The 25th Attack Group is an active
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
unit, stationed at
Shaw Air Force Base
Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...
, South Carolina. It was activated in February 2018 as a
Geographically Separate Unit
In the United States military a Geographically Separate Unit (GSU) is a base that is physically separate from, yet not autonomous of its "parent" base. GSUs are "owned" by their parent organization and are typically quite small.
Assignment to a ...
to operate
unmanned aerial vehicles
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
and is assigned to the
432d Wing
The 432nd Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command at Creech Air Force Base near Indian Springs, Nevada. It flies General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-170 Sentinel Unmanned aerial vehicles.
The group operates unmanne ...
, which is located at
Creech Air Force Base
Creech Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) command and control facility in Clark County, Nevada used "to engage in daily Overseas Contingency Operations …of remotely piloted aircraft systems which fly missions across the globe." ...
, Nevada. As of 2020, the group manages five
MQ-9 Reaper
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the Unit ...
attack squadrons, as well as the 25th Operations Support Squadron, which provides intelligence, weather, and administrative support.
The 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was last active in 1966 at
Chambley Air Base, France as an element of
United States Air Forces Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
. The wing replaced the 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Group at Chambley. The
group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
was formed in 1965 by the consolidation of the 25th Bombardment Group (Medium) and the 25th Bombardment Group, Reconnaissance.
The first 25th Bombardment Group performed
anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in 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 are t ...
missions in the Caribbean Sea following the entry of the United States into
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. This group had been disbanded in 1944 after the threat of German
U-boat
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...
s lessened. Later in 1944 the second 25th Bombardment Group was organized to perform weather and special reconnaissance missions from England during World War II for United States Strategic Air Forces over Europe and the Atlantic approaches to the British Isles. In 1985 the
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
and group were consolidated.
Composition
Although the 25th Attack Group is headquartered at
Shaw AFB
Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...
, the current group comprises six squadrons in various locations:
[
* ]Creech AFB
Creech Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) command and control facility in Clark County, Nevada used "to engage in daily Overseas Contingency Operations …of remotely piloted aircraft systems which fly missions across the globe." ...
, Nevada
** 42d Attack Squadron
The 42nd Attack Squadron is a dormant United States Air Force unit assigned to the 25th Attack Group and formerly located at Creech Air Force Base near Indian Springs, Nevada. It flew the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle. Th ...
''(dormant)''
* Ellsworth AFB
Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located about northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, just north of the town of Box Elder, South Dakota, Box Elder.
The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing (28 BW). Assi ...
, South Dakota
** 89th Attack Squadron
The 89th Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 432d Wing as a tenant unit at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. It has been active as a remotely piloted aircraft (drone) squadron there since 2011.
The squadron ...
* Shaw AFB
Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...
, South Carolina
** 25th Attack Group
** 25th Operational Support Squadron
** 50th Attack Squadron
** 482d Attack Squadron
* Whiteman AFB
Whiteman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located just south of Knob Noster, Missouri, Knob Noster, Missouri, United States. The base is the current home of the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, B-2 Spirit bomber. It is named for Georg ...
, Missouri
** 20th Attack Squadron
The 20th Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. It currently flies the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and is assigned to the 432d Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.
It was originall ...
History
World War II
Antisubmarine Warfare in the Caribbean Sea
The first predecessor of the wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
was the 25th Bombardment Group, which was activated at Langley Field Langley may refer to:
People
* Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name
* Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer
* Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perform ...
, Virginia during the buildup of the Air Corps prior to the entry of the United States into World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, with the 10th
10 (ten) is the even natural number following 9 and preceding 11. Ten is the base of the decimal numeral system, by far the most common system of denoting numbers in both spoken and written language. It is the first double-digit number. The rea ...
, 12th
12 (twelve) is the natural number following 11 and preceding 13. Twelve is a superior highly composite number, divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6.
It is the number of years required for an orbital period of Jupiter. It is central to many systems ...
, and 35th Bombardment Squadrons as its original components.[Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 54–55][Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 64–65][Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 167] Most of the cadre
Cadre may refer to:
*Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff
*Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...
for the group was drawn from the 2d Bombardment Group 002, 0O2, O02, OO2, or 002 may refer to:
Airports
*0O2, Baker Airport
*O02, Nervino Airport
Astronomy
*1996 OO2, the minor planet 7499 L'Aquila
*1990 OO2, the asteroid 9175 Graun
Fiction
*002, fictional British 00 Agent
*'' 002 Operazione Luna' ...
at Langley. Although initially designated as a heavy bomber
Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually bombs) and longest range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy bombers have therefore usually been among the larges ...
unit, the group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
trained with Northrop A-17
The Northrop A-17, a development of the Northrop Gamma 2F model, was a two-seat, single-engine, monoplane, attack bomber built in 1935 by the Northrop Corporation for the United States Army Air Corps. When in British Commonwealth service during W ...
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 dro ...
s and Douglas B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American heavy bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company f ...
medium bomber
A medium bomber is a military bomber Fixed-wing aircraft, aircraft designed to operate with medium-sized Aerial bomb, bombloads over medium Range (aeronautics), range distances; the name serves to distinguish this type from larger heavy bombe ...
s[ (although the 10th Squadron briefly had a few ]Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
es on hand).[
In late October 1940, the 25th sailed on the for ]Borinquen Field
Ramey Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. It was named after United States Army Air Forces Brigadier General Howard Knox Ramey. Following its closure, it was redeveloped into Rafael Hernandez Airpor ...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
, along with the newly-organized 13th Composite Wing.[Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 382–383] Upon their arrival in Puerto Rico on 1 November, the group was assigned to the 13th Wing and had the 27th Reconnaissance Squadron, which had been at Borinquen since 1939, attached to it from the Puerto Rican Department.[Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 510–511] In April 1941, the group provided the initial cadre for the 40th Bombardment Group
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
, which was activated at Borinquen, losing almost half of its personnel to form the new group.[
The group participated in the defense of the Antilles, and after the commencement of hostilities, escorted convoys and conducted antisubmarine ]patrol
A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as Law enforcement officer, law enforcement officers, military personnel, or Security guard, security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area.
Etymology
Fro ...
s.[ Shortly before the entry of the United States into World War II, in November, the group dispersed two of its squadrons to increase its coverage, with the 12th moving to ]Benedict Field
Henry E. Rohlsen Airport is a public airport located six miles (10 km) southwest of Christiansted on the island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. The airport is named after Henry E. Rohlsen, a St. Croix native who was one ...
on St Croix
Saint Croix; nl, Sint-Kruis; french: link=no, Sainte-Croix; Danish and no, Sankt Croix, Taino: ''Ay Ay'' ( ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincorpo ...
and the 35th to Coolidge Field on Antigua
Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...
. During its remaining time in the Caribbean, the group operated with its squadrons or detachments at various locations in the Antilles.[ Partly due to the dispersal of its units, the 12th Squadron was under the operational control of the ]Antilles Air Task Force
The Antilles Air Command is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, where it was inactivated on 25 August 1946.
Engaged in antisubmarine operations, 1941†...
from November 1942 and the 10th was reassigned to VI Bomber Command
The VI Bomber Command was a military formation of the United States Army Air Forces. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force. It was based throughout its service at Albrook Field, in the Panama Canal Zone. It was inactivated on 1 November ...
in 1943.[
In May 1942, the group's designation finally matched its equipment, when it became the 25th Bombardment Group (Medium). That November the group moved to ]Edinburgh Field
Carlsen Air Force Base is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II airbase on Trinidad, consisting of two landing strips, "Edinburgh" and "Xeres". The airbase also included an emergency landing strip, "Tobago".
History
The America ...
, Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
. The B-18 was its primary operational aircraft, although in October 1943, the 59th Bombardment Squadron
The 59th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first activated in Panama in 1941 during the expansion of the United States Army Air Corps before World War II. Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor the squadron ...
, which had been attached to the group briefly earlier in the year, was assigned to the group. The 59th operated Douglas A-20 Havoc
The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American medium bomber, attack aircraft, Intruder (air combat), night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II.
Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement f ...
aircraft.[Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 232–233] Between November 1942 and August 1943, the 26th Antisubmarine Wing deployed squadrons from Jacksonville
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
and Miami Army Air Fields to Edinburgh Field, where they were attached to the 25th group for operations until returning to Florida.[Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 781–782][Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 776][Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 775] After the group moved back to Borinquen in the fall of 1943,[ it began a training program to convert to the ]North American B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in e ...
.[
In April 1944, in light of the decreasing threat in the Caribbean and the transfer of the remaining antisubmarine mission to the ]United States navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
, the group moved to Alamogordo Army Air Field
Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...
, New Mexico, where it began training with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
es, but was disbanded in June 1944 and its personnel and equipment transferred to the 231st AAF Base Unit (Combat Crew Training Station, Bombardment, Heavy), which conducted B-17 training at Alamogordo.[
]
Reconnaissance in the European Theater of Operations
Weather reconnaissance for Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Force ...
was initially performed on an ad hoc basis by heavy bombers detailed to the 18th Weather Squadron for individual missions. In the spring of 1944, Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Force ...
created provisional reconnaissance units, primarily for weather reconnaissance. On 22 March, it brought these provisional units together, along with a squadron for special reconnaissance, under the 8th Reconnaissance Group (Special) (Provisional) at RAF Cheddington
Royal Air Force Cheddington or more simply RAF Cheddington (also known as RAF Marsworth) is a former Royal Air Force station located south-west of Cheddington, Buckinghamshire, England. The airfield was closed in 1952.
Origins
Cheddington wa ...
, England. This unit became the 802d Reconnaissance Group (Special)(Provisional) on 30 March 1944, and moved to RAF Watton
Royal Air Force Watton or more simply RAF Watton is a former Royal Air Force station located southwest of East Dereham, Norfolk, England.
Opened in 1937 it was used by both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) ...
on 12 April 1944.[Freeman, p. 240] In July, Eighth received permission to organize these provisional units into a regular organization and on 9 August, it activated the 25th Bombardment Group, Reconnaissance from the resources of the provisional 802d Group and assigned to it the 652d, 653d and 654th Bombardment Squadrons.[Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 76–77][Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 696][Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 696–697][Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 697–698]
The group's weather reconnaissance missions included area reconnaissance over the Atlantic Ocean, ranging as far as the Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
, to obtain information for weather forecasting for Eighth and Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...
s units operating in the British Isles. These flights were performed by B-17s and Consolidated B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
s assigned to the 652d Squadron.[ Squadron bombers on these long range missions, code named Sharon and Allah, took periodic meteorological readings at altitudes varying from 50 to 30,000 feet.][Air Force 50, p. 51]
Flights over the Continent of Europe to obtain information for use in operational planning and occasional weather scouting missions over targets to provide current weather information for relay to bombers on their way to attack fell to the de Havilland Mosquitos Mk. XVI of the 653d Squadron.[The pilots for the Mosquitoes of the 653d and 654th Squadrons came from the 50th Fighter Squadron. which provided the personnel for the provisional squadrons, and which was disbanded in August 1944 with its personnel transferring to the new squadrons. Freeman, p. 240.] These missions were code named Bluestocking.[
The 25th's 654th Squadron conducted night photographic reconnaissance missions (code named Joker)][ to detect German operations being conducted under the cover of darkness as well as daytime and mapping missions over Occupied Europe using a variety of aircraft. Some missions were conducted to provide target imagery for ]H2X
H2X, officially known as the AN/APS-15, was an American ground scanning radar system used for blind bombing during World War II. It was a development of the British H2S radar, the first ground mapping radar to be used in combat. It was also known ...
radars to be used on later strikes.[ The group also performed post-strike visual reconnaissance and prestrike ]electronic warfare
Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...
, distributing chaff
Chaff (; ) is the dry, scaly protective casing of the seeds of cereal grains or similar fine, dry, scaly plant material (such as scaly parts of flowers or finely chopped straw). Chaff is indigestible by humans, but livestock can eat it. In agri ...
ahead of attacking formations. Experiments had shown that Mosquitoes equipped with an electric dispensing system in their bomb bay
The bomb bay or weapons bay on some military aircraft is a compartment to carry bombs, usually in the aircraft's fuselage, with "bomb bay doors" which open at the bottom. The bomb bay doors are opened and the bombs are dropped when over th ...
s provided the optimum coverage of chaff and thirty of the group's aircraft were specially equipped for this mission.[ The squadron also had three ]Martin B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company.
First used in t ...
s for Joker missions and two Douglas A-26 Invaders assigned for special operations with the Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the intelligence agency of the United States during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all branc ...
.[.]
By the end of the war, the group had flown 3501 sorties, each of which (with the exception of chaff missions) was flown by a single aircraft.[It is not clear, but this mission total appears to include those flown by the provisional predecessor of the group between April and August 1944.] Following VE Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
in July 1945, the group and the 654th Bombardment Squadron left the European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...
for the United States.[The other two squadrons remained in England and were reassigned to other ]headquarters
Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...
. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 696–697. It was inactivated in September 1945 at Drew Field
Tampa International Airport is an international airport west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)., effective December 30, 2021. The ...
, Florida.[
]
Cold War
In 1965, United States Air Forces Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
reorganized its reconnaissance units in France, several of which were physically separated from their headquarters, the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
The 10th Air Base Wing (10 ABW) is a non-flying United States Air Force unit that is the host wing for the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The Wing provides all base-level support activities to the Academy ...
at RAF Alconbury
Royal Air Force Alconbury or more simply RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station near Huntingdon, England. The airfield is in the civil parish of The Stukeleys, close to the villages of Great Stukeley, Little Stukeley, and Alconbury. ...
, England. On 1 July 1965, the 42d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron moved from Toul-Rosieres Air Base to Chambley Air Base, France. The two World War II 25th Bombardment Groups consolidated as the 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Group and activated along with support elements at Chambley as the parent for the 42d Squadron. The group absorbed the personnel and equipment of the 7367th Combat Support Group, which was simultaneously discontinued at Chambley. On 1 October, the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron joined the 42d at Chambley and the 25th Group was inactivated and replaced by the 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing.[
The 25th flew variants of the ]Douglas B-66 Destroyer
The Douglas B-66 Destroyer is a light bomber that was designed and produced by the American aviation manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company.
The B-66 was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) and is heavily based upon the United St ...
on photographic reconnaissance and electronic warfare missions. Its 42d Squadron flew RB-66Cs with a seven-man crew for electronic reconnaissance, (commonly called Ferret) operations. The squadron's electronic countermeasures operators were known as Ravens. The 19th Squadron flew RB-66Bs with a three-man crew to perform day and night photography missions.[McAuliffe, p. 181] Squadron markings were a red band on the engine nacelle for the 19th and a blue band for the 42d.
Although the 19th and 42d had been flying the Destroyer before joining the 25th, major construction projects were needed to accommodate their modified bombers, since Chambley had previously hosted fighter units. Larger hangars, maintenance facilities and a more capable electrical system were constructed. The base operations facility was expanded to accommodate the specialized RB-66 aircrew simulator. This simulator could be used to train pilots, navigator/camera operators and gunners, but did not provide for training the 42d Squadron's Ravens. Pilot training also posed a problem because there were no dual control B-66s for pilot checkout. Another obstacle to photographic reconnaissance training was a 1965 edict that prohibited aerial photography over France. This forced training missions to be conducted over West Germany and Great Britain. The closing of American bases in Morocco deprived the wing of suitable ranges where flash bombs could be used for night photographic reconnaissance training.[
In October 1965 six of the wing's RB-66Cs deployed to Thailand to establish an electronic countermeasures capability in ]Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
. These were organized as Detachment 1 of the wing on 10 October. The detachment was awarded an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the Awards and decorations of the United States Department of the Air Force, unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the A ...
for its performance.[AF Pamphlet 900-3, p. 146] The movement of B-66s to the combat theater resulted in the inactivation of the 42d Squadron in August 1966 and the transfer of the majority of its aircraft and a large proportion of its aircrew
Aircrew, also called flight crew, are personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of a flight's crew depends on the type of aircraft, plus the flight's duration and purpose.
Commercial aviation
Flight deck positions ...
s to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base
Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) facility in central Thailand, approximately 144 miles (240 km) northwest of Bangkok in Takhli District, Nakhon Sawan Province.
Units
Takhli is the home of the Royal Tha ...
, where they were assigned to the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing.[The planes and personnel at Takhli were transferred to the 6460th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron.] A few of the aircraft were flown to Douglas Aircraft
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer based in Southern California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas; it then operated as ...
's Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
plant for modifications before going to Southeast Asia.[McAuliffe, p. 182]
The impact of the need for reconnaissance assets in Southeast Asia and limitations on training on the wing's continued existence was compounded by French President Charles De Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
's March 1966 announcement that France was withdrawing from the NATO Military Command Structure
The Structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is complex and multi-faceted. The decision-making body is the North Atlantic Council (NAC), and the member state representatives also sit on the Defence Planning Committee (NATO), Defence Pol ...
. In connection with France's withdrawal all foreign troops stationed in France were to be withdrawn by 1 April 1967. As a result, the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron moved to Shaw Air Force Base
Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...
, South Carolina, and was assigned to the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
The 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing (363 ISRW) is a United States Air Force unit. The group is assigned to the United States Air Force Sixteenth Air Force, stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
The mission ...
on 1 September 1966. The squadron flew its RB-66Bs from Chambley to Shaw with three air-to-air refuelings over the Atlantic following a stop at Moron Air Base
Moron or Morón may refer to:
* Moron (psychology), disused term for a person with a mental age between 7 and 10
People
* Edgar Moron (born 1941), German politician
* Morón (surname), various people so named
Places
* Moron (ancient city), ...
, Spain. Although the 19th was based in the United States and was to be available for NATO operations, It primarily trained aircrews for combat operations in Southeast Asia.[
Although it was no longer operational, the wing continued to wind down operations at Chambley until 15 October 1966, when it inactivated.][ Its remaining support personnel were transferred to the 7367th Tactical Group, which managed US Air Force operations at Chambley until they terminated in April 1967.][
]
Consolidation
In January 1984, the 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Group and 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing were consolidated into a single unit. It remained inactive until 2 October 2018, when it was redesignated the 25th Attack Group and activated at Shaw Air Force Base
Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...
, South Carolina.
In February 2021, the group started flying sorties in Romania with the MQ-9 Reaper.
Lineage
25th Bombardment Group (Medium)
* Established as the 25th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 22 December 1939
: Activated 1 February 1940
: Redesignated: 25th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 7 May 1942
: Disbanded on 20 June 1944
: Reconstituted on 19 April 1965 and consolidated with 25th Bombardment Group, Reconnaissance as the 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Group
; 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Group
* Established as the 25th Bombardment Group, Reconnaissance on 17 July 1944
: Activated on 9 August 1944
: Inactivated on 8 September 1945[25th Bombardment Group, Reconnaissance lineage in Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 76–77]
: Consolidated with the 25th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 19 April 1965 as the 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Group and activated (not organized)
: Organized on 1 July 1965
: Discontinued and inactivated on 1 October 1965
: Consolidated with the 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing as the 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing on 31 January 1984[
; 25th Attack Group
* Established as the 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and activated on 24 September 1965 (not organized)][
: Organized on 1 October 1965][
: Inactivated on 15 October 1966][
: Consolidated with the 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Group on 31 January 1984
* Redesignated 25th Attack Group on 13 February 2018][
: Activated on 4 October 2018][
]
Assignments
* 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 ...
, 1 February–26 October 1940
* 13th Composite Wing, 1 November 1940
* VI Bomber Command, 25 October 1941
* Second Air Force
The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...
, c. 6 April 1944 – 20 June 1944
* 325th Reconnaissance Wing, 9 August 1944[ indicates this assignment was from 6 October 1944 to c. 23 July 1945,]
* Third Air Force
The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a 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.S. air forces in E ...
, c. 6 August – 8 September 1945
* United States Air Forces in Europe, 19 April 1965 (not organized)
* Seventeenth Air Force
The Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force (17 EAF) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during (1953–1996) and AFAFRICA, United Sta ...
, 1 July 1965 – 1 October 1965[The 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, not organized, was assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe, 24 September–1 October 1965. Ravenstein, pp. 46–47]
* Seventeenth Air Force, 1 October 1965 – 15 October 1966
* 432d Wing, 4 October 2018 – present[
]
Operational Squadrons
* 7th Antisubmarine Squadron
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
, attached 20 April – 20 July 1943[
* ]8th Antisubmarine Squadron 008, OO8, O08, or 0O8 may refer to:
* The Streetwear Brand @008us , inspired by Ian Fleming & Virgil Abloh
*"030", the fictional 030 Agent of MI6
* '' 038: Operation Exterminate'', a 1965 Italian action film
* '' Explosivo 030'' a 1940 Argentine c ...
, attached July–August 1943[
* ]9th Antisubmarine Squadron 009 may refer to:
* OO9, gauge model railways
* O09, FAA identifier for Round Valley Airport
* 0O9, FAA identifier for Ward Field, see List of airports in California
* British secret agent 009, see 00 Agent
* BA 009, see British Airways Flight 9
* ...
, attached November 1942 – March 1943[
* 10th Bombardment Squadron, 1 February 1940 – 17 December 1943 (attached to VI Bomber Command after 13 December 1943)][
* 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 1 October 1965 – 1 September 1966
* 12th Bombardment Squadron, 1 February 1940 – 20 June 1944 (under the operational control of the Antilles Air Task Force and ]VI Fighter Command 06 may refer to:
* 6 (number)
* The month of June, commonly referred to as 06
* The years 1906 and 2006, both commonly referred to as '06
* Lynk & Co 06, a Chinese subcompact SUV
* '' Sonic '06'', a 2006 game of the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series
* ...
November 1942 – c. 19 July 1943)[
* 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 1 October 1965 – 1 September 1966
* ]20th Attack Squadron
The 20th Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. It currently flies the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and is assigned to the 432d Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.
It was originall ...
, 4 October 2018 – present
* 25th Operations Support Squadron, 25 November 2018 – present[
* 27th Reconnaissance Squadron (later 417th Bombardment Squadron): attached 1 November 1940 – 25 February 1944, assigned 25 February – 20 June 1944][Conway, however, dates the change from attachment to assignment as 3 March 1942 or 3 March 1943. Conway, History 25th Bombardment Group (Medium), Conway cites an order dated February 1942 as authority for the change, and other reconnaissance squadrons redesignated as bombardment squadrons in the spring of 1942 changed their status simultaneously. ''See'' Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', entries for the 391st–436th Bombardment Squadrons.]
* 35th Bombardment Squadron, 1 February 1940 – 20 June 1944[
* 42d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 1 July–1 October 1965, 1 October 1965 – 22 August 1966
* '']42d Attack Squadron
The 42nd Attack Squadron is a dormant United States Air Force unit assigned to the 25th Attack Group and formerly located at Creech Air Force Base near Indian Springs, Nevada. It flew the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle. Th ...
(dormant)'', 4 October 2018 – 1 February 2020
* 50th Attack Squadron, 27 February 2018 – present[
* 54th Reconnaissance Squadron, see 654th Bombardment Squadron
* ]59th Bombardment Squadron
The 59th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first activated in Panama in 1941 during the expansion of the United States Army Air Corps before World War II. Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor the squadron ...
: attached 26 April–1 August 1943 (under operational control of the Antilles Air Task Force), assigned 11 October 1943 – 20 June 1944[
* ]89th Attack Squadron
The 89th Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 432d Wing as a tenant unit at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. It has been active as a remotely piloted aircraft (drone) squadron there since 2011.
The squadron ...
, 4 October 2018 – present
* 417th Bombardment Squadron, see 27th Reconnaissance Squadron.
* 482d Attack Squadron, 4 October 2018 – present[
* 652d Bombardment Squadron, 9 August 1944 – 13 July 1945][
* 653d Bombardment Squadron, 9 August 1944 – 5 September 1945 (attached to ]7th Reconnaissance Group
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
after 6 August 1945)[
* 654th Bombardment Squadron (later 54th Reconnaissance Squadron), 9 August 1944 – 8 September 1945][
]
Stations
* Langley Field Langley may refer to:
People
* Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name
* Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer
* Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perform ...
, Virginia, 1 February–26 October 1940
* Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, 1 November 1940
* Edinburgh Field, Trinidad, 1 November 1942
* Fort Amsterdam
Fort Amsterdam was a fort on the southern tip of Manhattan at the confluence of the Hudson and East rivers. It was the administrative headquarters for the Dutch and then English/British rule of the colony of New Netherland and subsequently the ...
, Curaçao
Curaçao ( ; ; pap, Kòrsou, ), officially the Country of Curaçao ( nl, Land Curaçao; pap, Pais Kòrsou), is a Lesser Antilles island country in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region, about north of the Venezuela coast ...
, 1 August 1943
* Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, 5 October 1943 – 24 March 1944
* Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 6 April – 20 June 1944
* RAF Watton (Station 376),[Station number in Anderson.] England, 9 August 1944 – 23 July 1945
* Drew Field, Florida, August – 8 September 1945
* Chambley Air Base, France 1 July 1965 – 1 October 1965, 1 October 1965 – 15 October 1966
* Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 27 February 2018 – present[
]
Aircraft
* Northrop A-17 Nomad (1940)[
* Douglas B-18 Bolo (1940–1943)][
* Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (1940,][ 1944, 1944–1945)][
* Douglas A-20 Havoc (1942–1943)][
* North American B-25 Mitchell (1943–1944,][ 1944–1945)][
* Consolidated B-24 Liberator (1944–1945)][
* Martin B-26 Marauder (1944–1945)][
* de Havilland Mosquito (1944–1945)][
* ]Lockheed P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...
(1944–1945)[
* ]Stinson L-5 Sentinel
The Stinson L-5 Sentinel is a World War II-era liaison aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces, U.S. Army Ground Forces, U.S. Marine Corps and the British Royal Air Force. It was produced by the Stinson Division of the Vultee Aircr ...
[
* RB-66B/EB-66E Destroyer (1965–1966)][
]
Awards and campaigns
See also
* List of inactive AFCON wings of the United States Air Force
This is a list of Air Force-controlled (AFCON) Wings of the United States Air Force.
The United States Air Force from c.1948 onward had two main types of wings and groups: AFCON, those controlled by Headquarters Air Force and usually having one, ...
* List of Douglas A-20 Havoc operators
List of A-20 Havoc operators identifies the country, military service, and unit that has been supplied or purchased A-20s.
Operators Australia
*Royal Australian Air Force operated 69 Aircraft, 22 DB-7B, 9 A-20C, 9 A-20A and 29 A-20G
**No. 22 Sq ...
*
* B-24 Liberator units of the United States Army Air Forces
This is a list of United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator combat units during World War II including variants and other historical information. Heavy bomber training organizations primarily under II Bomber Command in the United States and ...
* List of Martin B-26 Marauder operators
This is a list of Martin B-26 Marauder operators. The main user of the Martin B-26 Marauder was the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). During this period the Martin Marauder was also operated by the US Navy, Free French Air Force, the South Af ...
References
; Notes
; Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
; Further reading
* Freeman, Roger A. (1978) ''Airfields of the Eighth: Then and Now''. After the Battle
* Freeman, Roger A. (1991) ''The Mighty Eighth The Colour Record''. Cassell & Co.
*
*
*
External links
*
USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers
−1908 to present
{{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II
Groups of the United States Air Force
Attack units and formations of the United States Air Force
Military units and formations established in 2018