5th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron

5th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron
Image of the 5th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron
Active	1942–1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Reconnaissance/Mapping

The 5th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 3d Reconnaissance Group. It was inactivated at Pomigliano Airfield, Italy on 12 September 1945.

History

Established in early 1942; trained under First Air Force as an observation squadron. Equipped with O-59 Grasshoppers and flew observation fights largely over Fort Campbell, Kentucky while Army units were training in ground maneuvers.

Deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO) in March 1942; assigned to Eighth Air Force. Trained with RAF Reconnaissance units, flying photo-recon sweeps over France and the Low Countries, obtaining intelligence information about German defenses along the channel coast. Flew reconnaissance over Dieppe, France prior to August 1942 commando raid using modified P-38 Lightning (F-4/F-5) aircraft.

Deployed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), assigned to Twelfth Air Force in Algeria during November 1942, shortly after the Operation Torch landings in North Africa. Provided tactical aerial reconnaissance over Algeria and Tunisia during North African Campaign; over Sicily and Italy in preparation for ground invasions in mid-1943. Received long-range B-25 Mitchell (F-10) medium bombers equipped for aerial reconnaissance in 1944. Remained assigned to Twelfth Air Force in Italy, providing tactical aerial reconnaissance support of Allied ground forces during the Italian Campaign, 1943–1945 also supported Free French units in the liberation of Corsica, 1944.

Demobilized and inactivated in Italy after the German Capitulation, summer 1945.

Lineage

Constituted 5th Photographic Squadron on 19 Jan 1942

Activated on 1 Feb 1942

Redesignated: 5th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 9 Jun 1942

Redesignated: 5th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 Feb 1943

Redesignated: 5th Combat Mapping Squadron on 21 Jan 1944

Redesignated: 5th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 31 Aug 1944

Inactivated on 12 Sep 1945

Assignments

Air Force Combat Command, 1 Feb 1942
Army Air Forces, 9 Mar 1942
73d Observation Group, 12 Mar 1942
Eighth Air Force, 10 May 1942
VIII Bomber Command, 7 Sep 1942
Twelfth Air Force, 19 Sep 1942

Attached to 3d Reconnaissance Group (later Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping; Photographic Group) from Oct 1942

3d Photographic (later Reconnaissance) Group, 21 Jan 1944 – 12 Sep 1945

Flight attached to 5th Photographic Group, 10 Mar – 9 May 1944

Stations

Langley Field, Virginia, 1 Feb 1942
Godman Field, Kentucky, 7 Feb 1942;
Felts Field, Washington, c. 15 Apr – 21 May 1942
RAF Molesworth (AAF-107), England, 17 Jun 1942
RAF Podington (AAF-109), England, 10 Sep – 29 Oct 1942
Es Sénia Airport, Algeria, 12 Nov 1942
Tafaraoui Airport, Algeria, 17 Nov 1942;
Maison Blanche Airport, Algeria, 27 Nov 1942
La Marsa Airport, Tunisia, 13 Jun 1943

Operated primarily from: Pontecagnano Airport, Italy, 4–14 Oct 1943

Operated primarily from: Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, after 14 Oct 1943

Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, 27 Nov 1943

Flight operated from San Severo Airfield, Italy, 10 Mar – 5 May 1944

Nettuno Airfield, Italy, 12 Jun 1944
Viterbo Airfield, Italy, 24 Jun 1944
Borgo Airfield, Corsica, 11 Jul 1944
Malignano Airfield, Italy, 24 Sep 1944;
Florence/Peretola Airport, Italy, 17 Jan 1945

Flight operated from Pisa Airfield, Italy, 29 Jan–May 1945

Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, Aug-12 Sep 1945

Aircraft

O-59 Grasshopper, 1942
P-38/F-4 Lightning, 1942–1943
P-38/F-5 Lightning, 1943–1945
Spitfire PR Mk XIII (Reconnaissance) (attached) 1943–1944
Spitfire PR Mk IX (Reconnaissance), 1944–1945
B-25/F-10 Mitchell, 1944–1945

References

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

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.
15th USAAF

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