SUBJECTS >> OPERATIONS >> Africa
SUBJECTS >> WAR >> WWII
Catalog Number:
2014.007
Location:
4B1060
Description:
The 81st Fighter Group was one of the units allocated to support Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa. Its group echelon landed on 8 November 1942, but the aircraft and pilots didn't begin to arrive until the end of the year, and the group didn't enter service until January 1943.
The group began by supporting the ground troops in Tunisia. Between April and July 1943 it used its P-39s to patrol off the African coast. During this period it provided protection for the invasions of Pantelleria and of Sicily. In January 1944 it took part in the early stages of the Anzio campaign, before being moved to India.
The group arrived in India by March 1944, where it swapped its P-39s for P-40 Warhawks and P-47 Thunderbolts. After a period training with its new aircraft, the group moved to China, joining the Fourteenth Air Force. There it performed a variety of roles, amongst then ground attack in support of the Chinese army and providing fighter escort for the bomber groups operating from China.