20th

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 20th 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
20th Pursuit Group’s aircraft. L-R: 77th, 55th and
79th with red, blue and yellow nose bands respectively.
The P in PT identifies the aircraft as pursuit
and the T, being the 20th letter in the alphabet, identifies
the aircraft as from the 20th Pursuit Group.
On Nov. 15, 1939 the 20th moved to Moffett Field, California,
stayed there less
than one year,
and moved again
on Sep. 9, 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 77th Pursuit Squadron with maintenance
crew.
Photo from Floyd Huffman
a range of 750 miles,
a top speed of 343
miles per hour, and six .50 caliber machine guns in the wings.
Several events in 1941 marked the group’s assignment at Hamilton Field. Deployed flights spent the first part of
1941 at Muroc Lake, California, conducting bombing and gunnery training. In January 1941 the group gained Lt.
Col. Ira C. Eaker as its commander. Colonel (later Lt. Gen.) Eaker remained with the group until September 1941.
In September 1941 the 20th deployed to Esler Field, Louisiana,
Groton, Conn. And Morris Field, N.C. conducting maneuvers. In
December 1941, the 20th returned to Hamilton Field, California.
Two days later the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
P-40 of the 55th 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
on the east coast the group split into its component squadrons
which deployed to various locations on the east coast, with group
headquarters temporarily established at Morris Field, N. C. The
group’s mission at this time was to act as a training unit to create
The 20 PG made several station moves following the United
States’ declaration of war on Japan. Until February 1942 the
20th performed air
defense operations
in the San Francisco
Bay area. In October
1941, the group
returned to the east
coast initially to
Wilmington, N. C.,
and then to Morris
Field, N. C. While
20th Fighter Wing History --- Page Number .
P-43 Lancer 77 FS Spartanburg, South Carolina
Spring 1942.
Photo from Arthur Harszy