The Group now consisted of three squadrons--the 12th, 44th, and 70th. Prior to this, with all the turmoil and confusion that resulted when the war started, the three squadrons had been placed under the command of "Commander for Air, South Pacific." (COMAIRSOPAC), which was then commanded by Navy and Marine admirals and generals--which led to considerable friction between the three services!! The Army did not want the Navy or Marines telling the Army what to do!!

The 18th Fighter Group made a significant contribution to winning the war against thee Japanese Starting ant Guadalcanal, its pilots ranged out to attack targets on Munda, Bougainville, and the huge Jap Naval Base at Rabaul. In August, 1944, the 18th then moved west to Sanspor, in far western New Guinea and its pilots began escorting B-24s bombing the huge Jap oil installations in Borneo. the Group then moved north to Morotai island began pounding Jap targets all over the Philippines, In March, 1945, the Group moved to Mindoro island in the northern Philippines where its pilots helped the 8th Army clean out the thousands of Japanese troops on the ground in the Philippines. From there the pilots put on their 300 gallon belly tanks again and hit Jap targets on Formosa (Taiwan), and all along the China Coast on 2,000 mile, 8-10 hour combat missions.

By the war's end, the 18th Fighter Group had compiled a distinguished record--shooting down 282 Jap planes and had 12 aces in the Group. The Group did not keep track of Jap planes destroyed on the ground.

Air Force Assigned to :

7th AF (Feb '42 - March '43)
13th AF (March '43 - end of WWII

Stations flown from :

Espiritu Santo (March '43)
Guadalcanal (April '43)
Sansapor, New Guinea (Aug '44)
Lingayen, Luzon ( Jan '45)
San Jose, Mindoro (March '45)
Zamboanga, Mindanao (May '45)

Campaigns Flown in :

Central Pacific
China Defensive
New Ginea
Northern Solomons
Bismarck Archipelago
Western Pacific
Leyte
Luzon
Southern Philippines

Decorations Awarded :

Distinguished Unit Citation: Philippine Islands, 10-11 Nov. '44
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation

Aces were :

(scores in the group only- some scored victories while flying in other groups)