0 C ▁War h aw ks ▁of ▁the ▁ 4 4 th ▁P urs uit ▁Squadron ▁to ▁get ▁air bor ne ▁were ▁immediately ▁shot ▁down , ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁group ' s ▁aircraft ▁were ▁heavily ▁dam aged . ▁Over ▁ 6 0 ▁P - 4 0 C s ▁were ▁destroyed ▁on ▁the ▁ground ▁at ▁Whe eler . ▁The ▁group , ▁assigned ▁to ▁Se vent h ▁Air ▁Force ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁re - equ ipped ▁before ▁it ▁could ▁res ume ▁training ▁and ▁begin ▁pat rol ▁miss ions . ▁ ▁During ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁the ▁group ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁South ▁Pacific ▁Theater ▁and ▁rejo ined ▁the ▁war ▁effort ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁Th ir teenth ▁Air ▁Force ▁and ▁began ▁operations ▁from ▁Gu adal can al . ▁Fle w ▁protect ive ▁pat rol s ▁over ▁US ▁bases ▁in ▁the ▁Sol om ons ; ▁later , ▁esc orted ▁bom bers ▁to ▁the ▁B ism ar cks , ▁supported ▁ground ▁forces ▁on ▁B oug ain ville , ▁and ▁attacked ▁enemy ▁air fields ▁and ▁install ations ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁Sol om ons ▁and ▁New ▁Britain . ▁U sed ▁Lock he ed ▁P - 3 8 ▁Light nings ; ▁Bell ▁P - 3 9 ▁A i rac ob ra ; ▁North rop ▁P - 6 1 ▁Black ▁W id ows , ▁and ▁Douglas ▁P - 7 0 ▁Hav oc ▁aircraft . ▁The ▁following ▁oper ational ▁squad rons ▁were ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁F ighter