The 51st Fighter Group spent most of the Second World War defending the two ends of the "Hump", the air supply route between India and China. The unit had been activated in January 1941, nearly a year before American entered the war. It was one of the first groups dispatched from the United States after Pearl Harbor, traveling west to India via Australia and Ceylon.

In 1942 the Tenth Air Force was responsible for both India and China. The first 51st FG unit to actually see service was the 16th Fighter Squadron, which was detached to serve with the 23rd FG.

The rest of the group moved forward to Dinjan, in Assam, in September 1942, beginning operations in October. Dinjan was well within range of Japanese aircraft, and so the 51st spent part of its time defending the "Hump" and part defending its own bases. It also took part in the fighting during the Japanese offensive in northern Burma in 1943.

In October 1943 the 51st FG was transferred to the Fourteenth Air Force, and to China. Its duties now involved defending the Chinese end of the "Hump" as well as supporting the Chinese army. It also carried out attacks on Japanese shipping. The unit returned to India in September 1945, and then to the United States in November.

Main Bases

Hamilton Field, California: 15 January 1941
March Field, California: 20 June 1941-11 January 1942
Karachi, India: 14 March 1942
Dinjan, India: 10 October 1942
Kunming, China: 2 October 1943
India: September-November 1945
Hamilton Field, California: 15 January 1941
March Field, California: 20 June 1941-11 January 1942
Karachi, India: 14 March 1942
Dinjan, India: 10 October 1942
Kunming, China: 2 October 1943
India: September-November 1945
Component Units

16th Fighter Squadron: 1941-1945 (P-40 1941-44; P-51 1944-45)
25th Fighter Squadron: 1941-1945 (P-40 1941-45; P-38 1944; P-51 1944-45)
26th Fighter Squadron: 1941-1945 (P-40 1941-44; P-51 1944-45)
449th Fighter Squadron: 1943-1945 (P-38 1943-45)

Thanks for this post Duggy, it's not often one sees anything about the Assam Dragons.
Out of interest, does anyone know how to distinguish the shark mouthed P-40Ks of the 51st FG from those of the 23rd FG (I'm referring to those examples that have neither the sabre toothed shark mouth nor the Blitzen reindeer motif)?
Here's a few more photos of the 51st: