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Chinese mechanics assemble Curtiss P-40N Warhawks in Rangoon, Burma, 1944. These aircraft belong to the 80th Fighter Group (FG) otherwise known as the  “Burma Banshees.” Their distinctive ghost skull was nice contrast to the more traditional shark jaws often seen on Warhawks in U.S. and British service.

The 80th FG consisted of the 88th, 89th and 90th fighter squadrons (to which was added the 459th later, the only American fighter squadron formed and later dissolved in India, never seeing the states). These planes and pilots fought a forgotten campaign over the ‘Hump’ of the Himalayas and into Burma from late 1943 through the end of the war, engaging Japanese Army aircraft over isolated jungles and unmapped green hell in support of General Stilwell’s Chinese Troops and General Merrill’s Marauders.

Their specialty, however was ground attack missions against Japanese trains, depots and troops–and they did them well, dropping more than 3200 bombs over the course of 1948 combat sorties. Although transitioning to the P-47 very late in the war, they made the most of their P-40s and P-38s.

More on the Burma Banshees.