List of United States Army Air Forces reconnaissance units

North American >-F-6C (P-51C-5-NT) Mustang Serial 42-103368 of the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Reconnaissance Group at Saint-Dizier Airfield, France, Autumn 1944. This aircraft was flown by Captain John H. Hoefler, who used it to shoot down three enemy aircraft in June 1944.

This is a list of United States Army Air Forces reconnaissance units, primarily operating during World War II. The subsequent United States Air Force unit lineage is noted where applicable.

Aircraft operated

Groups

May 1941-Oct 1944
HQ USAAF; Second Air Force (ZI)
Operated F-2 (C-45), F-3 (A-20), F-7 (B-24), F-9 (B-17), F-10 (B-25), A-29, and B-18
Squadrons deployed Worldwide Photo-Mapping
Constituted as 2d Photographic Group
May 1942-May 1944
Second Air Force (ZI); Third Air Force (ZI)
Operated F-3 (A-20), F-5 (P-38), F-7 (B-24), F-9 (B-17)
Operational Training Unit
Constituted as 3d Photographic Group
Jun 1942-Mar 1947
Twelfth Air Force (MTO)
Operated F-4/F-5 (P-38)
Combat Photo-Reconnaissance
Constituted as 4th Photographic Group
Jul 1942-Jan 1946
Thirteenth Air Force (South, Southwest Pacific)
Operated F-5 (P-38), F-10 (B-25)
Combat Photo-Reconnaissance
Constituted as 5th Photographic Group
Jul 1942-Oct 1945
Twelfth Air Force; Fifteenth Air Force (MTO)
Operated F-3 (A-20), F-4 (P-38), F-7 (B-24), F-9 (B-17), F-10 (B-25)
Combat Photo-Reconnaissance
Constituted as 6th Photographic Group
Feb 1943-Apr 1946
Fifth Air Force (Southwest Pacific)
Operated F-4/F-5 (P-38), F-7 (B-24), B-26
Combat Photo-Reconnaissance
Constituted as 7th Photographic Group
May 1943-Nov 1945
Eighth Air Force (ETO)
Operated Spitfire PR XI, P-51 (Escorts)
Combat Photo-Reconnaissance
Sep 1943-Nov 1945
Tenth Air Force (CBI)
Operated F-5 (P-38), F-6 (P-51), F-7 (B-24), P-40 (Escorts)
Combat Photo-Reconnaissance
Sep 1943-May 1944
Third Air Force (ZI)
Operated F-3 (A-20), F-4 (P-38), F-5 (P-51) F-7 (B-24), F-9 (B-17)
Operational Training Unit
Constituted as 73d Observation Group
Sep 1941-Jun 1948
Ninth Air Force (ETO)
Operated F-3 (A-20), F-5 (P-38), F-6 (P-51)
Combat Photo-Reconnaissance
Resesignated as USAF 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, Jun 1948
Nov 1943-Oct 1944
HQ USAAF (ZI)
Squadrons deployed Worldwide
Squadrons deployed Worldwide Photo-Mapping; Combat Photo-Reconnaissance in CBI
Operated F-2 (C-45), F-3 (A-20), F-7 (B-24), F-9 (B-17), F-10 (B-25), F-13 (B-29)
Jul 1944-Sep 1945
Eighth Air Force (ETO)
Operated Mosquito F-8-DH. Mosquito PR Mk XVI, F-5/P-38, F-7/B-24, F-9/B-17, F-10/B-25, B-26G Marauder (Night Reconnaissance)
Combat Photo-Reconnaissance, Weather Reconnaissance, Electronic Counter-Measures
Established as USAF 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, July 1965
Aug 1941-Nov 1943; Dec 1946-Jun 1949
First Air Force; Third Air Force (ZI); Air Force Reserve
Operated F-3 (A-20), F-10 (B-25), P-39F-2
Operational Training Unit
Established as USAF 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, May 1952
Constituted as 59th Observation Group
1941-1942;1943-1944
First Air Force; Third Air Force (ZI)
Operated Light Observation Aircraft, P-39F-2
Coastal patrols, Operational Training Unit
Constituted as 65th Observation Group
Aug 1941-Oct 1942; Mar-Aug 1943;Dec 1946-Jun 1949
Third Air Force (ZI); Air Force Reserve
Operated Light Observation Aircraft, F-10 (B-25)
Coastal patrols, Operational Training Unit
Constituted as 66th Observation Group
Aug 1941-Apr 1944; Dec 1946-May 1951
Third Air Force (ZI); Air Force Reserve
Operated F-3 (A-20), F-10 (B-25), P-39F-2, P-40
Operational Training Unit
Reactivated as USAF 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, Jan 1953
Constituted as 67th Observation Group
Sep 1941-Mar 1946
Eighth Air Force; Ninth Air Force (ETO)
Operated F-5 (P-38), F-6 (P-51), P-51 (Escorts)
Combat Photo-Reconnaissance
Reactivated as USAF 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, Jun 1948

Constituted as 68th Observation Group
Aug 1941-Jun 1944; Mar 1947-Jun 1949
Twelfth Air Force (MTO); Air Force Reserve
Operated Spitfire PR XI, F-3 (A-20), F-5 (P-38), F-6 (P-51), F-7 (B-24), F-9 (B-27), A-36, P-39F-2
Combat Photo-Reconnaissance
Reactivated as USAF 68th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, Oct 1951
Constituted as 69th Observation Group
Aug 1941-Jul 1946
Ninth Air Force (ETO)
Operated Mosquito PR Mk XVI, F-3 (A-20), F-5 (P-38), F-6 (P-51), F-10 (B-25), P-39F-2, P-40
Combat Photo-Reconnaissance
Constituted as 70th Observation Group
Aug 1941-Nov 1943; Mar 1947-Jun 1949
Second Air Force (ZI); Air Force Reserve
Operated F-3 (A-20), F-10 (B-25), P-39F-2
Operational Training Unit
Constituted as 71st Observation Group
Aug 1941-Feb 1946; Feb 1947-Apr 1949
Fifth Air Force (Southwest Pacific); Far East Air Forces (Occ Japan)
Operated F-5 (P-38), F-10 (B-25)
Combat Photo-Reconnaissance
Constituted as 72d Observation Group
Aug 1941-Nov 1943; May 1947-Jun 1949
Sixth Air Force (Caribbean); Air Force Reserve
Operated B-18
Antisubmarine Patrols, Photo-Mapping
Constituted as 74th Observation Group
Feb 1942-Nov 1945; Dec 1946-Jun 1949
Third Air Force (ZI); Air Force Reserve
Operated F-3 (A-20), F-6 (P-51), F-10 (B-25), P-40
Operational Training Unit
Constituted as 75th Observation Group
Feb 1942-May 1944
Third Air Force (ZI)
Operated F-3 (A-20), F-10 (B-25), F-6 (P-51), P-39F-2, P-40
Operational Training Unit
Established as 75th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in May 1966
Constituted as 76th Observation Group
Feb 1942-Apr 1944
Third Air Force (ZI)
Operated F-3 (A-20), F-10 (B-25), P-39F-2, P-40
Operational Training Unit
Constituted as 77th Observation Group
Feb 1942-Nov 1943
Third Air Force (ZI); Detachment in India, Feb-Jul 1943
Operated F-3 (A-20), F-10 (B-25), P-39F-2, P-40
Operational Training Unit: Combat Photo-Reconnaissance
Oct 1946-Jan 1951
Air Weather Service (MATS)
Operated WB-29
Weather Reconnaissance
Constituted as 363d Fighter Group
Sep 1944-Dec 1945; Jul 1946-Jun 1948
Ninth Air Force (ETO)
Operated F-5 (F-5), F-6, (P-51)
Combat Photo-Reconnaissance
Redesignated as USAF 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, Jun 1951
May 1947-Sep 1948
Strategic Air Command
Operated WB-29
Weather Reconnaissance
Constituted as 423d Observation Group
Mar-Apr 1943
Third Air Force (ZI)
Operated F-5 (F-38), F-6, (P-51)
Operational Training Unit
Constituted as 424th Observation Group
Mar-Apr 1943
Third Air Force (ZI)
Not fully organized, disbanded
Jul-Aug 1943
Third Air Force (ZI)
Not fully organized, disbanded
Constituted as 432d Observation Group
Feb-Nov 1943
Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics (ZI)
Operated F-5 (F-5), F-6, (P-51), P-39F-2
Operational Training Unit
Reactivated as USAF 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, Jan 1954

Wings

Oct 1943-Oct 1945
Twelfth Air Force (MTO); Fifteenth Air Force (MTO)
Reactivated as USAF 90th Air Division (Reconnaissance), Apr 1948-Jun 1949
Oct 1943-Jan 1946
Fifth Air Force (Southwest Pacific)
Reactivated as USAF 91st Air Division (Reconnaissance), Apr 1948-Jun 1949

Jan 1944-Apr 1948
HQ USAAF
Units deployed Worldwide
Redesignated as USAF 311th Air Division (Reconnaissance), Apr 1948-Nov 1949
Aug 1944-Oct 1945
Eighth Air Force (ETO)
Redesignated as USAF 325th Air Division (Reconnaissance), Apr 1948-Jun 1949

References

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

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