HISTORY OF THE 20th FIGHTER WING - Shaw Air Force Base

and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the second during the American Legion Convention
in New York. These demonstrations illustrated the effectiveness of newly developed pursuit and attack tactics
and the significant firepower unleashed by A-17 and P-26 aircraft.
First Closed Cockpit Fighter
The 20 th Pursuit Group acquired its first aircraft with a closed cockpit, the Curtis P-36 Mohawk, in September
1938. The P-36 had a 1,050 horse power engine, and a top speed of 303 miles per hour. It could carry up to 400
pounds of bombs on its undercarriage.
P-36A formation showing all three squadrons of the
20 th Pursuit Group’s aircraft. L-R: 77 th , 55 th and 79 th
with red, blue and yellow nose bands respectively.
The P in PT identifies the aircraft as pursuit and the
T, being the 20 th letter in the alphabet, identifies the
aircraft as from the 20 th Pursuit Group.
On 15 November 1939 the 20th moved to Moffett Field, California,
stayed there less
than one year, and
moved again on 9
September 1940
to Hamilton Field,
also in California. At
Hamilton the group
changed aircraft
once again, this time
to the Curtis P-40
Warhawk. This was
the top of the line
pre-World War II
pursuit fighter. It had P-36A of the 77
a range of 750 miles,
a top speed of 343
miles per hour, and six .50 caliber machine guns in the wings.
th Pursuit Squadron with maintenance
crew. Photo from Floyd Huffman
Several events in 1941 marked the group’s assignment at Hamilton Field. Deployed flights spent the first part of
1941 at Muroc Lake, California, and Esler Field, Louisiana, conducting maneuvers. Also in January 1941 the group
gained Lieutenant Colonel Ira C. Eaker as its commander. Colonel (later Lieutenant General) Eaker remained
with the group until September 1941. In October 1941, the group
split into its component squadrons and deployed to various
locations on the east coast, with group headquarters temporarily
established at Morris Field, North Carolina. In December 1941,
the 20 th reassembled at Hamilton Field, California. Two days later
the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
P-40 of the 55 th Pursuit Squadron at Oakland Municipal
Airport in 1940. This is not a B model, but
just a P-40. No production A models were made.
B models had the star insignia on the fuselage and
no tail stripes. This model P-40 sports two .50 cal.
machine guns in the nose and one .30 machine gun
in each wing. Photo from Bill Larkins
The 20 PG made
several station
moves following
the United States’
declaration of war
on Japan. Until
February of 1942 the
20 th performed air
defense operations.
From Hamilton Field it returned to the east coast and Wilmington,
North Carolina, to Morris Field, North Carolina. The group’s mission
at this time was to act as a training unit to create new fighter groups.
The group would receive new personnel, train them, and then they
20 th Fighter Wing History --- Page Number .
P-43 Lancer 77 FS Spartanburg, South Carolina
Spring 1942. Photo from Arthur Harszy