The 90th Air Division is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

unit. Its last assignment was with First Air Force at

Naval Air Station Niagara Falls Niagara Falls International Airport is located east of downtown Niagara Falls, in the Town of Niagara in Niagara County, New York, United States. Owned and operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, the airport is a joint civ ...

, New York. It was inactivated on 27 June 1949.

History

The 90th Air Division was primarily a World War II Photo-Reconnaissance command and control organization, assigned to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations . "The 90th's subordinate units reconnoitered airdromes, roads, marshalling yards, and harbors in Italy after the Allied landings at Salerno in September 1943. They also flew missions to Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the Balkans. In addition, these units flew some photographic missions at night using specially equipped B-17 and B-25 aircraft. In January 1944, they covered the

Anzio Anzio (, also , ) is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome. Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands ...

area and continued to support the Fifth Army in its drive through Italy by determining troop movements, gun positions, and terrain. The 90th's units last flew reconnaissance missions in connection with the invasion of southern France in August 1944. After transfer of its tactical groups on 1 October 1944, the wing aided in establishing a photo library for use in the

European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

and

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

theaters of operation." "Activated in the Reserves at Niagara Falls, New York, from December 1946 to June 1949; in April 1948 it was redesignated as a division."

Lineage

* Established as the 90 Photographic Wing, Reconnaissance on 11 October 1943 : Activated on 22 November 1943 : Redesignated 90 Reconnaissance Wing' on 23 June 1945 : Inactivated on 23 October 1945 * Activated in the Reserve on 20 December 1946 : Redesignated 90 Air Division, Reconnaissance on 16 April 1948 : Inactivated on 27 June 1949

Assignments

Twelfth Air Force The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is the air component to ...

, 22 November 1943 * Army Air Forces, 10 April – 23 October 1945 (attached to 311th Photographic Wing, until 1 June 1945 * First Air Force, 20 December 1946 – 27 June 1949

Components

3d Photographic Group The United States Air Force's 543d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is an intelligence unit located at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. It has been located there since 1997, when it was activated as the 543d Intelligence Gro ...

, Reconnaissance: c. 15 August 1943 – 1 October 1944 *

5th Photographic Group The 26th Information Operations Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated on 5 July 2006. The wing was first establis ...

, Reconnaissance: 22 November 1943 – 1 October 1944 * 26th Reconnaissance Group: 23 October 1947 – 27 June 1949 * 65th Reconnaissance Group: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949 *

32d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron The ROMP is a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessor designed by IBM in the late 1970s. It is also known as the Research OPD Miniprocessor (after the two IBM divisions that collaborated on its inception, IBM Research and the Off ...

, 20 April – 15 November 1944

Stations

La Marsa Airfield LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

, Tunisia, 22 November 1943 * San Severo Airfield, Italy, 14 December 1943 – c. 4 April 1945 *

Buckley Field Buckley Space Force Base is a United States Space Force base in Aurora, Colorado named after United States Army Air Service First Lieutenant John Harold Buckley. The base is run by Space Base Delta 2, with major units including the U.S. Space Fo ...

, Colorado, c. 23 April – 23 October 1945 *

Niagara Falls Airport Niagara Falls International Airport is located east of downtown Niagara Falls, in the Town of Niagara in Niagara County, New York, United States. Owned and operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, the airport is a joint civ ...

, New York, 20 December 1946 – 27 June 1949

Aircraft

Lockheed F-4 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...

, 1943–1944 * Lockheed F-5 Lightning, 1943–1944 * Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1944 * North American B-25 Mitchell, 1944 * de Havilland F-8 Mosquito, 1944

References

* {{USAAF 12th Air Force World War II Air divisions of the United States Air Force, 090 1943 establishments in Tunisia 1949 disestablishments in New York (state)