1st Reconnaissance Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 1st Reconnaissance Squadron (1 RS) is a United States Air Force
reconnaissance
training unit based at Beale Air Force Base
, near Marysville, California
. It is the oldest squadron
in the Air Force, and the first organization to be established as a U.S. military flying unit. Since 1922 the 1st Squadron has been associated with the USAAF 9th Bomb Group and the USAF 9th Reconnaissance Wing
, where it continues to be an active flying training unit operating the Lockheed U-2
and the RQ-4 Global Hawk
surveillance aircraft
.
The squadron was provisionally created as the 1st Aero Squadron of the U.S. Army Signal Corps on 5 March 1913, when eight Wright and Burgess designs were brought together for the first time as a unit. Under the command of Captain Charles deForest Chandler
(Chief of the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps
) and led in the field by 1st Lt. Thomas DeWitt Milling, the provisional unit was based in Texas City, Texas
, to support the United States Army
ground forces gathering as a response to a possible war with the revolutionary forces of General Victoriano Huerta
in Mexico. The 1st Aero Squadron relocated to North Island
, San Diego, California
, as a flying training unit on 28 November 1913.
The 1st Aero Squadron was officially announced in general orders as a unit of the U.S. Army on 8 December 1913. The Chief Signal officer approved a table of organization for the unit on 7 January 1914, consisting of two companies of eight officers and 45 enlisted men each, and eight aircraft. At the time of its formation, 1st Company consisted of Burgess Model H tractors S.C. No. 9, 24, 25, and 26; while 2nd Company consisted of Curtiss aircraft S.C. No. 2 (a Curtiss Model D
), 6 (Curtiss Model E
), 22 (Curtiss Model G) and 23 (an aircraft assembled from spare parts for the Curtiss E). The initial composition of the squadron was short three pilots. (According to the U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency, during this period other training aircraft included at least one example of the Wright Model B
, Burgess F
, Burgess I-Scout
, Burgess J-Scout
, and the Martin
T.)
Detachments of the 1st Aero Squadron returned to Fort Crockett
, Texas
, on April 30, 1914 when the Tampico Affair
threatened war again, although they arrived too late to be transshipped to Mexico and their aircraft were never uncrated, and to Brownsville
in March 1915 when civil war
broke out between Francisco "Pancho" Villa and the government of Venustiano Carranza
. Now a unit of the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
, the squadron transferred by rail on 29 July 1915, to Fort Sill
, Oklahoma
, to learn artillery spotting using new Curtiss JN-2s. A fatal crash occurred on 12 August, followed by a second crash on 5 September after protests about its safety were overruled by squadron commander Capt. Benjamin D. Foulois. The six surviving JN-2s were grounded until 14 October, when they were converted to the newer JN-3. The squadron flew to Fort Sam Houston
, San Antonio, Texas
, on 15 November 1915.
, attacking units of the U.S. 13th Cavalry. The 1st Aero Squadron, consisting of 11 officers, 84 enlisted men, and a civilian mechanic, moved to Columbus by rail. Its first reconnaissance sortie
on 16 March. On 19 March 1916, assigned to the punitive expedition
commanded by Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing
, the squadron flew into Mexico, where it operated until February 1917. A forward base was established at Colonia Dublán
, the field headquarters of the Expedition near Nueva Casas Grandes
in northern Chihuahua. Detachments continued to serve in Mexico after the squadron returned to Columbus on 22 April 1916, including San Geronimo, San Antonio, Satevo, Namiquipa, and El Valle, and by the end of May the squadron numbered 16 pilots and 122 enlisted men.
The squadron's 90 hp Curtiss JN3 airplanes were unable to climb over the 10,000 to 12000 feet (3,657.6 m) mountains of the region or overcome the high winds of the passes through them. Dust storms frequently grounded the aircraft and wooden propellers de-laminated in the heat. The squadron carried mail and dispatches, flew limited reconnaissance, and acted as liaison between Pershing and forward units. By 20 April, only two airplanes remained in service (neither flyable, and both were destroyed), four having crashed and two others scavenged to provide replacement parts. Four new Curtiss N8 airplanes were delivered on 22 April, but they were little better than the JN3s which they closely resembled and were soon transferred to North Island as trainers. Another Curtiss airplane, the R2, was sent to the 1st Aero Squadron with 12 delivered by late May. The R2 was the latest type available but it too proved unsatisfactory for use on the border. Between 15 March and 15 August 1916, the 1st Aero Squadron flew 540 missions in Mexico.
The USAF Historical Research Agency notes that in addition to its Curtiss aircraft, the 1st Aero Squadron also field tested "H–2, H–3, Curtiss Twin JN, R–Land, Sturtevant Advanced Trainer, V–1, D–5, and Curtiss JN–4 during period 1916–1917."
on Germany on 6 April 1917, the 1st Aero Squadron was still based at Columbus, New Mexico. The Army ordered the 1st Aero Squadron to Fort Jay
, New York City, to accompany the 1st Division
to France. The squadron arrived in August 1917, too late to join the 1st Division, but sailed for France on its own under the command of Major Ralph Royce
. It arrived at Le Havre
on 3 September 1917, the first U.S. squadron in France.
Untested U.S. squadrons were initially sent to a fairly inactive sector of the Front north of Toul
to acquire combat experience at minimum risk. The 1st Aero Squadron trained at Avord
, Issoudun
and Amanty
, France, during the winter of 1917–18. While at Amanty a member of the squadron, Lt. Stephen W. Thompson
, achieved the first aerial victory by the U.S. military. The aircraft used by the squadron were the Curtiss AR-1, Spad XIII
pursuit plane, and Salmson 2
observation plane.
On 8 April 1918, the 1st Aero Squadron was assigned to an aerodrome at Ourches
, and was joined shortly after by the 12th and 88th Aero Squadrons to form the 1st Corps
Observation Group, the first U.S. air group. The group served as an observation unit for both the French XXXVIII Corps and the U.S. I Corps
, moving its location nine times between April and November.
Early in July, when a German buildup was noted, the 1st Corps Observation Group moved westward to Saints
to reinforce the French on the Marne River
. Flying new Salmsons over the Champagne-Marne region, the 1st Aero Squadron supported U.S. Marines at Château-Thierry
to prevent the German Army from crossing the Marne. The squadron then supported operations along the Aisne
and Marne
Rivers between (18 July to 6 August 1918).
In early September the I Corps Observation Group reorganized and operated from Toul
and Bicqueley
in preparation for the St. Mihiel offensive, beginning 12 September, the first large scale coordinated air effort by the United States. The 1st Aero Squadron relocated with the group to Remicourt
as the largest and bloodiest battle involving American troops began, the Meuse-Argonne offensive
from 26 September to 11 November 1918. The four Maltese crosses on the 9th Reconnaissance Wing's emblem represent these battles.
The squadron's primary duties were infantry contact patrols, photo reconnaissance, and artillery surveillance, but flying "protection" (escort) missions for other reconnaissance craft, 1st Aero Squadron pilots recorded 13 aerial victories during the war, commemorated by 13 Maltese crosses encircling the 1st's squadron emblem. The 1st Aero squadron lost 16 pilots killed in action and 3 missing-in-action.
After the Armistice the 1st Corps Observation Group was disbanded. The 1st Aero Squadron accompanied the U.S. III Corps
as part of the occupation
of Germany, stationed at Trier
beginning 6 December 1918, and Weissenthurm from 21 January to July 1919, after which it returned to the United States, based first at Park Field, Tennessee
, on 4 August 1919, and then at Mitchel Field, New York, on 10 October 1919, where it remained until 1940.
Observation Group (briefly the 7th Observation Group in 1921) from 1 October 1919, to 30 August 1921, the 1st Aero Squadron was redesignated the 1st Squadron (Observation) on 14 March 1921. It was attached to the 1st Provisional Air Brigade from 1 May to 3 October 1921. This temporary unit, organized by Gen. William L. Mitchell, sank the German battleship
Ostfriesland
on 21 July in bombardment tests. The squadron functioned briefly as part of the 2nd Wing before being assigned to the Second Corps Area
on 30 September 1921. The 1st Aero Squadron used the de Havilland DH-4 observation airplane as its primary equipment from 1919 to 1928.
The 1st Squadron was assigned as a component squadron of the new 9th Observation Group on 1 August 1922. It was assigned directly to the II Corps on 23 March 1923, as the 1st Observation Squadron, but remained attached to the 9th Observation Group. This command arrangement continued until 15 February 1929, when the 1st Observation Squadron was permanently assigned to the 9th Group.
Its aircraft from 1928 to 1935 was primarily the Curtiss O-1B Falcon
observation plane, but it also field tested and employed other Falcon variants (O-13, O-39, and Y1O-40 Raven) and several Douglas observation types, the Y1O-31
, Y1O-35 and O-35
. The 1st Observation Squadron's O-35s all participated in delivering the U.S. Mail
in 1934 without loss.
on June 20, 1941. In early 1935 the Air Corps was re-organized, with all combat groups being centrally controlled for the first time, under a new command organization called General Headquarters, Air Force. The role of observation as the primary function of the air arm had been de-emphasized in the creation of eight new Air Corps groups between 1927 and 1932. With the creation of General Headquarters Air Force (GHQAF) it was further de-emphasized when the 9th and its component squadrons were converted into a bombardment group and made a part of the 2nd Wing, responsible for the air defense of the East Coast of the United States.
The 1st Observation Squadron became the 1st Bombardment Squadron on 1 March 1935, and was equipped with Keystone B-6
bombers. It converted to Martin B-10
bombers in 1936 and operated these until 1938, when it again re-equipped, with Douglas
B-18
bombers. The designations of the squadron changed in the late 1930s as the role of bombardment became pre-eminent in the Air Corps, becoming the 1st Bomb Squadron (Medium) on 6 December 1939, and the 1st Bomb Squadron (Heavy) on 20 November 1940. During the period 1935–1940 the 1st Bomb Squadron trained aircrews, took part in maneuvers, and participated in air shows.
The 1st deployed with its parent group on 12 November 1940, to Rio Hato
, an airfield on the Gulf of Panama
, to serve as part of the defense force for the Panama Canal
. The 9th Bomb Group was then relocated in a series of moves to Caribbean bases to conduct antisubmarine patrols, with the 1st Bomb Squadron sent to Piarco Airport, Trinidad
, on 24 April 1941; followed on 30 October by a second move to join the group headquarters squadron at Trinidad's Waller Field. The group's Headquarters Squadron was disbanded on 22 July 1942, and the 1st Bomb Squadron switched stations to Edinburg Field, Trinidad, on 23 August, where as part of the Antilles Air Task Force it continued antisubmarine patrols and conducted reconnaissance of the Vichy French fleet at Martinique
.
The 9th Bomb Group and its squadrons were returned without personnel or equipment to the US in October 1942, where all were reconstituted as part of the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics
(AAFSAT) at Orlando Army Air Base
, Florida
. The 1st Bomb Squadron was assigned to AAFSAT's satellite airfield at Brooksville, Florida
, where it used Boeing
B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft to train cadres for heavy bomb groups in organization and operations, performed bombing pattern tests, experimented with tactical formations to attack moving ships, and performed equipment tests.
On 1 March 1944, the 1st Bomb Squadron was moved without aircraft or personnel to Dalhart Army Airfield
, Texas. There, on 28 March, it was re-designated the 1st Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) and began to organization process for training as a B-29 Superfortress
squadron.
, Nebraska
. After a brief period establishing the unit at McCook, the cadre of group and squadron operations staffs went by train to AAFSAT
in May for the 4-week training course in organizing and operating very heavy bombardment units in the field. While the cadre was at AAFSAT, the influx of new personnel continued at McCook.
After the return of the squadron staff in June, 1944, the squadron organized new crews and conducted an intensive program of ground and flying training using B-17 aircraft to practice takeoffs, landings, instrument and night flying, cross-country navigation, high altitude formation flying, and bombing and gunnery practice.
The development of the B-29 as an operational weapon had been plagued since an early flight test on 28 December 1942, resulted in an engine fire, culminating in a massive emergency modification program in the winter of 1943–44 ordered by General Henry H. Arnold
, Chief of the Army Air Forces, and nicknamed the "Battle of Kansas
". In particular the program sought to resolve a spate of problems with serious engine fires and faulty gunnery central fire control systems. All B-29s modified in this program were diverted to the 58th Bomb Wing to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt
's commitment to China to have B-29s deployed to the China-Burma-India Theater in the spring of 1944, leaving none available to equip the 12 new groups being formed in the 73rd, 313th, and 314th Wings.
The 9th Group received its first training B-29 on 13 July 1944. After four further months of training the group commander declared the unit ready for movement overseas, and its ground echelon left McCook for Seattle, Washington
, Port of Embarkation on 18 November 1944, traveling by troopship to the Mariana Islands
on a voyage that required thirty days. The ground echelon of the group debarked at Tinian
on 28 December and was assigned a camp on the west side of the island between the two airfields.
The air echelon of the 1st Bomb Squadron began its overseas movement on 15 January 1945, from its staging base at Mather Army Airfield
, California, after accepting the first of its 14 new B-29s at Herington Field
, Kansas
. The squadron's bombers proceeded individually by way of Hickam Field
, Hawaii, and Kwajalein
to North Field, Tinian, with the first three arriving on 18 January 1945. The final two of the original 14 airplanes arrived on Tinian on 3 February by which time the squadron had already flown three practice missions to the Maug Islands
in the Northern Marianas.
The 1st Bomb Squadron conducted its first combat mission on 9 February 1945, against a Japanese naval airfield located on the island of Moen
at Truk atoll (now known as the Chuuk Islands). Flown by day at an altitude of 25000 feet (7,620 m), it was in actuality a further training mission, encountering no opposition. Its second mission was to Iwo Jima
on 12 February, one week prior to D-Day for Operation Detachment. The capture of Iwo Jima had as its objective an emergency landing field for Twentieth Air Force
bombers attacking Japan and a base for escorting P-51
and P-47
fighters.
The first mission to the Japanese home islands was the 1st Bomb Squadron's fifth, flown 25 February 1945. Again a day mission flown at high altitude, the target was the port facilities of Tokyo. On the squadron's seventh mission, March 9–10, 1945, Tokyo was attacked with incendiaries by night
and at low altitudes of 6,400 to 7800 feet (2,377.4 m). This mission also resulted in the first loss of a 1st Squadron B-29 when the crew of L'il Iodine
was forced to crash-land at sea when it ran out of fuel returning to Tinian, although the crew was rescued.
The Tokyo fire raid was the first of five flown between 9 March and 18 March, resulting in devastation of four urban areas (Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka
and Kobe
) and extensive civilian loss of life. The squadron had a bomber shot down and crew lost on 24 March 1945, attacking the Mitsubishi Aircraft
factory at Nagoya, ironically the same crew that had ditched on 10 March.
On 27 March the 1st Squadron began a week of night missions sowing aerial anti-shipping mines
of Japanese harbor approaches and Inland Sea ship passages, a mission they would again conduct during the entire second half of May. Attacks in April were a combination of night and medium altitude day missions against the Japanese aircraft industry, and beginning 18 April, three weeks of daytime attacks against Japanese airfields on Kyūshū
launching Kamikaze
attacks against U.S. naval forces at Okinawa.
On 1 June the 1st Bomb Squadron began a grim campaign of night fire raids against the remaining urban areas of Japan not previously attacked that continued to its final mission, 14 August 1945. In all the 1st Bomb Squadron flew 71 combat missions, 3 post-hostilities flyover missions, and one mission to drop medical and food supplies to liberated prisoners-of-war.
Of the 71 combat missions, 27 were fire raids, 14 mining, 13 against airfields, 9 against aircraft production, and 9 against other industry or targets other than the home islands. 39 of the missions were flown at night, and 32 by day. Only 6 of the 71 combat missions were flown above 20000 feet (6,096 m) altitude.
The 1st Bomb Squadron had 28 B-29s assigned to it on Tinian. Two were reassigned to other units, one was declared "war-weary" and used for local flights only, two were written off for salvage, one crashed on takeoff 20 May, destroying two parked bombers of another group and itself, and six were lost on missions—an aircraft attrition rate of 34.6% over six months. The squadron had 33 combat crews of 11 airmen each on its rosters during its combat operations. Four crews were missing in action or killed (12%), and three crews completed a full operational tour of 35 missions before the Japanese surrender.
After the end of the war, the squadron received two Presidential Unit Citations
as part of the 9th Bomb Group, for a mission against Kawasaki
On April 15–16, 1945, and for mine-laying operations May 13–28, 1945.
The 1st Bomb Squadron remained on Tinian until 7 March 1946, although most of its crews and aircraft were returned to the United States in the interim to be de-mobilized. On 14 March 1946, the group and squadron set up limited operations at Clark Field
, Luzon
, where they remained until 9 June 1947. By that date, although still an active unit, the squadron was unmanned, and was transferred "on paper" to Harmon Field, Guam
, where it remained in a paper status until 10 October 1948.
(SAC) at Forbes Air Force Base
, Kansas. Equipped with RB-29 and RB-17 aircraft, the 1st SRS was attached for operations to the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Group on 20 October 1948, where it remained until 31 May 1949.
On 1 June 1949, the 1st SRS was transferred to Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base
, California, and re-assigned to the newly activated 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, now the combat component of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. The 1st SRS was re-designated the 1st Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 1 April 1950, and began training with both B-29 and B-36 bombers. On 2 October 1950, the 1st Squadron became the 1st Bombardment Squadron, Medium, equipped now with only B-29s.
The 1st Bomb Squadron remained at Fairfield-Suisun AFB, which was re-named Travis Air Force Base in April 1951, and was attached to the 9th Bomb Wing in February 1951 as SAC began a phase-out of groups as operational units. On 16 June 1952, the 9th Group was inactivated and the squadron was assigned directly to Wing control.
On 1 May 1953, the 1st Bomb Squadron was transferred with the 9th Bomb Wing to Mountain Home Air Force Base
, Idaho
. In 1954 the squadron converted to the B-47
all-jet bomber. It remained at Mountain Home until 1966, with one overseas deployment in 1955 to RAF Fairford
from 22 May to 8 July. The 1st Bomb Squadron was awarded an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
for the period 1 January 1957 to 31 January 1958.
, California, and began training with the SR-71 strategic reconnaissance aircraft.
The squadron began flying operational sorties with the SR-71 in March 1968 with missions to North Vietnam
and North Korea
, and conducted high-altitude mach 3 photo reconnaissance missions worldwide until 1990, winning a Presidential Unit Citation
for the period 31 March – 31 December 1968, and an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award With Combat "V" Device
for the period 1 July 1972 – 30 June 1973. The 1st SRS also received ten Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards for the periods 1 July – 30 June of the years 1967–1968, 1970–1971, 1971–1972, 1975–1977, 1981–1982, 1983–1984, 1985–1986, 1986–1987, 1989–1990, and 1991–1993.
On 1 July 1990, with the phase-out of SR-71 operations, the role of the 1st SRS changed when it became the 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Training), responsible for the selection and training of U-2
pilots using the U-2ST trainer. Since 1 July 1994, the squadron has been designated as the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron.
World War I:
World War II:
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...
reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
training unit based at Beale Air Force Base
Beale Air Force Base
Beale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east of Marysville, California. Originally known as Camp Beale....
, near Marysville, California
Marysville, California
Marysville is the county seat of Yuba County, California, United States. The population was 12,072 at the 2010 census, down from 12,268 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Yuba City Metropolitan Statistical Area, often referred to as the Yuba-Sutter Area after the two counties, Yuba and...
. It is the oldest squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
in the Air Force, and the first organization to be established as a U.S. military flying unit. Since 1922 the 1st Squadron has been associated with the USAAF 9th Bomb Group and the USAF 9th Reconnaissance Wing
9th Reconnaissance Wing
The 9th Reconnaissance Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Beale Air Force Base, California...
, where it continues to be an active flying training unit operating the Lockheed U-2
Lockheed U-2
The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...
and the RQ-4 Global Hawk
RQ-4 Global Hawk
The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle used by the United States Air Force and Navy as a surveillance aircraft....
surveillance aircraft
Surveillance aircraft
A surveillance aircraft is an aircraft used for surveillance — collecting information over time. They are operated by military forces and other government agencies in roles such as intelligence gathering, battlefield surveillance, airspace surveillance, observation , border patrol and fishery...
.
1st Aero Squadron 1913–1921
Charles deForest Chandler
Colonel Charles deForest Chandler was an American military aviator, and the first head of the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps that later became the United States Air Force.-External links:**...
(Chief of the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps
Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps
The Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps was the world's first heavier-than-air military aviation organization and the progenitor of the United States Air Force. A component of the U.S...
) and led in the field by 1st Lt. Thomas DeWitt Milling, the provisional unit was based in Texas City, Texas
Texas City, Texas
Texas City is a city in Chambers and Galveston counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 41,521 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, to support the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
ground forces gathering as a response to a possible war with the revolutionary forces of General Victoriano Huerta
Victoriano Huerta
José Victoriano Huerta Márquez was a Mexican military officer and president of Mexico. Huerta's supporters were known as Huertistas during the Mexican Revolution...
in Mexico. The 1st Aero Squadron relocated to North Island
Rockwell Field
Rockwell Field was an Army air base located in Coronado, California, near San Diego. It shared the area known as North Island with Naval Air Station North Island from 1912 to 1935. Its functions were eventually moved to March Field so that the naval air station could take over the whole area...
, San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, as a flying training unit on 28 November 1913.
The 1st Aero Squadron was officially announced in general orders as a unit of the U.S. Army on 8 December 1913. The Chief Signal officer approved a table of organization for the unit on 7 January 1914, consisting of two companies of eight officers and 45 enlisted men each, and eight aircraft. At the time of its formation, 1st Company consisted of Burgess Model H tractors S.C. No. 9, 24, 25, and 26; while 2nd Company consisted of Curtiss aircraft S.C. No. 2 (a Curtiss Model D
Curtiss Model D
|-See also:-External links:...
), 6 (Curtiss Model E
Curtiss Model E
-References:* * *...
), 22 (Curtiss Model G) and 23 (an aircraft assembled from spare parts for the Curtiss E). The initial composition of the squadron was short three pilots. (According to the U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency, during this period other training aircraft included at least one example of the Wright Model B
Wright Model B
|-See also:-References:* * * * * * -External links:* *...
, Burgess F
Burgess Company
The Burgess Company was a U.S. airplane manufacturer between 1910 and 1918.-History:The business was incorporated in 1910 as the "Burgess Company and Curtis, Inc." . The company was an offshoot of the W. Starling Burgess Shipyard, of Marblehead, Massachusetts.Burgess was the first licensed aircraft...
, Burgess I-Scout
Burgess Company
The Burgess Company was a U.S. airplane manufacturer between 1910 and 1918.-History:The business was incorporated in 1910 as the "Burgess Company and Curtis, Inc." . The company was an offshoot of the W. Starling Burgess Shipyard, of Marblehead, Massachusetts.Burgess was the first licensed aircraft...
, Burgess J-Scout
Burgess Company
The Burgess Company was a U.S. airplane manufacturer between 1910 and 1918.-History:The business was incorporated in 1910 as the "Burgess Company and Curtis, Inc." . The company was an offshoot of the W. Starling Burgess Shipyard, of Marblehead, Massachusetts.Burgess was the first licensed aircraft...
, and the Martin
Glenn L. Martin Company
The Glenn L. Martin Company was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company that was founded by the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the United States and its allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War...
T.)
Detachments of the 1st Aero Squadron returned to Fort Crockett
Fort Crockett
Fort Crockett is a government reservation on Galveston Island overlookingthe Gulf of Mexico originally built as a defense installation to protect the city and harbor of Galveston and to secure the entrance to Galveston Bay,...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, on April 30, 1914 when the Tampico Affair
Tampico Affair
The Tampico Affair started off as a minor incident involving U.S. sailors and Mexican land forces loyal to General Victoriano Huerta during the guerra de las facciones phase of the Mexican Revolution...
threatened war again, although they arrived too late to be transshipped to Mexico and their aircraft were never uncrated, and to Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
in March 1915 when civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
broke out between Francisco "Pancho" Villa and the government of Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza de la Garza, was one of the leaders of the Mexican Revolution. He ultimately became President of Mexico following the overthrow of the dictatorial Huerta regime in the summer of 1914 and during his administration the current constitution of Mexico was drafted...
. Now a unit of the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
The Aviation Section, Signal Corps, was the military aviation service of the United States Army from 1914 to 1918, and a direct ancestor of the United States Air Force. It replaced and absorbed the Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps, and was succeeded briefly by the Division of Military...
, the squadron transferred by rail on 29 July 1915, to Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, to learn artillery spotting using new Curtiss JN-2s. A fatal crash occurred on 12 August, followed by a second crash on 5 September after protests about its safety were overruled by squadron commander Capt. Benjamin D. Foulois. The six surviving JN-2s were grounded until 14 October, when they were converted to the newer JN-3. The squadron flew to Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
, San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, on 15 November 1915.
Punitive expedition
On 9 March 1916, Villista forces raided Columbus, New MexicoColumbus, New Mexico
Columbus is a village in Luna County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,765 at the 2000 census. The town is named after 15th century explorer Christopher Columbus.-History:...
, attacking units of the U.S. 13th Cavalry. The 1st Aero Squadron, consisting of 11 officers, 84 enlisted men, and a civilian mechanic, moved to Columbus by rail. Its first reconnaissance sortie
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
on 16 March. On 19 March 1916, assigned to the punitive expedition
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
commanded by Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
, the squadron flew into Mexico, where it operated until February 1917. A forward base was established at Colonia Dublán
Colonia Dublan
Colonia Dublán began as a Mormon colony, located in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. It is now a part of Nuevo Casas Grandes. It is one of the few surviving Mormon colonies in Mexico .-History:...
, the field headquarters of the Expedition near Nueva Casas Grandes
Casas Grandes
Casas Grandes is the contemporary name given to a pre-Columbian archaeological zone and its central site, located in northwestern Mexico in the modern-day Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is one of the largest and most complex sites in the region...
in northern Chihuahua. Detachments continued to serve in Mexico after the squadron returned to Columbus on 22 April 1916, including San Geronimo, San Antonio, Satevo, Namiquipa, and El Valle, and by the end of May the squadron numbered 16 pilots and 122 enlisted men.
The squadron's 90 hp Curtiss JN3 airplanes were unable to climb over the 10,000 to 12000 feet (3,657.6 m) mountains of the region or overcome the high winds of the passes through them. Dust storms frequently grounded the aircraft and wooden propellers de-laminated in the heat. The squadron carried mail and dispatches, flew limited reconnaissance, and acted as liaison between Pershing and forward units. By 20 April, only two airplanes remained in service (neither flyable, and both were destroyed), four having crashed and two others scavenged to provide replacement parts. Four new Curtiss N8 airplanes were delivered on 22 April, but they were little better than the JN3s which they closely resembled and were soon transferred to North Island as trainers. Another Curtiss airplane, the R2, was sent to the 1st Aero Squadron with 12 delivered by late May. The R2 was the latest type available but it too proved unsatisfactory for use on the border. Between 15 March and 15 August 1916, the 1st Aero Squadron flew 540 missions in Mexico.
The USAF Historical Research Agency notes that in addition to its Curtiss aircraft, the 1st Aero Squadron also field tested "H–2, H–3, Curtiss Twin JN, R–Land, Sturtevant Advanced Trainer, V–1, D–5, and Curtiss JN–4 during period 1916–1917."
World War I
When the United States declared warDeclaration of war by the United States
A declaration of war is a formal declaration issued by a national government indicating that a state of war exists between that nation and another. For the United States, Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution says "Congress shall have power to ... declare War"...
on Germany on 6 April 1917, the 1st Aero Squadron was still based at Columbus, New Mexico. The Army ordered the 1st Aero Squadron to Fort Jay
Fort Jay
Fort Jay is a harbor fortification and the name of the former Army post located on Governors Island in New York Harbor. Fort Jay is the oldest defensive structure on the island, built to defend Upper New York Bay, but has served other purposes...
, New York City, to accompany the 1st Division
U.S. 1st Infantry Division
The 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army is the oldest division in the United States Army. It has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917...
to France. The squadron arrived in August 1917, too late to join the 1st Division, but sailed for France on its own under the command of Major Ralph Royce
Ralph Royce
Ralph Royce was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II. A West Point graduate who learned to fly in 1915–16, he served with the 1st Aero Squadron in the Pancho Villa Expedition and later led it on the Western Front...
. It arrived at Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
on 3 September 1917, the first U.S. squadron in France.
Untested U.S. squadrons were initially sent to a fairly inactive sector of the Front north of Toul
Toul
Toul is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Toul is located between Commercy and Nancy, and situated between the Moselle River and the Canal de la Marne au Rhin....
to acquire combat experience at minimum risk. The 1st Aero Squadron trained at Avord
Avord
Avord is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:A farming area comprising the village and several hamlets situated by the banks of the river Yèvre, some east of Bourges at the junction of the D976 with the D36 and the D71 roads...
, Issoudun
Issoudun
Issoudun is a commune in the Indre department in central France. It is also referred to as Issoundun, which is the ancient name.-History:...
and Amanty
Amanty
Amanty is a commune in the Meuse department in the Lorraine region in north-eastern France....
, France, during the winter of 1917–18. While at Amanty a member of the squadron, Lt. Stephen W. Thompson
Stephen W. Thompson
Stephen W. Thompson was an American aviator of World War I, and the first person in the U.S. Military to shoot down an enemy aircraft .-Early life:...
, achieved the first aerial victory by the U.S. military. The aircraft used by the squadron were the Curtiss AR-1, Spad XIII
SPAD S.XIII
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Bruce, J.M. The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps . London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30084-X.* Sharpe, Michael. Biplanes, Triplanes, and Seaplanes. London: Friedman/Fairfax Books, 2000. ISBN 1-58663-300-7....
pursuit plane, and Salmson 2
Salmson 2
|-References:* Davilla, James J., & Soltan, Arthur M., French Aircraft of the First World War. Stratford, Connecticut: Flying Machines Press, 1997. ISBN 0-9637110-4-0...
observation plane.
On 8 April 1918, the 1st Aero Squadron was assigned to an aerodrome at Ourches
Ourches
Ourches is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:...
, and was joined shortly after by the 12th and 88th Aero Squadrons to form the 1st Corps
U.S. I Corps
I Corps is a corps of the United States Army headquartered in Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. It is a major formation of United States Army Forces Command....
Observation Group, the first U.S. air group. The group served as an observation unit for both the French XXXVIII Corps and the U.S. I Corps
U.S. I Corps
I Corps is a corps of the United States Army headquartered in Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. It is a major formation of United States Army Forces Command....
, moving its location nine times between April and November.
Early in July, when a German buildup was noted, the 1st Corps Observation Group moved westward to Saints
Saints, Seine-et-Marne
Saints is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-History:Saints appears on early maps as Sanz. It is an agricultural village perched above the Petit Aubetin River....
to reinforce the French on the Marne River
Marne River
The Marne is a river in France, a right tributary of the Seine in the area east and southeast of Paris. It is long. The river gave its name to the départements of Haute-Marne, Marne, Seine-et-Marne, and Val-de-Marne....
. Flying new Salmsons over the Champagne-Marne region, the 1st Aero Squadron supported U.S. Marines at Château-Thierry
Château-Thierry
Château-Thierry is a commune in northern France about east-northeast of Paris. It is a sub-prefecture of the Aisne department in Picardy.-History:...
to prevent the German Army from crossing the Marne. The squadron then supported operations along the Aisne
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
and Marne
Marne
Marne is a department in north-eastern France named after the river Marne which flows through the department. The prefecture of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne...
Rivers between (18 July to 6 August 1918).
In early September the I Corps Observation Group reorganized and operated from Toul
Toul
Toul is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Toul is located between Commercy and Nancy, and situated between the Moselle River and the Canal de la Marne au Rhin....
and Bicqueley
Bicqueley
Bicqueley is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France....
in preparation for the St. Mihiel offensive, beginning 12 September, the first large scale coordinated air effort by the United States. The 1st Aero Squadron relocated with the group to Remicourt
Remicourt
-France:Remicourt is the name of several communes in France:* Remicourt, Marne, in the Marne département* Remicourt, Vosges, in the Vosges département...
as the largest and bloodiest battle involving American troops began, the Meuse-Argonne offensive
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
from 26 September to 11 November 1918. The four Maltese crosses on the 9th Reconnaissance Wing's emblem represent these battles.
The squadron's primary duties were infantry contact patrols, photo reconnaissance, and artillery surveillance, but flying "protection" (escort) missions for other reconnaissance craft, 1st Aero Squadron pilots recorded 13 aerial victories during the war, commemorated by 13 Maltese crosses encircling the 1st's squadron emblem. The 1st Aero squadron lost 16 pilots killed in action and 3 missing-in-action.
After the Armistice the 1st Corps Observation Group was disbanded. The 1st Aero Squadron accompanied the U.S. III Corps
U.S. III Corps
III Corps is a corps of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Hood, Texas. It is a major formation of the United States Army Forces Command....
as part of the occupation
Military occupation
Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
of Germany, stationed at Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
beginning 6 December 1918, and Weissenthurm from 21 January to July 1919, after which it returned to the United States, based first at Park Field, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, on 4 August 1919, and then at Mitchel Field, New York, on 10 October 1919, where it remained until 1940.
1st Observation Squadron 1921–1935
Assigned as a component of the Air Service's 1st ArmyU.S. First Army
The First United States Army is a field army of the United States Army. It now serves a mobilization, readiness and training command.- Establishment and World War I :...
Observation Group (briefly the 7th Observation Group in 1921) from 1 October 1919, to 30 August 1921, the 1st Aero Squadron was redesignated the 1st Squadron (Observation) on 14 March 1921. It was attached to the 1st Provisional Air Brigade from 1 May to 3 October 1921. This temporary unit, organized by Gen. William L. Mitchell, sank the German battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
Ostfriesland
SMS Ostfriesland
SMS Ostfriesland "SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff" was the second vessel of the of battleships of the German Imperial Navy. Named for the region of East Frisia, Ostfrieslands keel was laid in October 1908 at the Kaiserliche Werft dockyard in Wilhelmshaven...
on 21 July in bombardment tests. The squadron functioned briefly as part of the 2nd Wing before being assigned to the Second Corps Area
U.S. II Corps
The II Corps was a corps of the United States Army and the first US formation of any size to see combat in Europe or Africa during World War II.-World War I:...
on 30 September 1921. The 1st Aero Squadron used the de Havilland DH-4 observation airplane as its primary equipment from 1919 to 1928.
The 1st Squadron was assigned as a component squadron of the new 9th Observation Group on 1 August 1922. It was assigned directly to the II Corps on 23 March 1923, as the 1st Observation Squadron, but remained attached to the 9th Observation Group. This command arrangement continued until 15 February 1929, when the 1st Observation Squadron was permanently assigned to the 9th Group.
Its aircraft from 1928 to 1935 was primarily the Curtiss O-1B Falcon
Curtiss Falcon
The Curtiss Falcon is a family of military biplane aircraft built by the United States aircraft manufacturer Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company during the 1920s. Most saw service as part of the United States Army Air Corps as observation aircraft with the designations O-1 and O-11, or as the...
observation plane, but it also field tested and employed other Falcon variants (O-13, O-39, and Y1O-40 Raven) and several Douglas observation types, the Y1O-31
Douglas O-31
-External links:**...
, Y1O-35 and O-35
Douglas Y1B-7
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, René J. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920. London: Putnam, 1979. ISBN 0-370-00050-1....
. The 1st Observation Squadron's O-35s all participated in delivering the U.S. Mail
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
in 1934 without loss.
1st Bombardment Squadron 1935–1944
The Air Service became the U.S. Army Air Corps on 2 July 1926, and kept that title until reorganized as the United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
on June 20, 1941. In early 1935 the Air Corps was re-organized, with all combat groups being centrally controlled for the first time, under a new command organization called General Headquarters, Air Force. The role of observation as the primary function of the air arm had been de-emphasized in the creation of eight new Air Corps groups between 1927 and 1932. With the creation of General Headquarters Air Force (GHQAF) it was further de-emphasized when the 9th and its component squadrons were converted into a bombardment group and made a part of the 2nd Wing, responsible for the air defense of the East Coast of the United States.
The 1st Observation Squadron became the 1st Bombardment Squadron on 1 March 1935, and was equipped with Keystone B-6
Keystone B-6
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Wagner, Ray. American Combat Planes. New York: Doubleday, 1982. ISBN 0-930083-17-2.-External links:**...
bombers. It converted to Martin B-10
Martin B-10
The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934...
bombers in 1936 and operated these until 1938, when it again re-equipped, with Douglas
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
B-18
B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
bombers. The designations of the squadron changed in the late 1930s as the role of bombardment became pre-eminent in the Air Corps, becoming the 1st Bomb Squadron (Medium) on 6 December 1939, and the 1st Bomb Squadron (Heavy) on 20 November 1940. During the period 1935–1940 the 1st Bomb Squadron trained aircrews, took part in maneuvers, and participated in air shows.
The 1st deployed with its parent group on 12 November 1940, to Rio Hato
Río Hato
Río Hato is a town in the Coclé province of Panama.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
, an airfield on the Gulf of Panama
Gulf of Panama
The Gulf of Panama is a gulf in the Pacific Ocean, near the southern coast of Panama. It has a maximum width of , a maximum depth of and the size of . The Panama Canal connects the Gulf of Panama with the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
, to serve as part of the defense force for the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. The 9th Bomb Group was then relocated in a series of moves to Caribbean bases to conduct antisubmarine patrols, with the 1st Bomb Squadron sent to Piarco Airport, Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, on 24 April 1941; followed on 30 October by a second move to join the group headquarters squadron at Trinidad's Waller Field. The group's Headquarters Squadron was disbanded on 22 July 1942, and the 1st Bomb Squadron switched stations to Edinburg Field, Trinidad, on 23 August, where as part of the Antilles Air Task Force it continued antisubmarine patrols and conducted reconnaissance of the Vichy French fleet at Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
.
The 9th Bomb Group and its squadrons were returned without personnel or equipment to the US in October 1942, where all were reconstituted as part of the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics
Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics
The Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics was a military training organization of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II...
(AAFSAT) at Orlando Army Air Base
McCoy Air Force Base
With McCoy's closure as an active air force installation in 1975, the site was redeveloped and is known today as Orlando International Airport, which carries the airport code MCO .- History :...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The 1st Bomb Squadron was assigned to AAFSAT's satellite airfield at Brooksville, Florida
Brooksville, Florida
Brooksville is an incorporated city in Hernando County, Florida, in the United States. It is the county seat of Hernando County. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, where it used Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft to train cadres for heavy bomb groups in organization and operations, performed bombing pattern tests, experimented with tactical formations to attack moving ships, and performed equipment tests.
On 1 March 1944, the 1st Bomb Squadron was moved without aircraft or personnel to Dalhart Army Airfield
Dalhart, Texas
Dalhart is a city in Dallam and Hartley counties in the U.S. state of Texas, and the county seat of Dallam County. The population was 7,237 at the 2000 census. Founded in 1901, Dalhart is named for its location on the border of Dallam and Hartley counties. Dalhart sits at the intersection of U.S....
, Texas. There, on 28 March, it was re-designated the 1st Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) and began to organization process for training as a B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
squadron.
B-29 operations 1944–1947
During April the key personnel of the new squadron assembled at Dalhart, forming the command cadre, and were transferred with the group to McCook Army AirfieldMcCook Regional Airport
McCook Regional Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles east of the central business district of the City of McCook, in Red Willow County, Nebraska, United States. It was formerly known as McCook Municipal Airport...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. After a brief period establishing the unit at McCook, the cadre of group and squadron operations staffs went by train to AAFSAT
Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics
The Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics was a military training organization of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II...
in May for the 4-week training course in organizing and operating very heavy bombardment units in the field. While the cadre was at AAFSAT, the influx of new personnel continued at McCook.
After the return of the squadron staff in June, 1944, the squadron organized new crews and conducted an intensive program of ground and flying training using B-17 aircraft to practice takeoffs, landings, instrument and night flying, cross-country navigation, high altitude formation flying, and bombing and gunnery practice.
The development of the B-29 as an operational weapon had been plagued since an early flight test on 28 December 1942, resulted in an engine fire, culminating in a massive emergency modification program in the winter of 1943–44 ordered by General Henry H. Arnold
Henry H. Arnold
Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold was an American general officer holding the grades of General of the Army and later General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps , Commanding General of the U.S...
, Chief of the Army Air Forces, and nicknamed the "Battle of Kansas
Battle of Kansas
The Battle of Kansas was the nickname given to a project to build, modify and deliver large quantities of the world's most advanced bomber to the front-lines in the Pacific...
". In particular the program sought to resolve a spate of problems with serious engine fires and faulty gunnery central fire control systems. All B-29s modified in this program were diverted to the 58th Bomb Wing to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's commitment to China to have B-29s deployed to the China-Burma-India Theater in the spring of 1944, leaving none available to equip the 12 new groups being formed in the 73rd, 313th, and 314th Wings.
The 9th Group received its first training B-29 on 13 July 1944. After four further months of training the group commander declared the unit ready for movement overseas, and its ground echelon left McCook for Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Port of Embarkation on 18 November 1944, traveling by troopship to the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
on a voyage that required thirty days. The ground echelon of the group debarked at Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
on 28 December and was assigned a camp on the west side of the island between the two airfields.
The air echelon of the 1st Bomb Squadron began its overseas movement on 15 January 1945, from its staging base at Mather Army Airfield
Mather Air Force Base
Mather Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force Base located east of Sacramento at Rancho Cordova, California on the south side of U.S. Route 50....
, California, after accepting the first of its 14 new B-29s at Herington Field
Herington Municipal Airport
Herington Regional Airport , formerly known as Herington Municipal Airport, is a public use airport in Morris County, Kansas, United States. The airport is owned by the City of Herington and is located seven nautical miles northeast of its central business district. Although the airport is in...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. The squadron's bombers proceeded individually by way of Hickam Field
Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Field, re-named Hickam Air Force Base in 1948, was a United States Air Force facility now part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lt Col Horace Meek Hickam.- History :...
, Hawaii, and Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
to North Field, Tinian, with the first three arriving on 18 January 1945. The final two of the original 14 airplanes arrived on Tinian on 3 February by which time the squadron had already flown three practice missions to the Maug Islands
Maug Islands
The Maug Islands consist of three islands formed from the highest points of a single submerged volcano's caldera...
in the Northern Marianas.
The 1st Bomb Squadron conducted its first combat mission on 9 February 1945, against a Japanese naval airfield located on the island of Moen
Moen (island)
Moen, also called Weno or Wono, is an island in Truk Lagoon, the main island group of the state of Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia....
at Truk atoll (now known as the Chuuk Islands). Flown by day at an altitude of 25000 feet (7,620 m), it was in actuality a further training mission, encountering no opposition. Its second mission was to Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
on 12 February, one week prior to D-Day for Operation Detachment. The capture of Iwo Jima had as its objective an emergency landing field for Twentieth Air Force
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
bombers attacking Japan and a base for escorting P-51
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
and P-47
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
fighters.
The first mission to the Japanese home islands was the 1st Bomb Squadron's fifth, flown 25 February 1945. Again a day mission flown at high altitude, the target was the port facilities of Tokyo. On the squadron's seventh mission, March 9–10, 1945, Tokyo was attacked with incendiaries by night
Bombing of Tokyo in World War II
The bombing of Tokyo, often referred to as a "firebombing", was conducted by the United States Army Air Forces during the Pacific campaigns of World War II. The U.S. mounted a small-scale raid on Tokyo in April 1942, with large morale effects...
and at low altitudes of 6,400 to 7800 feet (2,377.4 m). This mission also resulted in the first loss of a 1st Squadron B-29 when the crew of L'il Iodine
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
was forced to crash-land at sea when it ran out of fuel returning to Tinian, although the crew was rescued.
The Tokyo fire raid was the first of five flown between 9 March and 18 March, resulting in devastation of four urban areas (Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
) and extensive civilian loss of life. The squadron had a bomber shot down and crew lost on 24 March 1945, attacking the Mitsubishi Aircraft
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
factory at Nagoya, ironically the same crew that had ditched on 10 March.
On 27 March the 1st Squadron began a week of night missions sowing aerial anti-shipping mines
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
of Japanese harbor approaches and Inland Sea ship passages, a mission they would again conduct during the entire second half of May. Attacks in April were a combination of night and medium altitude day missions against the Japanese aircraft industry, and beginning 18 April, three weeks of daytime attacks against Japanese airfields on Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
launching Kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attacks against U.S. naval forces at Okinawa.
On 1 June the 1st Bomb Squadron began a grim campaign of night fire raids against the remaining urban areas of Japan not previously attacked that continued to its final mission, 14 August 1945. In all the 1st Bomb Squadron flew 71 combat missions, 3 post-hostilities flyover missions, and one mission to drop medical and food supplies to liberated prisoners-of-war.
Of the 71 combat missions, 27 were fire raids, 14 mining, 13 against airfields, 9 against aircraft production, and 9 against other industry or targets other than the home islands. 39 of the missions were flown at night, and 32 by day. Only 6 of the 71 combat missions were flown above 20000 feet (6,096 m) altitude.
The 1st Bomb Squadron had 28 B-29s assigned to it on Tinian. Two were reassigned to other units, one was declared "war-weary" and used for local flights only, two were written off for salvage, one crashed on takeoff 20 May, destroying two parked bombers of another group and itself, and six were lost on missions—an aircraft attrition rate of 34.6% over six months. The squadron had 33 combat crews of 11 airmen each on its rosters during its combat operations. Four crews were missing in action or killed (12%), and three crews completed a full operational tour of 35 missions before the Japanese surrender.
After the end of the war, the squadron received two Presidential Unit Citations
Presidential Unit Citation (US)
The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
as part of the 9th Bomb Group, for a mission against Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
On April 15–16, 1945, and for mine-laying operations May 13–28, 1945.
The 1st Bomb Squadron remained on Tinian until 7 March 1946, although most of its crews and aircraft were returned to the United States in the interim to be de-mobilized. On 14 March 1946, the group and squadron set up limited operations at Clark Field
Clark Air Base
Clark Air Base is a former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles City, about 40 miles northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was an American military facility from 1903 to 1991...
, Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, where they remained until 9 June 1947. By that date, although still an active unit, the squadron was unmanned, and was transferred "on paper" to Harmon Field, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, where it remained in a paper status until 10 October 1948.
SAC operations 1948–1966
The United States Air Force became a separate military service on 18 September 1947, during the period of time when the 1st Squadron was without personnel or equipment. On 10 October 1948, the 1st Squadron was removed from the 9th Bomb Group (which was inactivated), re-designated the 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic, and assigned to the 311th Air Division of the Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
(SAC) at Forbes Air Force Base
Forbes Air Force Base
Forbes Field, previously Forbes Air Force Base, is a joint-use civil-military airport operated by the Topeka Airport Authority located approximately south of Topeka, Kansas....
, Kansas. Equipped with RB-29 and RB-17 aircraft, the 1st SRS was attached for operations to the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Group on 20 October 1948, where it remained until 31 May 1949.
On 1 June 1949, the 1st SRS was transferred to Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base
Travis Air Force Base
Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force air base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command , located three miles east of the central business district of Fairfield, in Solano County, California, United States. The base is named for Brigadier General Robert F...
, California, and re-assigned to the newly activated 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, now the combat component of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. The 1st SRS was re-designated the 1st Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 1 April 1950, and began training with both B-29 and B-36 bombers. On 2 October 1950, the 1st Squadron became the 1st Bombardment Squadron, Medium, equipped now with only B-29s.
The 1st Bomb Squadron remained at Fairfield-Suisun AFB, which was re-named Travis Air Force Base in April 1951, and was attached to the 9th Bomb Wing in February 1951 as SAC began a phase-out of groups as operational units. On 16 June 1952, the 9th Group was inactivated and the squadron was assigned directly to Wing control.
On 1 May 1953, the 1st Bomb Squadron was transferred with the 9th Bomb Wing to Mountain Home Air Force Base
Mountain Home Air Force Base
Mountain Home Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation located in southwestern Idaho, United States. The base is in Elmore County, 12 miles southwest of the city of Mountain Home, which is 40 miles southeast of Boise, via Interstate 84.The host unit at Mountain Home since 1972...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. In 1954 the squadron converted to the B-47
B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
all-jet bomber. It remained at Mountain Home until 1966, with one overseas deployment in 1955 to RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. It is a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in...
from 22 May to 8 July. The 1st Bomb Squadron was awarded an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Outstanding Unit Award
The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is an award of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1954. The award is presented as a ribbon to any command of the U.S...
for the period 1 January 1957 to 31 January 1958.
Strategic reconnaissance 1966–present
During January to June 1966 the 1st Bomb Squadron phased out its operations at Mountain Home AFB. On 25 June 1966, as the 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, it took over the personnel and equipment of the 4201st SRS at Beale Air Force BaseBeale Air Force Base
Beale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east of Marysville, California. Originally known as Camp Beale....
, California, and began training with the SR-71 strategic reconnaissance aircraft.
The squadron began flying operational sorties with the SR-71 in March 1968 with missions to North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
and North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, and conducted high-altitude mach 3 photo reconnaissance missions worldwide until 1990, winning a Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation (US)
The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
for the period 31 March – 31 December 1968, and an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award With Combat "V" Device
Valor device
The Valor device is an award of the United States military which is a bronze attachment to certain medals to indicate that it was received for valor...
for the period 1 July 1972 – 30 June 1973. The 1st SRS also received ten Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards for the periods 1 July – 30 June of the years 1967–1968, 1970–1971, 1971–1972, 1975–1977, 1981–1982, 1983–1984, 1985–1986, 1986–1987, 1989–1990, and 1991–1993.
On 1 July 1990, with the phase-out of SR-71 operations, the role of the 1st SRS changed when it became the 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Training), responsible for the selection and training of U-2
Lockheed U-2
The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...
pilots using the U-2ST trainer. Since 1 July 1994, the squadron has been designated as the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron.
Campaign streamers
- Mexico 1916–1917
World War I:
- Lorraine
- Île-de-France
- Champagne
- Champagne-Marne
- Aisne-Marne
- St Mihiel
- Meuse-Argonne
World War II:
- Antisubmarine, American Theater
- Air Offensive, Japan
- Eastern Mandates
- Western Pacific
See also
- List of American Aero Squadrons
- John Francisco Richards IIJohn Francisco Richards IIJohn Francisco Richards II was a first lieutenant in the 1st Aero Squadron, who was shot down during Meuse-Argonne Offensive in World War I....
- Henry PostHenry PostHenry Burnet Post was a Lieutenant in the US Army and a pioneer aviator who was killed in a crash. He set the altitude record of 12,120 feet....
- Stephen W. ThompsonStephen W. ThompsonStephen W. Thompson was an American aviator of World War I, and the first person in the U.S. Military to shoot down an enemy aircraft .-Early life:...
External links
- 1st Reconnaissance Squadron fact sheet
- 9th Bomb Group/1st Bomb Squadron History
- Unit history from www.globalsecurity.org
- 1st Reconnaissance Squadron fact sheet (Air Force Historical Research Agency reference)
- Photos of the 1st Aero Squadron, 1913–1915 hosted by the Portal to Texas History
- 14 July 2008 – 90th anniversary Commemoration of 1st aero squadron and 12th aero squadron in France during World War I