318th Fighter Group

The 318th Fighter Group was a United States Army Air Forces combat organization formed during World War II for operations in the Pacific theater. Although it was initially organized to protect the Hawaiian Islands, the group became one of the Seventh Air Force’s important fighter formations in the Central and Western Pacific. Its wartime evolution reflected the changing demands of the Pacific air war: it moved from local defense and training to carrier-supported deployments, close air support, island fighting, long-range fighter sweeps, and escort missions for Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers. The group was constituted as the 318th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 2 February 1942 and redesignated the 318th Fighter Group in May of that year. It was activated in Hawaii on 15 October 1942 from personnel and units associated with the 72d and 44th Fighter Squadrons. The 73d Fighter Squadron joined in November 1942, and the 333d Fighter Squadron followed in January 1943. The 44th was transferred out in March 1943 and replaced by the 19th Fighter Squadron. During its early Hawaiian period, the group operated aircraft including Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, Curtiss P-36 Hawks, Douglas A-24 Banshees, and Bell P-39Q Airacobras. The 318th participated in an unusual series of Pacific deployments in which Army fighter aircraft were transported by aircraft carrier and then launched to forward islands. In December 1943, P-39s of the 72d Fighter Squadron were catapulted from USS Nassau to Makin Atoll. During the Marianas campaign in June 1944, aircraft of the group were similarly moved toward Saipan. The group subsequently flew Republic P-47D Thunderbolts and became closely involved with Marine ground forces. Its operations included pioneering forms of close infantry support and the early operational use of napalm by Army fighter units. The fighting on Saipan also exposed the group to ground combat. Japanese forces attacked the airfield at Aslito, later renamed Isley Field, causing casualties among the deployed squadrons. A 6th Night Fighter Squadron detachment attached to the group flew Northrop P-61 Black Widows and later some Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, recording night victories. The group’s missions expanded as it moved through the Marianas and Okinawa areas. P-38s conducted exceptionally long-range missions from Saipan to targets such as Truk and Iwo Jima, while the arrival of long-range P-47N Thunderbolts in early 1945 made very-long-range fighter operations more practical. The 318th moved to Ie Shima near Okinawa in spring 1945 and conducted fighter sweeps and attacks against Japanese targets in Kyushu and China. During the summer it was transferred from the Seventh Air Force to the Twentieth Air Force, continuing long-range operations and escorting B-29 formations. On 13 August 1945, shortly before the Japanese surrender, the group flew a mission of approximately 1,680 statute miles from Ie Shima to Tokyo and back, lasting about eight and a half hours. It was credited with 164 air-combat victories by the 15 August ceasefire, with fewer than six pilots reported lost to enemy aircraft. After Japan’s surrender, the group was assigned to Eighth Air Force, returned to the United States between December 1945 and January 1946, and was inactivated on 12 January 1946. In May 1946, it was redesignated the 102d Fighter Group and allocated to the Massachusetts Air National Guard. It is therefore best understood as a historical military unit rather than a commercial brand.

The 318th Fighter Group was constituted on 2 February 1942 as the 318th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), reflecting the prewar terminology used for Army aviation formations. It was redesignated the 318th Fighter Group in May 1942 and activated at Hickam Field, Hawaii, on 15 October 1942. Its initial personnel came largely from the remnants of the 72d and 44th Fighter Squadrons after their parent groups had deployed to the Central Pacific. The group was assigned to VII Fighter Command and initially concentrated on protecting the Hawaiian Islands. The 73d Fighter Squadron joined in late 1942 and the 333d Fighter Squadron in early 1943. The 44th Fighter Squadron departed in March 1943 and was replaced by the 19th Fighter Squadron. Aircraft during this period included P-36s, P-40s, A-24s, and P-39Q Airacobras. In June 1943, the 72d Fighter Squadron exchanged its P-40s for Airacobras at Bellows Field. The group’s operational role broadened in late 1943. In December, the 72d Fighter Squadron’s P-39s were launched from the escort carrier USS Nassau and flown to Makin Atoll. After the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, the squadron transferred to the newly formed 21st Fighter Group. During 1944, the 318th received P-47D Thunderbolts and supported operations in the Marianas. Its squadrons worked with Marine ground forces, developed close-support practices, and employed napalm. On Saipan, Japanese troops attacked the group’s airfield, producing an unusual instance of Army Air Forces personnel becoming directly involved in ground fighting. A 6th Night Fighter Squadron detachment also operated with the group using P-61s and later P-38s. The 318th became increasingly important in very-long-range Pacific fighter operations. From Saipan, its P-38s reached targets including Truk and Iwo Jima on missions of roughly 1,500 miles and eight hours. It was among the first units to receive the long-range P-47N in early 1945. In April, Army fighter groups began escort and sweep missions from Iwo Jima toward Honshu. The 318th advanced to Ie Shima around the end of April and in May extended operations toward Kyushu and China. In summer 1945, the group moved from VII Fighter Command to Twentieth Air Force. It continued fighter sweeps against Japanese airfields and other targets and escorted B-29 formations on long-distance missions. Its 13 August mission from Ie Shima to Tokyo and back covered approximately 1,680 statute miles and lasted about eight and a half hours. By the 15 August ceasefire, the group had been credited with 164 aerial victories. Following the end of hostilities, the group was assigned to Eighth Air Force. It returned to the United States during December 1945 and January 1946 and was inactivated on 12 January 1946. The lineage was continued in a different organizational form when the unit was redesignated the 102d Fighter Group in May 1946 and allocated to the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

• 1946

  Inactivation and later redesignation

  [1]318th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group was inactivated on 12 January and redesignated the 102d Fighter Group in May for allocation to the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

• 1945

  Receipt of P-47N Thunderbolts

  [1]318th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The 318th became one of the first units to receive the long-range P-47N for very-long-range Pacific missions.

• 1945

  Move to Ie Shima

  [1]318th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group moved to Ie Shima near Okinawa around late April and expanded operations toward Japan and China.

• 1945

  Long-range Tokyo mission

  [1]318th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  On 13 August, the group flew an approximately 1,680-statute-mile round trip from Ie Shima to Tokyo.

• 1944

  Marianas close-support operations

  [1]318th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group operated P-47D Thunderbolts in the Marianas campaign and supported Marine ground forces, including early Army use of napalm.

• 1943

  P-39 Airacobra conversion

  [1]318th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The 72d Fighter Squadron began receiving Bell P-39Q Airacobras at Bellows Field in June.

• 1943

  Carrier-supported deployment to Makin

  [1]318th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  P-39s of the 72d Fighter Squadron were catapulted from USS Nassau and flown to Makin Atoll in December.

• 1942

  Constituted as a pursuit group

  [1]318th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The unit was constituted as the 318th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 2 February.

• 1942

  Redesignated and activated in Hawaii

  [1]318th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  It became the 318th Fighter Group in May and was activated at Hickam Field on 15 October.

A Pacific theater Army Air Forces fighter group distinguished by its transition from Hawaiian air defense to long-range offensive, escort, and close-support operations.

• fighter aircraft

  Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

  The P-40 was among the group’s principal early-war fighters during its Hawaiian air-defense period and remained part of the group’s equipment before later conversion to the P-39 and P-47.

• fighter aircraft

  Bell P-39 Airacobra

  P-39Q Airacobras equipped the 72d Fighter Squadron from mid-1943. The type was used in the group’s unusual carrier-supported deployment to Makin Atoll in December of that year.

• fighter aircraft

  Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

  The group used P-47Ds during the Marianas campaign for fighter attack and close support. It later received the long-range P-47N, which enabled extended Pacific sweeps and escort missions.

• fighter aircraft

  Lockheed P-38 Lightning

  P-38s were used for very-long-range operations from Saipan, including missions against distant Japanese positions such as Truk and Iwo Jima.

• night fighter aircraft

  Northrop P-61 Black Widow

  A 6th Night Fighter Squadron detachment attached to the group on Saipan flew P-61s and achieved several nighttime victories.

• 1945Okinawa and Japan operations

  Ie Shima · Okinawa · Japan · China

  From Ie Shima, the group conducted sweeps and attacks toward Kyushu and China and supported long-range escort operations.

  Outcome. The group continued operations until the August 1945 ceasefire and was credited with 164 air-combat victories.

  Source
• 1944Marianas campaign

  Saipan · Mariana Islands

  The group flew P-47 operations in support of Marine ground forces and conducted close air support during the campaign.

  Outcome. The group established forward operations on Saipan and continued long-range missions from the Marianas.

  Source
• 1943Gilbert and Marshall Islands operations

  Central Pacific

  The group supported the Pacific advance, including the carrier-assisted movement of the 72d Fighter Squadron’s P-39s to Makin Atoll.

  Outcome. The 72d Fighter Squadron later transferred to the 21st Fighter Group for further preparation and operations.

  Source

• 1945

  Transition to long-range P-47N operationsGeneration change

  Background

  The Seventh Air Force increasingly needed fighters capable of escorting bombers and reaching distant Japanese targets.

  Action taken

  The 318th received P-47N Thunderbolts and used them for very-long-range sweeps and escort missions.

  Aftermath

  Long-distance fighter sorties became a routine part of the group’s final wartime operations.

  Source

• 1944

  Expansion into close air supportStrategy

  Background

  Operations in the Marianas required fighter units to work closely with Marine forces against Japanese positions.

  Action taken

  The group used P-47 Thunderbolts for close infantry support and employed napalm in the campaign.

  Aftermath

  The group developed a broader combat role beyond air defense and interception.

  Source

• 1943

  Adoption of carrier-supported forward deploymentStrategy

  Background

  The Pacific campaign required Army fighter units to reach newly captured islands before conventional airfield infrastructure was fully available.

  Action taken

  The 72d Fighter Squadron used USS Nassau to move P-39 aircraft by catapult to Makin Atoll.

  Aftermath

  The operation demonstrated an unusual method for advancing Army fighters into the Pacific island chain.

  Source

1. 1318th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Air Force Historical Research Agencyafhra.af.mil
3. 3Air Force Historical Research Agency combat subject film: 318th Fighter Group Movescatalog.archives.gov