The 343d Reconnaissance Squadron is a

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

unit 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, Ar ...

at Offutt Air Force Base, 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 worldwi ...

, 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 The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

’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 prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...

area during the invasion of the Europe in June 1944; patrolled the

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both ban ...

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 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 ...

, was a fighter pilot assigned to the 343rd Fighter Squadron, based at RAF Wormingford, Essex, England. After escorting a bombing mission to Stuttgart, 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 Göppingen (Swabian: ''Geppenge'' or ''Gebbenga'') is a town in southern Germany, part of the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg. It is the capital of the district Göppingen. Göppingen is home to the toy company Märklin, and it is the bi ...

, Germany. Lieutenant Allen became an Ace in one day when he shot down five Heinkel He 111 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 campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...

, 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 until 21 April 1945. Moved to

Kaufbeuren Kaufbeuren (; Bavarian: ''Kaufbeiren'') is an independent town in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Swabia, Bavaria. The town is an enclave within the district of Ostallgäu. Districts Kaufbeuren consists of nine districts: * Kaufbeuren (town core i ...

, 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

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 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 the east, Suda ...

in 1986, and

Southwest Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...

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 Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, c ...

. 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, 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 (AAF-131),Station number in Anderson England, 16 September 1943 * RAF Wormingford (AAF-159), England, 16 April 1944 * AAF Station Kaufbeuren, Germany, c. 20 July 1945 * AAF Station Giebelstadt, 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, 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 Airp ...

, 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) ...

, French Morocco, 30 May 1955 – 8 August 1955 * Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, 16 August 1966 – present

Aircraft

* Lockheed P-38 Lightning (1943–1944) *

North American P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

(1944–1946) *

Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, prod ...

(1946) *

F-2 Expeditor The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to November ...

(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 ...

(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 ...

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

Boeing RC-135 The Boeing RC-135 is a family of large reconnaissance aircraft built by Boeing and modified by a number of companies, including General Dynamics, Lockheed, LTV, E-Systems, and L3 Technologies, and used by the United States Air Force and Royal ...

(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 opposing ...

* Operation Urgent Fury *

Operation El Dorado Canyon The 1986 United States bombing of Libya, code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon, consisted of air strikes by the United States against Libya on Tuesday 15 April 1986. The attack was carried out by the U.S. Air Force (USAF), U.S. Navy and U.S. M ...

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-Ma ...

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 ...