80th Fighter Group

History - Books - Aircraft - Time Line - Commanders - Main Bases - Component Units - Assigned To

History

The 80th Fighter Group spent its entire active career serving with the Tenth Air Force in India and Burma.

The Group was formed in the United States, and formed part of the New York Fighter Wing, I Fighter Command, First Air Force during 1942-43.

The group reaching India in June 1943. It entered combat in September 1943 flying a mix of P-38 Lightnings and P-40 Warhawks. The group concentrated on ground attack duties, first with its P-38s and P-40s and later with the P-47 Thunderbolt. The unit took part in the fighting in nortern Burma in 1944 and in the invasion of Burma in 1945. It also helped to defend the Indian end of the "Hump" air supply route to China.

One of the 80th's squadrons, the 459th Fighter Squadron was unique in that it was formed in India and disbanded without ever returning to the United States.

Books

P-40 Warhawk Aces of the CBI, Carl Molesworth. This volume in the Aircraft of the Aces series looks at the P-40 Warhawk in its most consistently successful theatre of the war – China, Burma and India. [see more]
cover cover cover

Aircraft

P-47 Thunderbolt: 1942-1943 (training)
P-38 Lightning and P-40 Warhawk: September 1943-1944
P-47 Thunderbolt: 1944-

Timeline

13 January 1942 constituted as 80th Pursuit Group (Interceptor)
9 February 1942 activated
May 1942 redesignated 80th Fighter Group
May 1943 Sailed for India via Cape of Good Hope
September 1943-October 1945 Active with Tenth Air Force, India
October 1945 Returned to United States
3 November 1945 Inactivated

Commanders (with date of appointment)

Colonel John C. Crosthwaite: 20 May 1942
Major Albert L. Evans Jr: 1 July 1942
Colonel Ivan W McElroy: 14 July 1943
Colonel Albert L. Evans Jr: 13 April 1944
Colonel Sydney D Grubbs Jr: 1 February 1945
Colonel Hiette S. Williams Jr: 29 April 1945

Main Bases

Selfridge Field, Michigan: 9 February 1942
Farmingdale, New York: 5 July 1942
Mitchel Field, New York: 9 May-30 April 1943
Karachi: 28 June 1943
Nagaghuli, India: October 1943
Tingkawk Sakan: Burma: 29 August 1944
Myitkyina, Burma: 20 January 1945
Dudhkundi, India: 24 May 1945-6 October 1945

Component Units

88th Fighter Squadron: 1942-1945
89th Fighter Squadron: 1942-1945
90th Fighter Squadron:: 1942-1945
459th Fighter Squadron: 1943-1944

Assigned To

New York Fighter Wing; I Fighter Command; First Air Force: July 1942-April 1943
Tenth Air Force: September 1943-October 1945

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (19 December 2007), 80th Fighter Group, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/USAAF/80th_Fighter_Group.html

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