Mechanics
Training
Command
The P-40 was used as an advanced trainer throughout the war.
Here are the stories of the men who trained on it, I will
also include a photo or two of the planes they flew after
they got into combat.
A.V.G.
(Flying Tigers)
8th Fighter Group
Had P-40's before WW2, then in 1943 and into early 1944 while
assigned to the 5th AF for combat
8th Reconnaissance Group
Had P-40's along with other types in India beginning in early
1944. they flew some escort & strafing missions
14th Fighter Group
Trained with P-40's & P-43's in 1941, converted to P-38's
after Pearl Harbor
15th Fighter Group
Defended Pearl Harbor on 12/7/41
16th
Fighter Group
Received P-40's in 1941, disbanded in the Canal Zone on 11/1/43
18th Fighter Group
Recently converted to P-40's on Oahu before Pearl Harbor was
attacked and took heavy losses. Switched to other types in
1943
20th Fighter Group
Used P-40's & P-39's in the U.S. for air defense early
in the war. Later flew P-38's with the 8th AF
23rd
Fighter Group
Took over from the A.V.G., flew P-40's, later P-51's
24th Pursuit Group
Entire pursuit force in the Philippines in 1941
27th
Fighter Group
Converted to P-40's in the Mediterranean in 1/44, switching
to P-47's later in the year
28th Composite - 28th Bombardment
Group after 12/43
Had P-40's between 1941 & 1943 in Alaska
32nd Fighter Group
Used P-40's, P-36's, P-39's, & P-26's in the defense of
the Panama Canal, disbanded on 11/1/43
33rd
Fighter Group
After starting training in P-39's in 1941, the unit switched
to P-40's. Performed air defense along the East Coast of U.S.
in 1942 before moving with their P-40's to North Africa later
that year
35th Fighter Group
Trained with aircraft including P-40's before the war, sent
some P-40's to the Philippines to augment the 24th Pursuit
Group
36th Fighter Group
Flew P-40's and P-39's in Puerto Rico from 1941 through 1943
as an air defense for the Caribbean and Panama canal
37th Fighter Group
Used P-40's to replace P-26's for Panama canal defenses, disbanded
there on November 1, 1943
48th Fighter Group
Had some P-40's among other warplanes between 1942 and 1944
as a replacement training unit stateside before becoming a
9th Air Force P-47 outfit
49th
Fighter Group
Received P-40's in Australia in 1942 providing active air
defense there before moving to New Guinea that October
50th Fighter Group
Used some P-40's stateside as part of the Fighter Command
School and later AAF School of Applied Tactics, then moved
to England in 1944 to become a 9th Air Force P-47 group
51st Fighter Group
Assigned to stateside 4th Air Force with P-40's in 1941, then
to 10th Air Force in India in March, 1942 defending Indian
terminus of the Hump supply route
52nd Fighter Group
Trained with P-39's and P-40's and participated in stateside
maneuvers from 1941 to mid 1942 when it moved to England and
converted to Spitfires in the 8th Air Force
53rd Fighter Group
Trained with P-40's and P-35's before the war, then equipped
with P-39's for air defense of the Canal Zone in December,
1941
54th Fighter Group
Trained with P-40's in 1941, the following year switching
to P-39's
56th Fighter Group
Equipped with P-40's and P-39's in 1941, flying air defense
missions in the southern and eastern U.S. before converting
to P-47's in June, 1942
57th Fighter Group
Trained with P-40's in 1941, served as East Coast Air Defense
Unit until relocating to the Middle East for operations in
the summer of 1942, beginning combat there in October
80th
Fighter Group
324th
Fighter Group
Under Construction
If you notice any errors in
the group descriptions, please let me know at wolf427@comcast.net
If any of these photos are
copyright protected, please let me know and they will be removed