1st Reconnaissance Squadron (World War II)

1st Reconnaissance Squadron
1st Reconnaissance Squadron
	Emblem of the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron (World War II)
Active	1939-1947
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Reconnaissance/Mapping

This is for the United States Army Air Force squadron. See: 1st Reconnaissance Squadron for the United States Air Force reconnaissance unit

The 1st Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Thirteenth Air Force. It was inactivated at Clark Field, Phillipines on 10 March 1947.

History

Established by Headquarters, United States Army Air Corps in early 1940; performed aerial mapping primarily over the northeastern United States prior to the Pearl Harbor Attack using obsolescent cargo and Martin B-10 bombers as aerial platforms. After the United States entry into World War II, equipped with A-29 Hudsons, C-45 Expeditors and A-20 Havocs (all in phot/recon configuation) and performed aerial photography and mapping in uncharted areas of Newfoundland, Labrador and Greenland for development of Northeast Transport route for movement of aircraft; personnel and supplies across the North Atlantic from the United States to Iceland and the United Kingdom.

Re-equipped with long-range B-24 Liberator reconnaissance aircraft and deployed to Alaska Territory in late 1943, assisting in the establishment of landing fields in the Aleutian Islands; also to map uncharted areas of internal Alaska to establish Lend Lease aircraft emergency landing fields over trans-Alaska route from Fairbanks and Anchorage to Nome.

Relieved from assignment in Alaska and returned to Continental United States. Deployed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) across South Atlantic Transport Route to North Africa in early 1944. Performed aerial surveys and mapping over Sicily; Italy and along the North African Coast and Middle East with B-24s and some B-17Fs converted to F-9 reconnaissance configuration over non-combat areas. Deployed to India and China; performing unarmed long-range mapping of remote areas of the China-Burma-India Theater over combat areas in support of ground forces and strategic target identification over Indochina and Malay Peninsula for follow-up raids by XX Bomber Command operating from India.

Returned to the United States in late 1944; equipped with very long range B-29 Superfortresses converted to F-13A reconnaissance configuration. Deployed to the Central Pacific Area (CPA) and assigned to Eighth Air Force in the Pacific Theater after the Japanese Capitulation. Remained in the Western Pacific performing reconnaissance mapping flights over Japan, Korea and China. B-29s returned to the United States in early 1946 for storage or reassignment; unit largely demobilized on Okinawa, flying some light liaison and courier aircraft. Inactivated in early 1947.

Disbanded on 8 October 1948 when 1st Bombardment Squadron was redesignated as 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Photographic). There is no shared lineage or history between the two units.