The III Reconnaissance Command is a disbanded

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

unit. Its last assignment was with

Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a Numbered Air Force, numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U ...

stationed at

Rapid City Army Air Base Rapid(s) or RAPID may refer to: Hydrological features * Rapids, sections of a river with turbulent water flow * Rapid Creek (Iowa River tributary), Iowa, United States * Rapid Creek (South Dakota), United States, namesake of Rapid City Sport ...

, South Dakota, where it was inactivated on 8 April 1946. After transferring to the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

in September 1947, it was disbanded in October 1948. The command was organized in September 1941 as the 1st Air Support Command, an element of

1st Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern & Air Forces Space; 1 AF-AFNORTH & AFSPACE) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission i ...

to control light bombardment and observation units in its area of responsibility. Following the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...

, the command's units conducted

antisubmarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations a ...

patrols off the Atlantic Coast. In August 1942, it transferred to 3rd Air Force, which had the responsibility to train

air support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as Strafing, strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS r ...

units for the

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(AAF) and assumed the mission of training units and aircrews for overseas deployment. In 1943, it became the I Tactical Air Division (later III Tactical Air Division) under III Tactical Air Command. In the final months of the war, it specialized in training

reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...

units.

History

Initial organization under 1st Air Force

General Headquarters Air Force The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

(GHQ AF) reorganized its four regional air districts as

Numbered Air Force A Numbered Air Force (NAF) is a type of organization in the United States Air Force that is subordinate to a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, major command (MAJCOM) and has assigned to it operational units such as wings, squ ...

s in the spring of 1941. By the fall of that year, each of these had organized as a support command and three combat commands. In the summer of 1941 GHQ AF had decided to establish commands to direct its

mission in each numbered air force, plus one additional command reporting directly to GHQ AF. These commands would be manned from inactivating

wings A wing is a type of fin that produces both lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-drag ratio, which compares the bene ...

, and would initially control only observation squadrons, which would be transferred from the control of the corps and divisions, although they would remain attached to these ground units.Futrell, p 13

organized 1st Air Support Command at

Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to: People and fictional characters *Mitchell (surname), including lists of both people and fictional characters *Mitchell (given name), lists of people and fictional characters Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Ca ...

, New York in September 1941, drawing its personnel and equipment from the 7th Pursuit Wing, which was simultaneously inactivated. North American O-47B 1941

New observation groups were formed, with a cadre drawn from

National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...

squadrons that had been mobilized in 1940 and 1941. During the

Carolina Maneuvers The Carolina Maneuvers were a series of United States Army exercises held around the border of North Carolina and South Carolina in 1941. The exercises, which involved some 350,000 troops, were designed to evaluate United States training, logisti ...

of 1941, the command was attached to First Army. Unlike the opposing force, the command posts of the air and ground elements were located together, and the commander of the air support command doubled as the air staff officer of the ground force commander. The opposing force command posts were separated by sixty miles, which enabled greater freedom of action and use of airpower more aggressively. Following the

the command came under the control of the

Eastern Theater of Operations The Eastern Defense Command was first established as the Northeast Defense Command on 17 March 1941 as one of four U.S. Army continental defense commands to plan and prepare for and execute defense against enemy attack in the months before Americ ...

and flew

antisubmarine Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations a ...

patrols off the east coast. However, by early 1942, the command's first commander William E. Kepner, like two of the other commanders of air support commands had moved overseas, and similar demands led GHQ AF to believe it had little more than the "remnants" of the command remaining. However, in May, the

(AAF) reaffirmed that each of the continental

numbered air force A Numbered Air Force (NAF) is a type of organization in the United States Air Force that is subordinate to a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, major command (MAJCOM) and has assigned to it operational units such as wings, squ ...

s would have an air support command and the command's manning was brought back up.Futrell, p. 15 Although most of the command's observation units were withdrawn from antisubmarine operations in June 1942, the command continued limited antisubmarine patrols until 15 October 1942, when

Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was formed in the fall of 1942 to establish a single command to control antisubmarine warfare (ASW) activities of the Army Air Forces (AAF). It was formed from the resources of I Bomber Command, whi ...

took over the mission.

Transfer to 3rd Air Force

The AAF determined that its continental air forces would specialize in their training operations and that all their air support commands would be reassigned to

. In August 1942, the command was one of the first reassigned to Third Air Force. This was followed by a move to

Morris Field Charlotte Douglas International Airport is an international airport serving Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, located roughly west of the city's central business district. Charlotte Douglas is the primary airport for commercial and m ...

, North Carolina, a base in the Third Air Force area in November 1942. In October 1942, AAF directed that half of the observation groups assigned to the command were to be reduced to 50% strength or less with their personnel used to form new tow target squadrons, or transferred to

heavy bomber Heavy bombers are bomber Fixed-wing aircraft, aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually Aerial bomb, bombs) and longest range (aeronautics), range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy ...

Operational Training Unit Royal Air Force Operational Training Units (OTUs) were training units that prepared aircrew for operations on a particular type or types of aircraft or roles. OTUs ;No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF (1 (C)OTU): The Unit was formed i ...

(OTU)s or Replacement Training Unit (RTU)s. The command continued to train

light bomber A light bomber is a relatively small and fast type of military bomber aircraft that was primarily employed before the 1950s. Such aircraft would typically not carry more than one ton of ordnance. The earliest light bombers were intended to dr ...

crews. In August 1943, the command was redesignated the I Tactical Air Division with the intent that the command would engage in combined training with army ground forces. This included participation in maneuvers. The command became the III Tactical Air Division in the spring of 1944. In May 1944, the command began to specialize in training

aircrews and organizations. In June 1945, this mission change was recognized by a change in name to III Reconnaissance Command. After the end of the war, the command moved to

, South Dakota in November 1945, and was inactivated there in April 1946.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 1st Air Support Command on 21 August 1941 : Activated on 4 September 1941 : Redesignated 1st Ground Air Support Command c. 30 April 1942 : Redesignated I Air Support Command c. 18 September 1942 : Redesignated I Tactical Air Division on 28 August 1943 : Redesignated III Tactical Air Division c. 15 April 1944 : Redesignated III Reconnaissance Command c. 1 June 1945 : Inactivated on 9 April 1946 : Disbanded on 8 October 1948The command was transferred to the

in inactive status in September 1947. The Air Force disbanded it a year later.

Assignments

* 1st Air Force, 4 September 1941 * 3rd Air Force (later Third Air Force), 17 August 1942 * III Tactical Air Command, c. 15 April 1944 * Third Air Force, c. 1 June 1945 – 9 April 1946

Components

; Groups * 26th Observation Group: 1 September 1941 – 17 August 1942 * 45th Bombardment Group: 21 August 1941 – 5 January 1942 * 46th Bombardment Group: 10 November 1942 – 25 January 1943 * 48th Fighter-Bomber Group: attached 10 September 1943 – 14 January 1944 * 59th Observation Group: 1 September 1941 – 21 August 1942 * 69th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 18 April 1944 – 27 March 1945 * 411th Bombardment Group: c. 15 August 1943 – 1 May 1944 ; Squadrons * 1st Air Support Communications Squadron, attached, c. 8 September 1943; assigned 3 November 1943 – 31 March 1944 * 2d Balloon Squadron: 1 September 1941 – 3 February 1942 (thereafter disbanded) * 3d Observation Squadron: 1 September 1941 – 12 March 1942 (attached to the Coast Artillery School) * 5th Communications Squadron, Air Support (later 5th Air Support Communications Squadron): 15 May 1942 – c. 13 June 1943 * 6th Reconnaissance Squadron: 18 April – 1 October 1944 * 7th Reconnaissance Squadron: 8 November 1943 – 1 October 1944 * 9th Communications Squadron, Air Support (later 9th Air Support Communications Squadron): 21 August 1942 – c. 21 November 1943 * 14th Air Support Communications Squadron (later 14th Tactical Air Communications Squadron): 3 March 1943 – 18 April 1944 * 14th Liaison Squadron: 11 August 1943 – 4 April 1944 * 14th Tow Target Squadron: 17 December 1942 – 4 November 1943 * 18th Air Support Communications Squadron, 3 November 1943 – c. 12 February 1944 * 19th Liaison Squadron: 11 August 1943 – c. 15 April 1944 * 36th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 29 March – c. November 1944 * 37th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 12 April – 15 November 1944 * 39th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 12 April 1944 – 6 January 1945 * 40th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 18 April – 3 June 1944Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 188 * 41st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 24 June – 1 October 1944; 4 December 1944 – 18 April 1945 * 57th Reconnaissance Squadron: 21 July 1945 – 25 January 1946 * 58th Reconnaissance Squadron: 21 July 1945 – 31 March 1946 * 72d Liaison Squadron: 11 August 1943 – c. 14 June 1944 * 103d Reconnaissance Squadron: 18 April 1944 – 3 June 1944 * 119th Observation Squadron: 1 September 1941 – 29 March 1942 (attached to 59th Observation Group) * 115th Liaison Squadron: 18 April – 29 October 1944 * 121st Liaison Squadron: 11 August 1943 – c. 20 March 1944 * 127th Liaison Squadron: 11 August 1943 – 31 April 1944 *

158th Liaison Squadron The 158th Liaison Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It served in the European Theater of Operations in the final months of World War II before returning to the United States in 1946, when it was inactivated. Later that year ...

: 1 March – 1 October 1944 * 162nd Liaison Squadron: 15 May – 24 June 1944 * 163rd Liaison Squadron: 15 May 44 – 20 January 1945 ; Base Units * 321st AAF Base Unit (Headquarters, III Tactical Air Division ater Headquarters, III Reconnaissance Command: 1 May 1944 – c. 1 November 1945 * 322nd AAF Base Unit (56th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, Light): 1 May 1944 – c. 1 November 1945 * 333rd AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Light, Bombardment ater Combat Crew Training Station, Light Bombardment: 1 May 1944 – 31 January 1945http://www.airforcehistoryindex.org/data/000/175/854.xml * 334th AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Light, Bombardment ater Combat Crew Training Station, Light Bombardment: 1 May – 1 October 1944 * 347th AAF Base Unit (Combat Crew Training Station, Tactical Reconnaissance): c. 1 June 1945 – c. 28 March 1946 * 348th AAF Base Unit (Combat Crew Training Station, Photographic Reconnaissance): c. 1 June 1945 – 29 December 1944 * 349th AAF Base Unit (Combat Crew Training Station, Liaison): c. 1 June 1945 – c. 7 November 1945 * 353rd AAF Base Unit (Maneuver Station): 1 May 1944 – c. 31 January 1946 * 379th AAF Base Unit (Combat Crew Training Station, Tactical Reconnaissance): c. 1 June 1945 – 1945

Stations

* Mitchel Field, New York, 4 September 1941 * Morris Field, North Carolina, c. 10 November 1942 * Key Field, Mississippi, c. 3 April 1944 * Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota, November 1945 – 9 April 1946

Campaign

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * {{USAAF 1st Air Force World War II 03 Command Reconn Reconnaissance units of the United States Army Air Forces Military units and formations disestablished in 1948