5th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron
Encyclopedia
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.
, 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.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. It was last assigned to the 3d Reconnaissance Group
3d Reconnaissance Group
The 3d Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Twelfth Air Force, based at Pomigliano, Italy. It was inactivated on 12 September 1945-History:...
. 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 CampbellFort Campbell
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
while Army units were training in ground maneuvers.
Deployed to European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO) in March 1942; assigned to Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
. Trained with RAF Reconnaissance units, flying photo-recon sweeps over France and the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
, obtaining intelligence information about German defenses along the channel coast. Flew reconnaissance over Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
, France prior to August 1942 commando
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
raid using modified P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
(F-4/F-5) aircraft.
Deployed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations
Mediterranean Theater of Operations
The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army was originally called North African Theater of Operations and is an American term for the conflict that took place between the Allies and Axis Powers in North Africa and Italy during World War II...
(MTO), assigned to Twelfth Air Force in Algeria during November 1942, shortly after the Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
landings in North Africa. Provided tactical aerial reconnaissance over Algeria and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
during North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
; over Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in preparation for ground invasions in mid-1943. Received long-range B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
(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
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
, 1943–1945 also supported Free French units in the liberation of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, 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 ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
, 10 May 1942 - VIII Bomber CommandVIII Bomber CommandThe VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...
, 7 Sep 1942 - Twelfth Air Force, 19 Sep 1942
- Attached to 3d Reconnaissance Group3d Reconnaissance GroupThe 3d Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Twelfth Air Force, based at Pomigliano, Italy. It was inactivated on 12 September 1945-History:...
(later Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping; Photographic Group) from Oct 1942- 3d Photographic (later Reconnaissance) Group3d Reconnaissance GroupThe 3d Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Twelfth Air Force, based at Pomigliano, Italy. It was inactivated on 12 September 1945-History:...
, 21 Jan 1944 – 12 Sep 1945
- 3d Photographic (later Reconnaissance) Group
- Flight attached to 5th Photographic Group, 10 Mar – 9 May 1944
Stations
- Langley Field, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 1 Feb 1942 - Godman Field, KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, 7 Feb 1942; - Felts Field, Washington, c. 15 Apr – 21 May 1942
- RAF MolesworthRAF MolesworthRAF Molesworth is a Royal Air Force station located near Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom with a history dating back to 1917.Its runway and flight line facilities were closed in 1973 and demolished to support ground-launched cruise missile operations in the early 1980s...
(AAF-107), England, 17 Jun 1942 - RAF PodingtonRAF PodingtonRAF Podington is a former World War II United States Army Air Force base in England. It is located six miles south-east of Wellingborough, in Bedfordshire.-Overview:...
(AAF-109), England, 10 Sep – 29 Oct 1942 - Es Sénia AirportOran Es Sénia AirportOran Es Sénia Airport is an airport located 4.7 nm south of Oran, near Es Sénia, in Algeria.-History:During World War II, La Sénia Airport was first used by the French Air Force as a military airfield, first by the Armée de l'Air, and after June 1940, by the Armistice Air Force of the Vichy...
, Algeria, 12 Nov 1942 - Tafaraoui Airport, Algeria, 17 Nov 1942;
- Maison Blanche Airport, Algeria, 27 Nov 1942
- La Marsa AirportTunis-Carthage International AirportTunis–Carthage Airport is the international airport serving Tunis in Tunisia.The airport is named for the historic city of Carthage, located just north of the airport. It is the base of operations for four airlines: Tunisair, Nouvelair Tunisia, Tunisair Express and Tunisavia...
, 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 AirfieldNettuno AirfieldNettuno Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, which is located approximately 4 km east of Nettuno; about 50 km south-southeast of Rome....
, Italy, 12 Jun 1944 - Viterbo AirfieldRome Viterbo AirportRome Viterbo Airport Rome Viterbo Airport Rome Viterbo Airport (Italian: Aeroporto di Roma-Viterbo is a proposed re-use of Viterbo Air Force Base, a civilian, commercial and military airport about 80 kilometers north of Rome, Italy....
, Italy, 24 Jun 1944 - Borgo Airfield, Corsica, 11 Jul 1944
- Malignano Airfield, Italy, 24 Sep 1944;
- Florence/Peretola AirportPeretola AirportPeretola Airport, Florence Airport or Amerigo Vespucci Airport is an airport located close to Florence, Italy, but administratively located within the territory of Sesto Fiorentino...
, Italy, 17 Jan 1945
- Nettuno Airfield
- 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