 During this assignment, which lasted a little more than a year, the 6th kept detachments of its Douglas P-70 Havocs and Northrop P-61 Black Widows on Guadalcanal and New Guinea.In March 1943, the 78th Fighter Squadron was assigned to the group.The 78th in effect replaced the 46th Fighter Squadron, which moved to Makin Island and Canton Island for operations against the Japanese, although the 46th remained assigned to the group until June 1944.