 Until July 1944, the group engaged primarily in the neutralization of enemy airfields and harbor facilities on New Britain, but also supported ground forces on Bougainville Island and attacked shipping in the northern Solomons and the Bismarck Archipelago.In July 1944, the group air echelon began moving to New Guinea and the Cyclops Airstrip and Sentani Airstrip near Hollandia.It was early September before the entire air echelon of the group arrived, with the latecomers practicing skip bombing and participating in mock invasion exercises in the Russell Islands and Admiralty Islands.