The 343d Fighter Group was activated at Elmendorf Field, Alaska on 3 September 1942 and began operations immediately.
Its initial squadrons, the 11th and 18th Fighter Squadrons, flying Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, were already operational at Fort Glenn Army Air Base and Big Delta Army Air Field, respectively, while the 54th Fighter Squadron and its Lockheed P-38 Lightnings were flying missions from Adak Army Air Field.
All three squadrons had been assigned directly to XI Fighter Command.
As soon as it was organized the 343d moved forward to Umnak Island in the Aleutians, where it joined its 11th Squadron.

In October 1942, a third P-40 squadron, the 344th Fighter Squadron, was activated at Elmendorf Field and assigned to the group.
  The two squadrons stationed on the mainland soon moved to the Aleutians, the 18th Squadron joined the 54th at Adak in November and the 344th deployed to Fort Randall Army Air Field in December.
Although all its squadrons were operating in the Aleutians, group headquarters returned to Elmendorf in December 1942.
 This relocation was brief, however, and headquarters returned to the Aleutians the following March.

The group provided air defense for the Aleutian Islands.
 It bombed and strafed Japanese camps, antiaircraft emplacements, hangars, and radio stations on Kiska.
 The group escorted bombers that struck enemy airfields, harbor facilities, and shipping.
It flew its last combat mission in October 1943, but carried out patrol and reconnaissance missions in the area until the end of the war.

The 343d later trained, carried mail, and served as part of the defense force for Alaska.
In 1943, the 11th and 18th Fighter Squadrons began flying P-38s in addition to their P-40s, as did the 344th in 1944.
It was not until 1945 that all four squadrons lost their last P-40s and the group became an all-Lightning unit.
 In 1945, the group and three of its squadrons were united at Shemya Army Air Base, at the end of the Aleutian chain.
Early in 1945 the 54th Squadron began to fly special high-altitude missions designed to intercept Japanese fire balloons drifting toward the United States on the jet stream.
These weapons were launched from the Japanese home islands into the upper atmosphere to carry incendiary charges which would be released onto the United States and Canada.
The balloons' flight path crossed the Aleutians, where American planes had the first chance to shoot them down.
The airfield at Alexai Point was directly in the flight path of the balloons, which passed overhead at between 30,000 to 37,000 feet (9,100–11,000 m).

The 18th Fighter Squadron returned to the Alaskan mainland, where it converted to North American P-51 Mustangs in 1946.
The group's 54th Squadron returned to the United States in March 1946 for inactivation, while the group and its remaining squadrons were inactivated later that year, in August.
The group's mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the 57th Fighter Group, which was simultaneously activated at Shemya.

343d Ftr Gp
The 343d Fighter Group was activated at Elmendorf Field, Alaska on 3 September 1942 and began operations immediately. Its initial squadrons, the 11th and 18th Fighter Squadrons, flying Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, were already operational at Fort Glenn Army Air Base and Big Delta Army Air Field, respectively, while the 54th Fighter Squadron and its Lockheed P-38 Lightnings were flying missions from Adak Army Air Field. All three squadrons had been assigned directly to XI Fighter Command. As soon as it was organized the 343d moved forward to Umnak Island in the Aleutians, where it joined its 11th Squadron.
In October 1942, a third P-40 squadron, the 344th Fighter Squadron, was activated at Elmendorf Field and assigned to the group.   The two squadrons stationed on the mainland soon moved to the Aleutians, the 18th Squadron joined the 54th at Adak in November and the 344th deployed to Fort Randall Army Air Field in December. Although all its squadrons were operating in the Aleutians, group headquarters returned to Elmendorf in December 1942.  This relocation was brief, however, and headquarters returned to the Aleutians the following March.
The group provided air defense for the Aleutian Islands.  It bombed and strafed Japanese camps, antiaircraft emplacements, hangars, and radio stations on Kiska.  The group escorted bombers that struck enemy airfields, harbor facilities, and shipping. It flew its last combat mission in October 1943, but carried out patrol and reconnaissance missions in the area until the end of the war.
The 343d later trained, carried mail, and served as part of the defense force for Alaska. In 1943, the 11th and 18th Fighter Squadrons began flying P-38s in addition to their P-40s, as did the 344th in 1944. It was not until 1945 that all four squadrons lost their last P-40s and the group became an all-Lightning unit.  In 1945, the group and three of its squadrons were united at Shemya Army Air Base, at the end of the Aleutian chain. Early in 1945 the 54th Squadron began to fly special high-altitude missions designed to intercept Japanese fire balloons drifting toward the United States on the jet stream. These weapons were launched from the Japanese home islands into the upper atmosphere to carry incendiary charges which would be released onto the United States and Canada. The balloons' flight path crossed the Aleutians, where American planes had the first chance to shoot them down. The airfield at Alexai Point was directly in the flight path of the balloons, which passed overhead at between 30,000 to 37,000 feet (9,100–11,000 m).
The 18th Fighter Squadron returned to the Alaskan mainland, where it converted to North American P-51 Mustangs in 1946. The group's 54th Squadron returned to the United States in March 1946 for inactivation, while the group and its remaining squadrons were inactivated later that year, in August. The group's mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the 57th Fighter Group, which was simultaneously activated at Shemya.
343d Ftr Gp
343d Wing