1st Reconnaissance Squadron (World War II): Difference between revisions

1st Reconnaissance Squadron
1st Reconnaissance Squadron
Active	1939-1948
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Reconnaissance/Mapping

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Revision as of 06:29, 31 May 2010

The 1st Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Thirteenth Air Force. It was inactivated at Clark Field, Phillipines on 10 March 1947.

History

Established by Headquarters, United States Army Air Corps in early 1940; performed aerial mapping primarily over the northeastern United States prior to the Pearl Harbor attack using obsolescent cargo and Martin B-10 bombers as aerial platforms . After the United States entry into World War II, equipped with A-29 Hudsons, C-45 Expeditors and A-20 Havocs (all in phot/recon configuation) and performed aerial photography and mapping in uncharted areas of Newfoundland, Labrador, Greenland for development of Northeast Transport route for movement of aircraft; personnel and supplies across the North Atlantic from the United States to Iceland and the United Kingdom.

Re-equpped with long-range B-24 Liberator reconnaissance aircraft and deployed to Alaska Territory in late 1943, assisting in the establishment of landing fields in the Aleutian Islands; also to map uncharted areas of internal Alaska to establish Lend Lease aircraft emergency landing fields over trans-Alaska route from Fairbanks and Anchorage to Nome.

Relieved from assignment in Alaska and returned to Continental United States. Deployed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) across South Atlantic Transport Route to North Africa in early 1944. Performed aerial surveys and mapping over Sicily; Italy and along the North African Coast and Middle East with B-24s and some B-17Fs converted to F-9 reconnaissance configuration over non-combat areas. Deployed to India and China; performing unarmed long-range mapping of remote areas of the China-Burma-India theater over combat areas in support of ground forces and strategic target identification over Indochina and Malay Peninsula for follow-up raids by XX Bomber Command operating from India..

Returned to the United States in late 1944; equipped with very long range B-29 Superfortresses converted to F-13A reconnaissance configuration. Deployed to Western Pacific and assigned to Eighth Air Force in the Pacific Theater after the Japanese Capitulation. Remained in Western Pacific performing reconnaissance mapping flights over Japan, Korea and China. B-29s returned to the United States in early 1946 for storage or reassignment; unit largely demobilized on Okinawa, flying some light liaison and courier aircraft. Inactivated in early 1947.

Disbanded on 8 October 1948 when 1st Bombardment Squadron was redesignated as 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Photographic). There is no shared lineage or history between the two units.

Lineage

Constituted 1st Photographic Squadron on 22 Dec 1939.

Activated on 1 Feb 1940

Redesignated: 1st Mapping Squadron on 13 Jan 1942

Redesignated: 1st Photographic Mapping Squadron on 9 Jun 1942

Redesignated: 1st Photographic Charting Squadron on 11 Aug 1943

Redesignated: 1st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Heavy) on 10 Nov 1944

Redesignated: 1st Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Photographic-RCM) on 4 Oct 1945

Redesignated: 1st Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Photographic) on 13 Nov 1945

Inactivated on 10 Mar 1947

Disbanded on 8 Oct 1948

Assignments

Office of Chief of Air Corps, 1 Feb 1940
1st Photographic (later Mapping; Photographic Charting) Group, 10 Jun 1941
11th Photographic Group, 1 Dec 1943
311th Photographic Wing, 5 Oct 1944
Second Air Force, 10 Nov 1944

Attached to: Eighth Air Force, c. 9 Sep 1945

311th Reconnaissance Wing, 4 Oct 1945

Attached to: Eighth Air Force, 4 Oct 1945

Attached to: VII Bomber Command, 10 Dec 1945

Attached to: Eighth Air Force, Mar 1946

Attached to: 1st Air Division, 7 Jun 1946

Far East Air Forces, 3 Feb 1947
Thirteenth Air Force, 11 Feb-10 Mar 1947.

Stations

Bolling Field, DC, 1 Feb 1940
Bradley Field, Conn, 5 Dec 1941
MacDill Field, Fla, 15 Jan 1944
Smoky Hill AAFld, Kan, 26 Oct 1944-31 Jul 1945
Okinawa, 9 Sep 1945
Clark Field, Luzon, 11 Feb-10 Mar 1947.

Aircraft

C-8, 1940
B-10 1940
C-45/F-2, 1940, 1946-1947
A-29, 1941-1942
A-20/F-3, 1942
B-24/F7, 1942-1945

B-34, 1942-1944
B-25, 1943
B-17/F-9, 1943-1944
B-29/F-13, 1944-1947
L-5, 1946-1947

References

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN: 0892010975

External links

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 ==History==
-Established by Headquarters, United States Army Air Corps in early 1940; performed aerial mapping primarily over the northeastern United States prior to the Pearl Harbor attack using obsolescent cargo and Martin B-10 bombers as aerial platforms .   After the United States entry into World War II, equipped with A-29 Hudsons, C-45 Expeditors and A-20 Havocs (all in phot/recon configuation) and performed aerial photography and mapping in uncharted areas of Newfoundland, Labrador, Greenland for development of Northeast Transport route for movement of aircraft; personnel and supplies across the North Atlantic from the United States to Iceland and the United Kingdom.  Re-equpped with long-range B-24 Liberator reconnaissance aircraft and deployed to Alaska Territory in late 1943,  mapping uncharted areas of internal Alaska to facilitate establishment of landing fields in the Aleutian Islands; also to establish Lend Lease aircraft flights to Siberia.
+Established by Headquarters, United States Army Air Corps in early 1940; performed aerial mapping primarily over the northeastern United States prior to the Pearl Harbor attack using obsolescent cargo and Martin B-10 bombers as aerial platforms .   After the United States entry into World War II, equipped with A-29 Hudsons, C-45 Expeditors and A-20 Havocs (all in phot/recon configuation) and performed aerial photography and mapping in uncharted areas of Newfoundland, Labrador, Greenland for development of Northeast Transport route for movement of aircraft; personnel and supplies across the North Atlantic from the United States to Iceland and the United Kingdom.
+Re-equpped with long-range B-24 Liberator reconnaissance aircraft and deployed to Alaska Territory in late 1943,  assisting in the establishment of landing fields in the Aleutian Islands; also to map uncharted areas of internal Alaska to establish Lend Lease aircraft emergency landing fields over trans-Alaska route from Fairbanks and Anchorage to Nome.
-Deployed across South Atlantic Transport Route to North Africa in early 1944 to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO).   Performed aerial surveys and mapping over Sicily; Italy and along the North African Coast and Middle East with B-24s and some B-17Fs converted to F-9 reconnaissance configuration over non-combat areas.   Deployed to India and China; performing unarmed long-range mapping of remote areas of the China-Burma-India theater over combat areas in support of ground forces and strategic target identification over Indochina and Malay Peninsula for follow-up raids by XX Bomber Command operating from India..
+Relieved from assignment in Alaska and returned to Continental United States.  Deployed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) across South Atlantic Transport Route to North Africa in early 1944.  Performed aerial surveys and mapping over Sicily; Italy and along the North African Coast and Middle East with B-24s and some B-17Fs converted to F-9 reconnaissance configuration over non-combat areas.   Deployed to India and China; performing unarmed long-range mapping of remote areas of the China-Burma-India theater over combat areas in support of ground forces and strategic target identification over Indochina and Malay Peninsula for follow-up raids by XX Bomber Command operating from India..
-Returned to the United States in late 1944;  equipped with very long range B-29 Superfortresses converted to F-13A reconnaissance configuration.    Deployed to Western Pacific and assigned to Eighth Air Force in the Pacific Theater after the Japanese Capitulation.   Remained in Western Pacific performing reconnaissance mapping flights over Japan, Korea and China.    B-29s returned to the United States in early 1946 for storage or reassignment; unit largely demobilized on Okinawa, inactivated in early 1947.
+Returned to the United States in late 1944;  equipped with very long range B-29 Superfortresses converted to F-13A reconnaissance configuration.    Deployed to Western Pacific and assigned to Eighth Air Force in the Pacific Theater after the Japanese Capitulation.   Remained in Western Pacific performing reconnaissance mapping flights over Japan, Korea and China.    B-29s returned to the United States in early 1946 for storage or reassignment; unit largely demobilized on Okinawa, flying some light liaison and courier aircraft. Inactivated in early 1947.
+Disbanded on 8 October 1948 when '''[[1st Reconnaissance Squadron|1st Bombardment Squadron]]''' was redesignated as '''1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Photographic)'''.   There is no shared lineage or history between the two units.
 === Lineage===