348th Reconnaissance Squadron

348th Reconnaissance Squadron
A deployed 348th Reconnaissance Squadron RQ-4 Global Hawk undergoes pre-flight checks from maintenance technicians before a mission while deployed at an air base in Southwest Asia.
Active	1942-1945; 1947-1949; 1953-1973, 2011-
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment
Engagements	World War II - EAME Theater Vietnam War Afghanistan Campaign
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation (2x) Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device (2x) Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (3x) Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
Emblem of the 348th Reconnaissance Squadron

The 348th Reconnaissance Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 69th Reconnaissance Group. It was activated at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota on 11 September 2011.

During World War II, the 348th Bombardment Squadron was a B-17 Flying Fortress squadron, assigned to the 99th Bombardment Group, Fifteenth Air Force. It earned Two Distinguished Unit Citations.

History

Established in early 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron; trained under Second Air Force first in the Pacific Northwest, but the poor flying weather in the northwest forced a relocation to the Midwest for the second and third phases of training.

After completion of training, the 99th departed for the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in Algeria, where the ground echelon went by ship from New York to Marrakech, Morocco; the air echelon flying to Morrison Field, Florida then along the South Atlantic Route to Navarin Airfield, Algeria where the ground and air echelons of the group were reunited in late February 1943. Assigned to Twelfth Air Force, the squadron engaged in combat operations in support of American ground forces in Algeria and Tunisia during the 1943 North African campaign.

Russian pilots and ground crew stand in front of a Petlyakov Pe-2 light bomber at Poltava, Russia, during the first shuttle raid -- Italy to Russia and return -- in June 1944. GI is TSgt. Bernard J. McGuire, Tonawanda, N.Y., of the 348th Bomb Squadron, 99th Bomb Group.

Helped force the capitulation of Pantelleria Island in June 1943. Bombed in preparation for and in support of the invasions of Sicily and southern Italy in the summer and fall of 1943. Was reassigned to the new Fifteenth Air Force in October 1943 and until the German Capitulation in May 1945, engaged in strategic bombardment of enemy targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Greece, attacking oil refineries, marshaling yards, aircraft factories, and other strategic objectives. Squadron was demobilized in Italy in late 1945; inactivated in November.

Activated in the reserves in 1947, however unit never equipped or manned. Inactivated in 1949 due to budget restraints. Reactivated in 1953 as a Strategic Air Command B-36 Peacemaker intercontinental strategic bombardment squadron. Engaged in worldwide strategic bombardment training and stood nuclear alert until 1956 when the B-36 was retired. Re-equipped with B-52 Stratofortresses and continued training and nuclear alert status. Deployed to Pacific during Vietnam War, engaging in Arc Light combat missions over North Vietnam; also deployed to Thailand flying out of U-Tapao RTNAF for combat missions over Cambodia and Laos. Inactivated in 1973 with the inactivation of parent 99th Bombardment Wing and closure of Westover AFB.

Lineage

SAC 348th Bombardment Squadron Emblem

World War II unit emblem

• Constituted 348th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942

Activated on 1 June 1942

• Re-designated 348th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 30 September 1944

Inactivated on 8 November 1945

• Re-designated 348th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 13 May 1947

Activated in the reserve on 29 May 1947

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

• Re-designated 348th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Heavy and activated on 1 January 1953

Re-designated 348th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 1 October 1955^[1]

Inactivated on 31 March 1974

• Re-designated 348th Reconnaissance Squadron on 17 August 2011

Activated on 11 September 2011

Assignments

• 99th Bombardment Group, 1 Jun 1942 – 8 Nov 1945; 29 May 1947-27 Jun 1949
• 99th Strategic Reconnaissance (later Bombardment) Wing, 1 Jan 1953 – 30 Sep 1973
• 69th Reconnaissance Group, 11 Sep 2011 - present

Stations

Orlando AAB, Florida, 1 June 1942 MacDill Field, Florida, 1 June 1942 Pendleton Field, Oregon, 29 June 1942 Gowen Field, Idaho, 28 August 1942 Walla Walla AAFld, Washington, 30 September 1942 Sioux City AAB, Iowa, 18 November 1942 – 3 January 1943 Navarin Airfield, Algeria 22 February 1943 – 25 March 1943

Oudna Airfield, Tunisia, 4 August 1943 Tortorella Airfield, Italy, 11 December 1943 Marcianise Airfield, Italy, c. 27 October – 8 November 1945 Birmingham Municipal Airport, Alabama, 29 May 1947 – 27 Jun 1949. Fairchild AFB, Washington, 1 January 1953 Westover AFB, Massachusetts, 4 September 1956 – 30 September 1973 Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, 11 September 2011 – present

Aircraft

• B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1945
• B/RB-36 Peacemaker, 1953–1956
• B-52 Stratofortress, 1956–1973
• RQ-4 Global Hawk, 2011–present

See also

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
• List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

1. Lineage, assignments, stations and aircraft prior to 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 432

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.