile from the field. Later confirmations were a lot more difficult to come by, and several were lost entirely.

Aerothentic Comment – The Zero shot down was that flown by Petty Officer First Class Yoshisuke Arita. It crashed on top of a hill, later named by the Americans as “Bitsabishi Hill”. The next day, 2nd May 1942, Don McGee scored another Zero probable near Port Moresby (Leading Airman Haruo Kawanishi), and on 29th May 1942, he claimed two more Zeros, about 50 miles southeast of Port Moresby, one of them is confirmed as Petty Officer Second Class Hisao Komori. All Japanese losses were from the Tainan Kokutai, then based at Lae.

After flying 154 combat missions, Captain McGee returned to U.S in November 1943. He was assigned as a P-47 instructor in a replacement unit at Hillsgrove, Rhode Island, and to piloting target fighters for B-24 gunners at Charleston, South Carolina. He arrived in England as a volunteer replacement pilot in September 1944, where he obtained an assignment with the 357th Fighter Group, a P-5I Mustang unit. His sixth and final air-to-air kill of the war, a Bf-109, was scored near Magdeburg, Germany, on 2nd March 1945.

During the month of May the 35th and 36th were experiencing not only daily and night raids, but endured the shortage of food, excessive heat, rain, mud, mosquito's and necessary parts for planes and vehicles plus continuous alerts, bombing and strafing.

Returning to Townsville in June, Major William H. Wise became Commanding Officer and the 8th became the 8th Fighter Group. The 35th and 36th Squadrons were equipped and prepared to leave for Oro Bay when word was received that the Japanese began offensive action to occupy the same territory.

80th move to Port Moresby, New Guinea On May 15, 1942 the designation of Pursuit Group changed to Fighter Group. According to Peter Dunn's AUSTRALIA @ WAR, the 8th Fighter Group became known as "Cyclone's Flying Circus" in honor of their commander Captain Emmett "Cyclone" Davis.

After their two-month training period at Petrie airfield, Australia, on July 20, 1942 twelve P-400's of the 80th flew to 7 Mile airfield outside Port Moresby, New Guinea. The unit's first combat mission was flown from Port Moresby, New Guinea, on July 22.

The unit provided air cover for B-25s striking Japanese convoys off Burma. They began air operations out of Brisbane's Municipal airport on July 29, 1942 and participated in missions to Buna strafing Japanese barges, intercepting Japanese aircraft, escorting Douglas A-24 divebombers to Buna, and escorting transport and bombing missions in the Buna and Kokoda Trail areas, carrying out dive-bombing missions at Myola Lake. The 80th PS then moved to Garbutt airfield in Townsville.

On August 26, 1942, the 80th Pursuit Squadron scored its first aerial victories scoring six kills against Japanese aircraft. In August 1942 the Japanese invaded Milne Bay where it was reported that the 8th Fighter Control Squadron played an important part of the ground defense with four wheel drive vehicles capable of moving supplies and ammo through mud to the ground personnel.

8th Fighter Group moves to Milne Bay, New Guinea On September 18, 1942 the 8th Fighter Group moved to Papua, New Guinea. The group headquarters moved to Milne Bay, New Guinea. The 35th and the 36th replaced the Australian 75th and 76th in Milne Bay on September 18, 1942 with the 80th following on November 8 for limited air action.

By November 10, 1942, the 80th Fighter Squadron moved from Seven Mile (outside Port Moresby) to Turnbull Field at Milne Bay to assist the 35th and 36th Squadrons. There the 8th Fighter Group escorted transports and shipping and made local patrols. During these early operations, the group and its squadrons concentrated on defense of Australia and Allied territory in New Guinea, but occasionally conducted offensive operations. Despite numerous problems in these early stages of the war with Japan, the 8th earned its first Distinguished Unit Citation.

8th Fighter Group moves back to Townsville War records indicate that the men in the Group were all getting sick with malaria and were being sent back to the hospital in Townsville. Over half of the personnel were affected. Many hitched rides on aircraft returning to Garbutt airfield after bombing missions to New Guinea. The 35th Fighter Group replaced the 8th Fighter Group in Port Moresby. The 8th Fighter Group were moved back to Townsville, Mareeba, Australia for rest, recuperation and re-equipment.

80th Pursuit Squadron Reequips with P-38 Lightnings In February of 1943 the Group returned to Mareeba where the 80th was equipped with the famed P-38 which they took to Port Moresby in March of '43 to begin an illustrious record of achievement.

"Attack & Conquer
8th Fighter Group in World War II"
John C. Stanaway & Lawrence J. Hickey

Dino Cerutti of New York City wrote, "You really should get that book Attack & Conquer. It is 320 glossy pages long, 9x11 and has loads of photos, some of which I supplied. It is published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. of Alglen, PA."

During the month of May men were selected from all departments to return to Amberly Field near Townsville to activate the 475th Fighter Group who would fly the Lightning P-38. From March 1943 to June 1944, Col. Leonard B. Storm; Maj. Philip H. Greasley and Lt. Col. Emmett S. "Cyclone" Davis with action on Cape Gloucester, New Britain, Nadzab, Owi, Schouten Island, Morotai, Dulag, Leyte, San Jose, Mindoro and le Shima.

On December 7, 1942, 1Lt. George S. Welch shot down three Japanese aircraft to raise his personal total to seven kills and became the 8th Fighter Group's first ace. However, Lt. Welch's first four kills did not come with the 8th. He had been assigned to the 47th Pursuit Squadron at Wheeler Field on December 7th. (Go to Welch for the full story.)

In January 1943, the 8th Fighter Group was re-equipped with higher performance Lockheed P-38D "Lightnings", which it operated for the rest of the war. The new Lockheed P-38D "Lightnings" improved the performance over the P-39 & P-400s Airacobras, but they were still inferior to the Japanese Zeros.

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The following is from Aviation History:

P-38 with battle damage
to right wing from Iwo Jima

P-38 Lightning: The Lightning designed by Lockheed engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson and his team of designers, represented one of the most radical departures from tradition in American fighter development. The Lightning was a complete break-away from conventional airframe design, power, and at long last, armament. Not only did it have twice the power and almost twice the size of its predecessors, but with no less than four .50 cal. machine guns plus a 20 mm cannon, the P-38 had enough firepower to sink a ship--and sometimes did. Concentrated in the central fuselage pod, the guns fired parallel which eliminated a need for a propeller synchronizer. The Lightning tricycle landing gear and twin-boom configuration completed the list of major deviations from what might he considered conventional Army fighters. In this respect, it was very unusual that the Lightning design progressed beyond the testing stage; such radical concepts seldom achieved production status. But the simple fact was that the P-38 design worked and the Army seemed to have found its dream plane in this 400 mph fighter.

The XP-38, 37-457, was built under tight secrecy and made its maiden flight on January 27, 1939, with Air Corps test pilot and P-38 project officer, Lt. Benjamin S. Kelsey, at the controls. The P-38's performance justified Lockheed's investment of nearly $6,000,000 of its own funds to complete the prototype. The Army was so delighted with the big new fighter, it lifted the wraps of secrecy from the plane for a transcontinental speed dash on February 11, 1939. This event was marred by a crash when Kelsey undershot the runway at Mitchell Field, NY. Kelsey survived the crash and remained an important part of the Lightning program. The airplane was written off, but Lockheed received a contract for thirteen YP-38s along with the usual list of improvements. The XP-38 had been powered by two liquid cooled, Allison V-1710 engines turning 11 1/2 foot Curtiss Electric, inward turning, counter-rotating propellers. With the YP-38s and all subsequent Lightings, the propellers rotated outward negating torque when both engines were operating (A batch ordered by Britain did not have counter-rotating propellers.) One XP-38A was built with a pressurized cabin. Armament on the YPs was altered by replacement of two of the .50s with .30s, and the 20 mm cannon gave way to a 37 mm. But even before the YP-38s were completed, the original machine gun arrangement was standardized for production types. The first production order was 35 P-38Ds, followed by 210 P-3XEs which reverted back to the 20 mm cannon. These planes began to arrive in October 1941, just before America entered World War II. With the P-38D came self sealing fuel tanks and armor protection for the pilot. The Lightning was ready for war!

A major problem surfaced with the loss of control in a dive caused by aerodynamic compressibility. During late spring 1941, Air Corps Major Signa A. Gilke encountered serious trouble while diving his Lightning at high-speed from an altitude of 30,000 ft (9,120 m). When he reached an indicated airspeed of about 320 mph (515 kph), the airplane's tail began to shake violently and the nose dropped until the dive was almost vertical. Signa recovered and landed safely and the tail buffet problem was soon resolved after Lockheed installed new fillets to improve airflow where the cockpit gondola joined the wing center section. Seventeen months passed before engineers began to determine what caused the Lightning's nose to drop. They tested a scale model P-38 in the Ames Laboratory wind tunnel operated by the NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) and found that shock waves formed when airflow over the wing reached transonic speeds and became turbulent. Lockheed never remedied this problem but the firm did install dive recovery flaps under each wing in 1944 to restore lift and smooth the airflow enough to maintain control when diving at high-speed.

The fastest of the Lightnings was the P-38J with a top speed of 420 mph, and the version produced in the greatest quantity was the "L", of which 3,735 were built by Lockheed and 113 by Vultee. The P-38L was powered by two 1,475 hp Allison V1710-111 engines. As with any long-term production aircraft, the P-38 underwent many modifications. The P-38J intakes under the engines were enlarged to house core-type intercoolers. The curved windscreen was replaced by a flat panel, and the boom mounted radiators were enlarged. Some were fitted with bombardier type noses, and were used to lead formations of bomb-laden P-38s to their targets. The P-38M was a two-seat radar-equipped night fighter, a few of which had become operational before the war ended. One interesting variation had an elevated tail assembly on upswept booms; another one had an elongated center pod and was used for airfoil evaluation. The dimensions of the P-38 remained the same throughout production, its wing spanning 52 feet with an area of 328 square feet. overall length was 37 feet 10 inches; height was 12 feet 10 inches. The P-38L weighed 12,800 pounds empty and 17,500 pounds gross. Thus, the P-38 was the largest, heaviest, and fastest "P" type to date. An internal fuel capacity of 410 gallons could be increased to 1,010 gallons with two external drop tanks and gave the Lightning a range of 450 miles, making it the first fighter suitable as a long-range bomber escort. In addition to its devastating nose armament, the P-38 could carry up to 4,000 pounds of external weapons including bombs and rockets.

Specifications: Lockheed P-38L Lightning

Dimensions:
Wing span: 52 ft. 0 in (15.84 m) 12:49 PM 4/14/2000
Length: 37 ft. 10 in. (11.53 m)
Height: 12 ft. 10 in. (3.91 m)

Weights:
Empty: 14,100 lb. (6,395 kg)
Operational: 17,500 lb. (7,937 kg)

Performance:
Maximum Speed: 390 mph (627 km/h) @ 15,000 ft. (4,572 m)
Service Ceiling: 40,000 ft. (12,192 m)
Range: 900 miles (1,448 km) @ 30,000 ft. (9,144 m)

Powerplant: Two Allison V-1710-111/113 , liquid cooled engines. Engine power developed 1,425 hp (1,062 kw) @ sea level and 26,500 ft. (8,077 m). Under war emergency conditions 1,600 h.p. (1,193 kw) was available.

Armament: One 20 mm. Hispano AN-M2C cannon. and four .50 calibre Browning machine guns. External bomb load of 4,000 lbs. or ten 5 in. rockets.

P-38 Putt Putt Maru
(Click on Image to Enlarge)

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning racked up an impressive series of "firsts" -- it was the first Lockheed-designed military aircraft to go into series production, it was the first twin-engined interceptor to serve with the USAAC, it was the first production fighter powered by the Allison V-1710 in-line engine, it was the first modern fighter equipped with a tricycle landing gear, it was the first American plane to use butt-jointed flush riveted external surfaces, it was the first to make extensive use of stainless steel, it was the first fighter to use a bubble canopy right from the start, it was the first fighter with speeds over 400 mph, it was the first US twin-boom fighter to go into production, it was the first USAAF fighter to shoot down a German aircraft, it was the first USAAF fighter to carry out an escort mission to Berlin, it was the first USAAF plane to land in Japan after that country had surrendered, it was the heaviest US single-seat fighter of World War 2, it was the only American fighter in production at the time of Pearl Harbor to be still in production at the war's end, and it accounted for more Japanese aircraft destroyed in combat than any other US fighter.

Lockheed P-38 "Lightning"

The P-38D differed from the P-38 in having a low-pressure oxygen system, self-sealing fuel tanks, a retractable landing light, and provision for flares. A change in tailplane incidence, together with a redistribution of elevator mass balances, increased the mechanical advantage of the elevator control, resulting in the elimination of buffeting and facilitating dive recovery. The P-38D featured a new low-pressure oxygen system, which supplanted the old high-pressure oxygen system of earlier versions. This system became standard on all subsequent production models. Normal fuel capacity remained 210 gallons, but maximum internal fuel was reduced from 410 to 300 gallons. The P-38D had a maximum speed of 390 mph at 25,000 feet. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be reached in 8 minutes. Service ceiling was 39,000 feet. The first P-38Ds began to reach USAAF units in August 1941. For a brief period, the USAAF considered naming the P-38 "Atlanta". However, the P-38D and subsequent versions were officially christened "Lightning" by the USAAF.

The Lightning was ideally suited for the Pacific theatre. It possessed a performance markedly superior to that of its Japanese opponents. It possessed a range significantly better than that of the P-39s, P-40s and P-47s available in 1942 in the Southwest Pacific, and its twin engines offered an additional safety factory when operating over long stretches of water and jungle. The Lightnings proved to be extremely rugged and could take a lot of battle damage and still keep flying. Missions lasting 9, 10, or even 12 hours became routine, and many wounded Lightnings were able to limp home on only one engine. The maneuverability of the Lightning was inferior to that of its nimble Japanese opponents, but by the use of appropriate tactics -- for example the avoidance of dogfighting at low altitudes and the use of fast diving attacks -- enabled the P-38 squadrons in New Guinea and the Solomon's to achieve impressive results.

When compared with the Zero, the Lightning came off badly in terms of speed and maneuverability at medium and low altitudes, but had a far higher top speed, rate of climb and operational ceiling and was much better armed. When the P-38 tried to out-turn a Zero at low altitudes, it usually ended up second best. However, when the unique attributes of the Lightning were used to best effect, the results were devastating. The best tactic was for the Lightnings to loiter at high altitudes and then dive down on Zero formations in a blaze of concentrated firepower, using the Lightning's impressive climbing rate to zoom back up out of harm's way. If this did not work, the wise Lightning pilot would then use his superior speed to make good his escape.

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35th & 36th Fighter Squadron Reequip with P-40 Warhawks The majority of the unit's activities consisted of light and medium bomber escort and ground support attacks. After an exhaustive effort, on January 28, 1943, the 80th Fighter Squadron was relieved by the 36th Fighter Squadron and sent back to Australia for some well-deserved rest. On February 6, 1943 the 80th, now reequipped with P-38s, moved to Mareeba in north Queensland. The group returned to action in April 1943, moving to Port Moresby, New Guinea.

P-40 Tomahawk/Warhawk
(Click on Image to Enlarge)

For a time, the 80th conducted most of the group's missions, as P-39 aircraft of the 35th and 36th Fighter Squadrons were in poor condition. Both of these squadrons transitioned to the P-40 by June, and then began to conduct escort missions in New Guinea.

36th Fighter Squadron Reequips with P-47 Thunderbolt (Jul 43) Later in the year, the 36th Fighter Squadron replaced its P-40 aircraft with the P-47 Thunderbolt. Thus for a time, all three of the group's squadrons operated with different aircraft.

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The following is from Aviation History.

P-47 Thunderbolt
(Click on Image to Enlarge)

P-47 Thunderbolt: In the entire history of military aviation, there has never been an airplane that could match the P-47 Thunderbolt for ruggedness and dependability. The pilots who flew it into combat called it "The Unbreakable" and "The plane that can do anything." They were not far from wrong.

P-47's often came back from combat shot full of holes, their wings and control surfaces in tatters. On one occasion a Thunderbolt pilot, Lieutenant Chetwood, hit a steel pole after strafing a train over Occupied France. The collision sliced four feet off one of his wings--yet he was able to fly back safely to his base in England.

The story of the P-47 began in the summer of 1940. At that time Republic was building the P-43 Lancer and had plans to produce a lightweight fighter, designated the P-44 Rocket. In view of combat experience in Europe, however, the Air Corps decided that if the United States became involved in the war something larger and better than the P-44 would be required.

Alexander Kartveli, Republic's chief engineer, quickly prepared a rough sketch of a new fighter. It was a daring concept. He planned to use the new Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp , 2,000 h.p. XR-2800-21 eighteen-cylinder two-row radial engine. It which was largest and most powerful aircraft engine ever developed in the United States. He also envisioned that his plane would have eight .50-caliber machine guns and enough armor plating to protect the pilot from every direction. These features added up to an airplane weighing about 4,000 pounds more than any existing single-engined fighter.

Without such power of the new 2,000 h.p. Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp , Kartveli could see no way of meeting the performance and load carrying demands being made by the U.S.A.A.F. From an engineering standpoint, the requirements presented some enormous problems, but far more problems were presented by the engine. The first of these was the need for an efficient super-charging duct system that would offer the least interrupted airflow. Kartveli therefore adopted the unorthodox method of designing this feature first and then building up the fuselage around it; the large turbo-supercharger was stowed internally in the rear fuselage, with the large intake for the air duct mounted under the engine, together with the oil coolers. Exhaust gases were piped back separately to the turbine and expelled through a waste gate in the bottom of the fuselage, and ducted air was fed to the centrifugal impeller and returned, via an intercooler, to the engine under pressure. Surprisingly, all this ducting of gases under temperature and pressure did not prove very vulnerable in combat, for the fighter was to become renowned for its ability to absorb battle damage and return home.

The new design was approved, and Republic began work on the first test model. The XP-47B was ready in just eight months and was taken up for its first test flight on May 6, 1941. It proved to be an outstanding success, and was able to do everything Kartveli had hoped, plus more. Its speed of 412 miles per hour was even higher than expected.

The conventional three-bladed propeller could not efficiently utilize the power of the new engine and a four-bladed propeller was adopted. Although this propeller was an admirable solution to the power gearing of the engine, there remained the problem of providing sufficient ground clearance for its 12-foot diameter. If a conventional undercarriage were to be employed its suspension would have been too far outboard to permit the wing installation of the guns and ammunition requested by the U.S.A.A.F., and therefore Republic had to design a telescopic landing gear which was nine inches shorter when retracted than when extended. Numerous other problems were to be faced in absorbing the loads and stresses which would be imposed when a battery of eight 0.5-in. guns (a phenomenal heavy armament for that time) was fired simultaneously, and in providing the necessary tankage for the quantities of fuel stipulated to make the machine the first true single-engined strategic fighter. Thus, it was only to be expected that when the first prototype, the XP-47B Thunderbolt, made its first flight, on May 6, 1941, it dwarfed not only its pilots but all previous fighters and, with a loaded weight of 12,086 lb., turned the scales at more than twice the weight of most of its contemporaries.

The prototype Thunderbolt first took to the air on May 6,1941. Production began with the P-47B, which entered United States Army Air Force service in November 1942, first becoming operational with the Eighth Air Force stationed in the UK on April 8,1943. The P-47B's range was not really good enough for escort duties, and its maneuverability was poor, but at least it offered a measure of real protection to the Allied bombers which had previously suffered very heavy losses.

To increase the tempo of flight development of the XP-47B such leading test pilots as Colonel Ira C. Eaker were employed, and at one time it was hoped that the design could benefit from combat testing with the R.A.F. in the Middle East. Production difficulties caused General "Hap" Arnold to notify the British Air Ministry, in September 1941, that it was considered inadvisable to do this until various teething troubles were eradicated, and an optimistic estimate of May 1942 was established as a target date for the Thunderbolt to be combat ready. This was eventually to prove almost a year out. Numerous problems soon presented themselves as the XP-47B test program advanced. At altitudes above 30,000 feet ailerons "snatched and froze", the cockpit canopy could not be opened and control loads became excessive.

773 production versions were ordered. But this was only the beginning. Before the war was over, a total of 15,579 Thunderbolts was built, about two-thirds of which reached operational squadrons overseas.

When, in January 1943, the U.S.A.A.F.'s 56th Fighter Group arrived in the United Kingdom with its massive Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, R.A.F. Spitfire fighter pilots banteringly suggested that their American colleagues would be able to take evasive action when attacked by undoing their harnesses and dodging about the fuselages of their huge mounts. The Thunderbolt was certainly big. In fact it was the largest and heaviest single engined single-seat fighter ever built! But sheer size was not to prove detrimental to the Thunderbolt's subsequent operational career.

The first tasks of the Thunderbolt, which began on April 8, 1943, were high-altitude escort duties and fighter sweeps in which the new aircraft acquitted itself well, despite the inexperience of its pilots. It was soon discovered that the heavy Thunderbolt could out dive any Luftwaffe, or, for that matter, Allied, fighter, providing a decisive method of breaking off combat when necessary, but at low and medium altitudes it could not match the rate of climb or maneuverability of German fighters. One shortcoming, which was even more marked in other Allied fighters, was that of insufficient range to permit deep penetration into Germany, but means were already being sought to add to the P-47B's 307 U.S. gallons of internal fuel. At the time of the Thunderbolt's European debut radial-engined single-seat fighters were a rarity, the only other such fighter operational in Europe being the Fw 190A. To prevent confusion between the two fighters of the opposing sides the engine cowlings of the Thunderbolts were painted white, and white bands were painted around the vertical and horizontal tail surfaces--an appropriate comment on recognition standards appertaining at that time, as it would seem impossible to mistake the sleek and beautifully-contoured German fighter for the portly Thunderbolt.

By mid-1943 improved P-47Cs were becoming available, with external fuel tanks to increase range and a longer fuselage to improve maneuverability. Next came the major production version, the P-47D, and then P-47Gs, and P-47Ms with more powerful engines, giving a maximum speed of 756 km/h (470 mph). They were used for anti V1 Flying Bomb duties.

The final version, the P-47N, was built primarily for use against the Japanese. The fastest model was the XP-47J, which did not go into production. On August 4, 1944, this plane reached a speed of 504 miles per hour. Production plans were shelved in favor of another P-47 development, the Republic XP-72.

P-47 Thunderbolt
(Click on Image to Enlarge)

P-47's flew more than 546,000 combat sorties between March 1943 and August 1945, destroying 11,874 enemy aircraft, some 9,000 locomotives, and about 6,000 armored vehicles and tanks. Only 0.7 per cent of the fighters of this type dispatched against the enemy were to be lost in combat.

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8th Fighter Group Fights with P-38s, P-40s and P-47s On June 21, 1943, the 80th Fighter Squadron engaged 30 enemy fighters and shot down 13. On July 21, 1943, approximately 25 to 30 Japanese Zekes attacked a flight of B-25 bombers escorted by the P-38 fighters of the 80th Fighter Squadron. The 80th scored 13 confirmed kills. On 24 October 1943 again escorting B-25 bombers to Rapopo Strip, Rabaul, the 80th shot down 12 Japanese fighters. Capt. Jay T. Robbins accounted for four of these kills. (Go to Robbins for full story.) On 2 November, 1943 over Rabaul, the 80th added 8 more aircraft kills.

As the American ground forces moved up New Guinea's north coast, capturing the Huon Peninsula in the fall of 1943, planners turned their attention to the major Jap base at Rabaul. To neutralize the enemy there, General Kenney's Fifth Air Force launched a series of bombing raids against it. P-38s began escorting the Rabaul bound bombers in mid-October and joined the B-25s on a low-level bombing and strafing raids. On November 15, 1943 the 35th Fighter Squadron shot down 11 Japanese aircraft but lost two Tomahawks.

From its first combat bases in New Guinea, the 8th Fighter Group moved through Borneo, the Celebes Islands, Netherlands, and the East Indies.

11 December 1943 the 80th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, transfered from Port Moresby to Dobodura, New Guinea with P-38's. On 22 December the 36th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, transfers from Port Moresby to Nadzab, New Guinea with P-47's. On 15 December the 35th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, transfers from Port Moresby to Finschhafen, New Guinea with P-40's.

Lt. Col. Emmett S. "Cyclone" Davis, commander 35th FS -- and later 8th FG commander -- in front of his Curtis P-40 Tomahawk

The following are some excerpts from "Come Fly With Me" by the Pulitzer Prize Nominee, Louis Schriber

Chapter IX...Port Moresby, New Guinea...

What a thrill it was to fly over the Coral Sea, the site of one of the greatest Sea Battles of all times. Finally, my first glimpse of New Guinea, my home for close to a year. The landing approach was a challenge as we had to navigate between two large hills at low altitude to make a proper and safe landing. We always made that west to east approach when landing be it up wind or down wind. The other end was protected by a mountain, which we could takeoff against if we made a sharp turn to the right as we became airborne. Upon landing we were led by a Jeep to the revetment area that was a distance away from the airstrip to isolate the aircraft in the event of an enemy bombing raid. We were greeted by several officers and loaded into personnel carriers, along with our baggage, for a two mile trip through the jungle and up into the foothills to the 80th camp area. We were at our new home for a few month's vacation...

As we approached the camp area our driver pointed out the enlisted personnel's tents, the squadron's mess and the outdoor theater. The officer's area consisted of sleeping tents, the squadron headquarters and the officer's club. We were dropped off at the headquarters tent where we met our new Commanding Officer, Major Edward "Porky" Cragg and the Operation Officer, Captain George Welch. Also, we were introduced to a Lt Thomas "Woody" Wood, a ground gripper, who lived far past the Nine lives of a cat. Wood was the squadron adjutant and Cragg's aide, having established himself throughout the South Pacific as "The Jungle Thief". He kidnapped natives, commandeered C-47 aircraft,stole cement mixers from the MPs and lumber from the Aussies. One of his main targets was the US Navy where he filched everything but the ships. The story goes that he later swiped a B-17, borrowed some pilot's wings and remained in the service until he became a Brigadier General. (Wonder who came up missing a star?) Anyway, thank you Woody, you made our lives a lot easier and thank the Lord you were on our side!

(NOTE: Edward "Porky" Cragg had 15.0 kills flying the P-38. Go to George S. Welch for details. He had 16.0 kills and was awarded the DSC.)

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M.F. Kirby added to this email:

Typing this brings back memories...The way I heard the story...Woody summoned a truck load of men one night to obtain a cement mixer...we were building the nicest O Club on the island...each officer was furnishing the labor, Woody was supplying the material. This particular night they (all) were caught. This put an end to Woody's thievery at night...So, the next day he loaded up his same troops, took off and came back with a cement mixer. No more requisitioning after dark...from now on he only operated in the daylight...

Ok, he mentions...landing at 3 mile...Taking off at 3 mile was a duzzey...You took off straight into the side of a mountain, once your wheels cleared you would bank it until the right wing would 'almost' drag. then you were over water...I did not remember the strip being that close to water, but when we went back in about 1981 I saw the entire set up "With my eyes OPEN"...Originally, I took off with my eyes closed as tight a Dick's Hat Band...What I started out to tell was:
We had an enlisted man "Roughhouse" Bradley...he was put at the end of the runway and was to check each pilot before he would be cleared for takeoff...Oxygenmask ON, flaps cracked about 20 degrees, I have forgotten the third...Roughhouse stuttered in the worst sort of way but if you took off before he gave you the green light you received the damnedest twot chewing when you landed and he would not stutter even the first word...Cragg gave Roughhouse orders not to let anyone drive across our runway. Within the next few days here came a command car with a star on the front. He started crossing the runway...Roughhouse approached the vehicle...stopped him...yyyou cccan nnnot dddrive acccross my run wway...
Well, Corporal, you do not know who I have in here, General Soandso..
.I do not care who you have in there, my commander told me not to let anyone drive on this runway. You will have to go around... The General Soandso WENT AROUND...

Roughhouse had no formal education...He was working for the Fire Dept at Phelps Dodge mine in Ajo, Ariz before the war. He was drafted and exactly 11 days later he was on a boat headed for Australia. Some of the men started making fun of him regarding his stuttering on the trip down under. He grabbed a couple of them by the back of the neck, lifted them up, carried them to the ship's railing, held them over the railing and proceeded to read the riot act...From then on he was "ROUGHHOUSE"... When I was putting the outfit back together I could only remember two enlisted men...one was Roughhouse and the other was Yale Saffro...Yale had worked for the Disney Studios before the war and did all of our art work...outstanding.,,I found Yale relatively quickly but Roughhouse was another story...Roughhouse was all that I could remember...I could remember that he worked for the mining company in Ajo, AZ...I wrote them...described him...

(NOTE: The patch Yale Saffro designed for the 80th Fighter Squadron "Headhunters" in New Guinea is still in use today by the 80th Fighter Squadron "Headhunters" -- though the squadron is now more commonly known as the "Juvats.)

They recognized who I was talking about...wrote back and gave me his name and Social Security Number...and said that he had been transferred to another mine. Found out that he had turned into a hospital in Denver...Anyway, lets cut this short...Findly, I found him in McGehee, Ark working for a veterinarian. Called...The vet had grown up immediately across the street from my ex...Small World..

Another little tit-bit of info that does not amount to a hill of beans...before the 475th was organized...Richard I Bong and Thomas B McGuire were in the same squadron...7th Squadron of the 49th Group....I will bet that you sleep better tonight since you know that...K

8th FG Fully Equipped with P-38s (1944) From Christmas 1943 to Christmas 1944, the 8th Fighter Group was busy providing aerial defense for landings in the Philippines. In the summer of 1944, the Fifth and Thirteenth Air Forces had been reorganized into the Far East Air Force in preparation for the invasion of the Philippines. By that time, the shortage of P-38s had been alleviated somewhat and there were five Fighter Groups fully equipped with P-38s "Lightnings" -- the 8th, 18th, 49th, 347th and 475th. Thus in 1944, the P-40 and P-47 squadrons converted to the P-38, bringing the group back to a single aircraft type.

On April 3, 1944, the 80th supported a large attack on Hollandia. the mission involved over 300 aircraft...., with B-24, B-25 and A-20 bombers escorted by P-38 fighters. A force of about 30 Japanese Tony and Zeke fighters attacked the American aircraft, with the 80th shooting down ten of the Japanese fighters.

July 27, 1944 was an unusual day for the group. As often happened during the war, the three squadrons of the 8th Fighter Group each flew separate missions. The group was used to escort bombers on attacks against Japanese airfields. The 36th Fighter Squadron escorted B-24s against the airfield at Miti. The squadron shot down three Oscars. In addition to these three kills, the 36th earned another aerial victory. While pursued by a P-38, an apparently inexperienced Oscar pilot spent too much time looking over his shoulder and crashed into the ocean. The 80th Fighter Squadron escorted B-24 bombers to the Japanese airfield at Lolobata, shooting down four Oscars. The 35th Fighter Squadron supported B-25 medium bombers over the Galela airfield. Nearing the field, the 35th caught three Tonys and an Oscar on their landing approach. According to a Japanese observer, the P-38s flew "very low and at great speed and as though they owned the place"as they shot down all four enemy fighters.

In New Guinea and Hollandia, with the group moving forward to different bases as territory was captured from the Japanese. Later in 1944 the group supported operations in the Philippines, earning a second Distiguished Unit Citation when, armed only with machine guns, the Lightnings of the 8th Fighter Group strafed a Japanese naval task force for three hours, halting the ships until bomber aircraft from more distant bases could arrive to attack the task force. Despite the fact that the group had not had time to load bombs on its fighters and used only 50 caliber bullets on the mission, the 8th managed to sink one of the Japanese ships.

After moving to a base in the Philippines in December 1944, the group spent the next several months conducting offensive operations against Formosa and the Asian mainland, as well as flying escort missions in the area.

Dino Cerutti of New York City wrote, "I flew with the 36th, the colors of which were black & white stripes. the 35th's colors were yellow & white and the 80th's were green & white. I have one photo of the 35th P-38 and most of the 36th's. there is a good shot of the CO'' P-38 Emmet "Cyclone" Davis's P-38. Gabby Gabreski, in his autobiography, said that Davis was one of the 2 best fighter pilots he had ever known."

Dino Cerutti on Crashed Jap Acft Clark Field, Philippines (1945)

Dino Cerutti on Crashed Jap Acft Clark Field, Philippines (1945)

English, Dino & Friends
in Manila jungle (1946)

(Courtesy Dino Cerutti)
Click on Photo to Enlarge

Group moves to Philippines then Ie Shima, Ryukyu Islands After moving to a base in Mindoro, Philippines in December 1944, the group spent the next several months conducting offensive operations against Formosa and the Asian mainland, as well as flying escort missions in the area. The unit moved to Ie Shima, Ryukyu Islands (near Okinawa in the Formosa Straits) on August 26, 1944, and flew its first mission against the Japanese mainland the following day.

Ie Shima in 1940s (C. Jeff Dyre)

Ie Shima Coastline (2001)

Ie Shima Looking toward Okinawa (1945)
(William G. Reynolds)

Moving to a base in Ie Shima, Ryuku Islands in August 1945, the group flew several missions against the Japanese island of Kyushu before the war ended. On 14 August 1945, the day of the Japanese surrender, the 35th Fighter Squadron shot down the last enemy planes of the war when it downed five Japanese before the Japanese surrender the next day.

Dino in P-38 Cockpit Ie Shima (1945)	Dino in front of "Kay" Ie Shima (1945)
*th Group HQ Sign Ie Shima (1945)	36th Ftr Sqdn HQ Sign Ie Shima (1945)
35th Ftr Sqdn P-38 Ie Shima (1945)	Cyclone Davis' P-38 Ie Shima
English, MacGowan, Dino in front of P-38	English, MacGowan, Dino, Fera in front of "Wicked Woman"
English, Bannon, Dino, Fera In front of P-38 at Ie Shima	P-47 (Possibly 507 Fighter Group) Ie Shima (1945)

B-17 at Ie Shima

(Courtesy Dino Cerutti)
Click on Photo to Enlarge

An unusual sight immediately following the end of the war was the landing of two Japanese Betty aircraft at Ie Shima to iron out the conditions of the surrender. Dino Cerutti wrote, "Those "Peace" planes were two Betty bombers that flew from Japan to Ie Shima on August 19, 1945 to work out the peace. The planes were painted all white and had green crosses on them." Below are photos of the "Peace" planes that flew from Japan to discuss the surrender.

Japanese "Peace" Plane (Aug 1945)

Japanese "Peace" Plane (Aug 1945)

Japanese "Peace" Plane (Aug 1945)

(Courtesy Dino Cerutti)
Click on Photo to Enlarge

After the end of World War II, the 8th Fighter Group (flying their Lockheed P-38 "Lightnings") flew from Ie Shima, Ryukyu Islands (in the Formosa Straits near Okinawa) to take up Occupation duties on mainland Japan at Ashiya Airfield. Dino Cerutti wrote, "Well, I flew with the 8th Gp at that time and we were based on Ie Shima (since Aug., 1945) and we flew the Lockheed P-38 Lightnings to Ashiya Airfield outside Fukuoka. I was stationed there with the 8th until I left for the states in June, 1946."

MacGowan & Dino Cerutti
leaving Ie Shima for Japan (1945)

During its involvement in World War II, the 8th Fighter Group participated in nine campaigns, and its pilots shot down 446 enemy aircraft, creating 24 aces. These included Major Jay T. Robbins, with 22 kills, and Majors Edward Cragg and Cyrill F. Homer, who had 15 kills each.

During World War II, the 8th Fighter Group was awarded numerous honors. Campaign Streamers. East Indies; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; Papua; New Guinea; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; China Offensive. Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Papua, [Sep] 1942-23 Jan 1943; Philippine Islands, 26 Dec 1944. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

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"BLACK PANTHERS" 35th FS

"FLYING FIENDS" 36th FS

"HEADHUNTERS" 80th FS

The Aces of the 8th Fighter Group

A few of the more famous Aces of the 8th Fighter Group are Major Jay T. Robbins (22 confirmed kills) with 80th FS. George S. Welch (16.0 kills) awarded the DSC. Edward "Porky" Cragg (15.0 kills) flying P-38. Cyril F. Homer (15.0 kills) in P-38. Kenneth G. Ladd (12.0 kills). Richard L. West (12.0 kills) in P-40. Others who served with the 8th: Daniel T. Roberts Jr. (14.0 kills) awarded DSC; flew with 475FG in P-38.

The 8th FG list of aces are:

HQ:G.S. Welch (4 kills); C.H. Troxell (3 kills); J.T. Robbins (1 kills)

35th FS: R.L. West (14 kills);W.A. Gardner (8 kills); L.R. Everhart (6 kills);L.E. Witt (6 kills); K.R. Pool (5 kills); T.J. Lynch (3 kills); C.H. Troxell (2 kills); F.E. Adkins (1 kills); J.T. McKeon (1 kills)

36th FS: W.K. Giroux (10 kills); J.S. Dunaway (7 kills) ; D.C. McGee (3 kills); G.S. Welch (3 kills); K.G. Ladd (2 kills); G.D. Gholson (1 kills);A.E. Hill (1 kills); V.E. Jett (1 kills);

80th FS: J.T. Robbins (21 kills); E. Cragg (15 kills); C.F. Homer (15 kills); C.M. Smith (11 kills); K.G. Ladd (10 kills); A.E. Hill (8 kills); J.L. Jones (8 kills); B.W. Adams (6 kills); E.L. DeGraffenreid (6 kills); P.C. Murphy (6 kills); R.H. Adams (5 kills); G.S. Welch (5 kills); J.L. Myers (5 kills); C.B. Ray (5 kills); L. Schriber (5 kills); D.T. Roberts (4 kills); J.C. Ince (2 kills); D.C. McGee (2 kills)

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From USAAF PTO Aces

Major Jay T. Robbins - 8th Ftr Group/80th Ftr Squadron

Weevil-infested toast, powdered eggs, salt pork, Australian jam, coffee, and chlorine-laced water once again passed for breakfast at Three Mile Drome on the morning of September 4, 1943. The pilots of the 8th Fighter Group might have felt they deserved better fare, at what could be the last meal for any one of them. Here they were, at a primitive, muddy airstrip in the malaria-ridden jungle of New Guinea, in the pre-dawn darkness about to fly a dangerous combat mission, sure to be outnumbered by Japanese Zeros. Why complain about lousy food?

Lt. Jay "Cock" Robbins had been with the Group for almost a year, at first flying the under-performing Bell P-39 Airacobras, switching over to Lockheed P-38 Lightnings in the spring. For him, the day's mission was typical of the assignments undertaken by the "Headhunters" -- the 80th Fighter Squadron and the other two squadrons of the 8FG. As CO Major Ed Cragg had outlined the previous night, they were to fly cover for the American troops landing near Lae and Salamaua in the Huon Gulf on New Guinea's north coast. After breakfast, the 16 pilots piled into a battered jeep and weapons carrier to make their way from the mess hall to their planes.

Jay Thorpe Robbins was born on 16 September 1919 in Coolidge, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M College in 1940 with a reserve commission through R.O.T.C. Entering active duty as a second lieutenant of Infantry in February 1941, he later transferred to the Army Air Forces and completed pilot training at Randolph Field, Texas in July 1942. Sent to the 20th Fighter Group at Morris Field, North Carolina, he transitioned to fighters. In October he joined the 8th Fighter Group in New Guinea. On Lt. Robbins' first mission on January 17, 1943 he shared a kill, but as the 5th Air Force policies didn't recognize shared kills, they tossed a coin, which Robbins lost.

Earlier that summer, on July 21, Robbins had had a big day. He and his wingman, Lt. Paul Murphey, were returning from an escort mission, when he saw Ed Cragg diving into combat. He turned, slowed down enough to drop his tanks, and came face-to-face with an Oscar. He fired and saw it burst into flames. Then ensued a climbing, shooting, diving, turning dogfight, with Robbins destroying another Oscar with a well-placed 30 degree deflection shot. Quickly the combat dispersed, Robbins led Murphey home, both too low on fuel to respond to call to help a pilot in his chute who was being strafed by the Japs. For the day he claimed three destroyed and another probable.

Ed Cragg was first in line for the 0510 engine start for the September 4 mission. Robbins was leading the third flight of four planes, taking off ninth in his Lightning Jandina (i.e. "J and Ina", for him and his Australian wife, Ina). All 16 pilots took off successfully, and Major Cragg led them over the 10,000 foot Owen Stanley Mountains toward their advanced refueling base at Dobodura, on the north coast. They all landed there quickly, but were held on the ground while V Fighter Command gave final mission instructions. About 1100 they took off again, headed for the Salamaua and Lae area, where U.S. troops were landing. They climbed for altitude, arrived over Huon Gulf, and took up stations at various altitudes from 8,000 to 21,000 feet. They patrolled for over an hour without incident.

Then at 1345, "Bandits - ten o'clock high!" came over the radio. Robbins' flight was closest, and as he turned toward the 30 enemy Zeros, another pilot reported Val dive bombers below, five of them. Robbins ignored these tempting targets and continued toward the fighters. He dropped tanks and switched on his guns. As they closed, a Zero tried to get on Robbins' tail. He kicked left rudder and climbed left. A swirling dogfight developed between the Zeros and the Lightnings. As they turned and twisted, the Japanese pilot tried to dive away - almost always a big mistake, because the big, heavy P-38s could dive better than the lighter Zeros. Robbins caught up quickly, opened up with the four fifties and two 20mm cannon, and tore big holes in the Jap's right wing root. Robbins kept shooting, tearing the right wing off his target. The plane flipped over and dove into the sea.

The next instant he spotted a