The 33d Pursuit Group (Interceptor) activated on 15 Jan 1941 at Mitchel Field, Long Island, New York, assigned to the 7th Pursuit Wing of the U.S. Army Air Corp. Airmen initially trained in the Bell P-39 Airacobra but soon converted to the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the group defended the mid-Atlantic coast against enemy attack. Over the next several months, elements of the 33d moved to several sites from as far north as Connecticut down to Virginia, including a brief stint on the west coast. These frequent mobilizations provided the unit valuable experience that would soon be put to use across Northern Africa, Europe, and Asia.