10th Reconnaissance Group

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The 10th Reconnaissance Group was a unit of the United States Army Air Forces during and after World War II.

On August 21, 1941, the War Department constituted the 73d Observation Group, activating it on September 1, 1941, at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Two months later, the group moved to Godman Field, Kentucky, to engage in training. It was redesignated as the 73d Reconnaissance Group in April 1943, moving to Camp Campbell Army Airfield, Kentucky, in June. The group was redesignated again in August 1943 as the 73d Tactical Reconnaissance Group' and moved to Key Field, Mississippi in November of that year. One month later, it became the 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance).

The 10th settled into RAF Chalgrove, Great Britain, in February 1944, as part of the Ninth Air Force. Throughout the war, the 10th flew important photographic and reconnaissance missions. It received special recognition for flying the first mission on D-Day and for the last operational mission of the war: "First on D-Day, Last on V-E Day." The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its pre-invasion efforts over the Normandy beaches May 6-20, 1944.

At the end of the war, the 10th became part of the Army of Occupation, in Germany. The group flew damage assessment missions over much of eastern Europe. In June 1945, the group was redesignated the 10th Reconnaissance Group. In June 1947, the group returned to the United States without personnel or equipment.