List of United States Army Air Forces reconnaissance units

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.

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.

Aircraft operated

Further information: List of United States Air Force Reconnaissance Aircraft

Groups

• 1st Photographic Group

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

• 2d Reconnaissance Group

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

• 3d Reconnaissance Group

Constituted as 3d Photographic Group

Jun 1942-Mar 1947

Twelfth Air Force (MTO)

Operated F-4/F-5 (P-38)

Combat Photo-Reconnaissance

• 4th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 5th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 6th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 7th Reconnaissance Group

Constituted as 7th Photographic Group

May 1943-Nov 1945

Eighth Air Force (ETO)

Operated Spitfire PR XI, P-51 (Escorts)

Combat Photo-Reconnaissance

• 8th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 9th Reconnaissance Group

Sep 1943-May 1944

Third Air Force (ZI)

Operated F-3 (A-20), F-4 (P-38), F-5 (P-38) F-7 (B-24), F-9 (B-17)

Operational Training Unit

• 10th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 11th Photographic Group

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)

• 25th Bombardment Group (Reconnaissance)

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

• 26th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 59th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 65th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 66th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 67th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 68th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 69th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 70th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 71st Reconnaissance Group

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

• 72d Reconnaissance Group

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

• 74th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 75th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 76th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 77th Reconnaissance Group

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

• 308th Reconnaissance Group (Weather)

Oct 1946-Jan 1951

Air Weather Service (MATS)

Operated WB-29

Weather Reconnaissance

• 363d Reconnaissance Group

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

• 376th Reconnaissance Group

May 1947-Sep 1948

Strategic Air Command

Operated WB-29

Weather Reconnaissance

• 423d Reconnaissance Group

Constituted as 423d Observation Group

Mar-Apr 1943

Third Air Force (ZI)

Operated F-5 (F-38), F-6, (P-51)

Operational Training Unit

• 424th Reconnaissance Group

Constituted as 424th Observation Group

Mar-Apr 1943

Third Air Force (ZI)

Not fully organized, disbanded

• 426th Reconnaissance Group

Jul-Aug 1943

Third Air Force (ZI)

Not fully organized, disbanded

• 432d Reconnaissance Group

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

• 90th Reconnaissance Wing

Oct 1943-Oct 1945

Twelfth Air Force (MTO); Fifteenth Air Force (MTO)

Reactivated as USAF 90th Air Division (Reconnaissance), Apr 1948-Jun 1949

• 91st Reconnaissance Wing

Oct 1943-Jan 1946

Fifth Air Force (Southwest Pacific)

Reactivated as USAF 91st Air Division (Reconnaissance), Apr 1948-Jun 1949

• 311th Reconnaissance Wing

Jan 1944-Apr 1948

HQ USAAF

Units deployed Worldwide

Redesignated as USAF 311th Air Division (Reconnaissance), Apr 1948-Nov 1949

• 325th Reconnaissance Wing

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 the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, AL: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• 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.