The 343d Reconnaissance Squadron is a

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 part of the

55th Wing The 55th Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. The wing is primarily stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, but maintains one of its groups and associated squadrons at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz ...

Offutt Air Force Base Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base south of Omaha, adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the 557th Weather Wing, and the 55th Wing (55 WG) of the Air ...

, Nebraska. It operates the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint aircraft conducting reconnaissance missions.

History

World War II

Constituted as 343 Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine), on 21 January 1943. Activated on 1 February 1943 at

McChord Field McChord Field is a United States Air Force base in the northwest United States, in Pierce County, Washington. South of Tacoma, McChord Field is the home of the 62d Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command, the field's primary mission being worldw ...

, WA as a

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 tw ...

fighter squadron. Assigned to 55 Fighter Group. Redesignated as: 343 Fighter Squadron, Twin Engine, on 20 August 1943 Moved to Nuthampstead, England, 16 September 1943. The squadron was assigned to the Eighth AF. Began operations with P-38’s on 15 Oct 1943; moved to Wormingford, England, 16 April 1944 and converted to P-51’s in July 1944. Engaged primarily in escorting American bombers that attacked industrial targets and marshalling yards in Germany, and airfields and V-weapon sites in France. The 343rd provided cover for B-17’s and B-24’s that bombed aircraft plants during Big Week in February 1944 and gun emplacements during the St Lo breakthrough in July 1944. The squadron also patrolled the sky over the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

and bombed bridges in the

Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...

area during the invasion of the Europe in June 1944; patrolled the Arnhem sector to support the airborne invasion of Holland in September 1944. Redesignated 343 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 5 September 1944. On 5 September 1944: Lieutenant William H. Allen, U.S. Army Air Corps, was a fighter pilot assigned to the 343rd Fighter Squadron, based at

RAF Wormingford Royal Air Force Station Wormingford (or RAF Wormingford) is a former Royal Air Force Royal Air Force station, station located northwest of Colchester, Essex, England. During World War I Wormingford was a landing ground designated for use by ...

, Essex, England. After escorting a bombing mission to

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

, Lt. Allen, flying his North American Aviation P-51D-5-NA Mustang, 44-14049, Pretty Patty II, and his flight, attacked an airfield north of Göppingen, Germany. Lieutenant Allen became an Ace in one day when he shot down five

Heinkel He 111 The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a "wolf in sheep's clothing". Due to restrictions placed on Germany after th ...

bombers as they took off at two-minute intervals. The fighters from the 343rd continued to escort bombers on raids on transportation facilities during the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...

, 1-4 December-January 1945. The unit strafed trucks, locomotives, and oil depots near

Wesel Wesel () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district. Geography Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine. Division of the city Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighove ...

when the Allies crossed the Rhine in March 1945. The 343d flew combat missions in 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 ...

until 21 April 1945. Moved to Kaufbeuren, Germany, 20 July 1945. Inactivated on 20 August 1946.

Cold War

Redesignated as 343 Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Mapping, on 5 February 1947. Activated on 24 Feb 1947. Redesignated as 343 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Mapping, on 29 June 1948. Inactivated on 14 October 1949. Redesignated as 343 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium, Electronics, on 27 October 1950. Activated on 1 November 1950. Assigned to the 55 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 16 June 1952. Redesignated as: 343 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium, on 15 July 1954; 343 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron on 16 August 1966 at Offutt AFB, NE and converted to RC-135 in 1967. Redesignated as: 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 September 1991. It conducted aerial photography from 1947–1949 and global

strategic Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art ...

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

from 1950 to 1979. Since 1979 the squadron has provided worldwide strategic reconnaissance support, including operations in

Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...

in 1983,

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

in 1986, and Southwest Asia from 1990-1991. On 29 July 1953 a squadron RB-50 temporarily attached to the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron was shot down by Soviet fighters about ninety miles south of

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea ...

. The Soviet Union did not deny the plane's location was over international waters, but claimed that the bomber had twice flown over Soviet territory and fired on their MiGs, who then returned fire defensively.Farquhar, pp. 46-47

Lineage

* Constituted as the 343d Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 21 January 1943 : Activated on 1 February 1943 : Redesignated 343d Fighter Squadron, Twin Engine on 20 August 1943 : Redesignated 343d Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 5 September 1944 : Inactivated on 20 August 1946 * Redesignated 343d Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Mapping on 5 February 1947 : Activated on 24 Feb 1947 : Redesignated 343d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Mapping on 29 June 1948 : Inactivated on 14 October 1949 * Redesignated 343d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium, Electronics on 27 October 1950 : Activated on 1 November 1950 : Redesignated 343d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium on 15 July 1954 : Redesignated 343d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron on 16 August 1966 : Redesignated 343d Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 September 1991

Assignments

* 55th Fighter Group, 1 February 1943 – 20 August 1946 * 55th Reconnaissance Group (later 55 Strategic Reconnaissance Group), 24 February 1947 – 14 October 1949 : Attached to

55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing The 55th Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. The wing is primarily stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, but maintains one of its groups and associated squadrons at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ar ...

, 19 July - 26 October 1948 * 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, 1 November 1950 : Attached to 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing until 3 January 1951 : Attached to 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing after 4 January 1951 * 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 16 June 1952 * 55th Operations Group, 1 September 1991 – present

Stations

, Washington, 1 February - 22 August 1943 *

RAF Nuthampstead Royal Air Force Station Nuthampstead or more simply RAF Nuthampstead is a former Royal Air Force station in England. The airfield is located mostly in Hertfordshire between the villages of Nuthampstead and Anstey and the hamlet of Morri ...

(AAF-131),Station number in Anderson England, 16 September 1943 *

(AAF-159), England, 16 April 1944 * AAF Station Kaufbeuren, Germany, c. 20 July 1945 *

AAF Station Giebelstadt Giebelstadt Army Airfield is a closed military airfield located in Germany, southwest of Giebelstadt in Bavaria, approximately 250 miles southwest of Berlin. It was turned over to the German government on 23 June 2006 and is now Giebelstadt Airpo ...

, Germany, 30 April - 20 August 1946 *

MacDill Field MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...

(later MacDill Air Force Base), Florida, 24 February 1947 *

Topeka Air Force Base Topeka Regional Airport , formerly known as Forbes Field, is a joint civil-military public airport owned by the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority in Shawnee County, Kansas, seven miles south of downtown Topeka, the capital city of Kansas. The ...

(later Forbes Air Force Base), Kansas, 30 June 1948 – 14 October 1949 *

Barksdale Air Force Base Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in northwest Louisiana, United States, in Bossier Parish. It is contiguous to Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwestern edge. Barksdale AFB ...

, Louisiana, 1 November 1950 *

Ramey Air Force Base 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 Airpo ...

, Puerto Rico, 3 January 1951 * Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas, 10 October 1952 : Deployed at

Ben Guerir Air Base Ben Guerir Air Base is a Royal Moroccan Air Force base in the Marraksh-Safi region, located about north of Marrakech, near the town of Ben Guerir. It previously served as a United States Air Force base and Transatlantic Abort Landing (TAL) sit ...

, French Morocco, 30 May 1955 – 8 August 1955 *

, Nebraska, 16 August 1966 – present

Aircraft

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 ...

(1943–1944) * North American P-51 Mustang (1944–1946) * Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star (1946) * F-2 Expeditor (1947, 1948) * FB-17 Flying Fortress (1947–1948) * Boeing F-9 Flying Fortress (1947–1948) * RB-17 Flying Fortress (1948–1949) *

Boeing RB-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a WWII era long range, strategic heavy bomber that was produced in many experimental and production models. XB-29 : ''Section source: Baugher'' The XB-29, Boeing Model 345, was the first accepted prototype or e ...

(1948–1949, 1950–1951) * TB-29 (1949) *

Boeing RB-50 Superfortress The Boeing B-50 Superfortress is an American strategic bomber. A post–World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, it was fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller tail fin, and ot ...

(1951–1954) *

Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...

(1953–1954) * Boeing LB-29 Superfortress (1954) *

Boeing KB-29 Superfortress The Boeing KB-29 was a modified Boeing B-29 Superfortress for air refueling needs by the USAF. Two primary versions were developed and produced: KB-29M and KB-29P. The 509th and 43d Air Refueling Squadrons (Walker AFB, NM and Davis-Month ...

(1954) *

Boeing RB-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long-range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...

(1954–1967) * Boeing EB-47 Stratojet (1957–1967) * Boeing RC-135 (1967–1979)

Operations

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 ...

Operation Urgent Fury The United States invasion of Grenada began at dawn on 25 October 1983. The United States and a coalition of six Caribbean nations invaded the island nation of Grenada, north of Venezuela. Codenamed Operation Urgent Fury by the U.S. military, ...

* Operation El Dorado Canyon *

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * (web access limited to members) * * * {{US Air Force navbox Military units and formations in Nebraska

343 __NOTOC__ Year 343 ( CCCXLIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Memmius and Romulus (or, less frequently, year 1096 ' ...