1st Photographic Group

The 1st Photographic Group is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. It was last assigned to the 311th Photographic Wing, stationed at Buckley Field, Colorado. It was disbanded on 5 October 1944, but reconstituted in 1985 as the 358th Special Operations Group.

History
Established in mid-1941 as a GHQ Air Force aerial mapping and reconnaissance group based at Bolling Field. Mission was to conduct long-range photo reconnaissance after the pattern developed by the British. Each of the four initial assigned squadrons of the group (1st, 2d, 3d, 4th) was assigned to one of the four continental air forces (1st, 2d, 3d, 4th).

The unit almost no opportunity for training because each of its squadrons was busily engaged in carrying out mapping missions for hemisphere defense. The Photographic Squadrons were largely equipped with short-range second-line aircraft from the 1930s. Not until the end of 1942 were the first modern aircraft, B-25 (F-10) Mitchells, were assigned to observation groups

Long-range reconnaissance squadrons were established as part of combat bombardment groups in the Continental United States as well as the Caribbean and in Hawaii. These squadrons were associated with the 1st Photographic Group for crew training in aerial photography and reconnaissance. These bomber reconnaissance squadrons were designed to provide a long-range reconnaissance capability with each group. However with the entry of the United States into World War II after the Pearl Harbor Attack, these units could no longer serve as both reconnaissance training and photo-mapping squadrons. The bombers were needed for combat bombing missions more than for reconnaissance. In April 1942 these squadrons were absorbed by those groups and were redesignated as bombardment squadrons.

During World War II, the group charted and mapped areas of the United States and sent detachments to perform similar functions in Alaska, Canada, Africa, the Middle East, India, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Kurils. Inactivated in late 1944.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 1st Photographic Group on 15 May 1941
 * Activated on 10 June 1941
 * Redesignated 1st Mapping Group ca. 12 January 1942
 * Redesignated 1st Photographic Charting Group ca. 11 August 1943
 * Disbanded on 5 October 1944.


 * Reconstituted on 31 July 1985 and redesignated 358th Special Operations Group

Assignments

 * General Headquarters Air Force, 10 Jun 1941
 * Redesignated Air Force Combat Command, 20 Jun 1941


 * Second Air Force, 13 Oct 1942
 * 311th Photographic Wing, 5 Mar – 5 Oct 1944

Squadrons
Assigned Photographic Squadrons
 * 1st Photographic Squadron: 10 Jun 1941 – 1 Dec 1943
 * Attached to Headquarters, 1st (later First) Air Force, 10 Jun 1941 – 13 Oct 1942


 * 2d Photographic Squadron: 10 Jun 1941 – 5 Oct 1944
 * Attached to Headquarters, 2d (later Second) Air Force, 10 Jun 1941 – 13 Oct 1942


 * 3d Photographic Squadron: 10 Jun 1941 – 1 Dec 1943
 * Attached to Headquarters, 3d (later Third) Air Force, 10 Jun 1941 – 13 Oct 1942


 * 4th Photographic Squadron: 10 Jun 1941 – 5 Oct 1944.
 * Attached to Headquarters, 4th (later Fourth) Air Force, 10 Jun 1941 – 13 Oct 1942


 * 6th Photographic Squadron: 13 Nov 1943 – 5 Oct 1944
 * 19th Photographic Squadron: 11 Aug – 1 Dec 1943
 * 91st Photographic Squadron: 9 Oct 1943 – 5 Oct 1944

Associated 1st Air Force (later I Bomber Command) Reconnaissance Squadrons (all stationed at Langley Field, Virginia)


 * 1st Reconnaissance (later 391st Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-17D Flying Fortress
 * 34th Bombardment Group, 15 Jan 1941 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 13th Reconnaissance (later 403d Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-17D Flying Fortress; B-18 Bolo; A-29 Hudson
 * 43d Bombardment Group, 15 Jan 1941 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 18th Reconnaissance (later 408th Bombardment) Squadron
 * Martin B-10 (1936); B-18 Bolo (1937); B-25 Mitchell (1941); B-26 Marauder (1941)
 * 22d Bombardment Group, 1 Sept 1936 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 41st Reconnaissance (later 429th Bombardment) Squadron
 * Martin B-10; B-17D Flying Fortress; B-18 Bolo
 * 2d Bombardment Group, 1 Feb 1940 – 22 Apr 1942

These units were assigned to antisubmarine patrols along the Atlantic coast and convoy patrol duty over the North Atlantic shipping lanes in the immediate months after the Pearl Harbor Attack.

Associated 2d Air Force (later II Bomber Command) Reconnaissance Squadrons


 * 12th Reconnaissance (later 402d Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-17D Flying Fortress
 * 39th Bombardment Group, Fort Douglas, 15 Jan 1941 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 16th Reconnaissance (later 406th Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-17D Flying Fortress
 * 42d Bombardment Group, Fort Douglas, 15 Jan 1941 – 22 Apr 1942


 * Established as bomber reconnaissance squadrons in early 1942, but not activated or trained:


 * 9th Reconnaissance (later 399th Bombardment) Squadron
 * 23d Reconnaissance (later 413th Bombardment) Squadron
 * 29th Reconnaissance (later 419th Bombardment) Squadron
 * 30th Reconnaissance (later 420th Bombardment) Squadron


 * 33d Reconnaissance (later 422d Bombardment) Squadron
 * 34th Reconnaissance (later 423d Bombardment) Squadron
 * 35th Reconnaissance (later 424th Bombardment) Squadron
 * 36th Reconnaissance (later 425th Bombardment) Squadron

Associated 3d Air Force (later III Bomber Command) Reconnaissance Squadrons


 * 14th Reconnaissance (later 404th Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-24A/LB-30B Liberator
 * 44th Bombardment Group, MacDill Field, 15 Jan 1941 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 15th Reconnaissance (later 405th Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-18 Bolo; B-26 Marauder
 * 38th Bombardment Group, Jackson Army Air Base, 15 Jan 1941 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 21st Reconnaissance (later 411th Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-18 Bolo (1937); B-17C/D Flying Fortress (1939)
 * 29th Bombardment Group, MacDill Field, 1 Sept 1936 – 22 Apr 1942

These units were assigned to antisubmarine patrols along the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico s in the immediate months after the Pearl Harbor Attack.


 * Established as bomber reconnaissance squadrons in early 1942, but not activated or trained:


 * 8th Reconnaissance (later 398th Bombardment) Squadron
 * 10th Reconnaissance (later 400th Bombardment) Squadron
 * 11th Reconnaissance (later 401st Bombardment) Squadron
 * 17th Reconnaissance (later 407th Bombardment) Squadron
 * 19th Reconnaissance (later 409th Bombardment) Squadron
 * 20th Reconnaissance (later 410th Bombardment) Squadron


 * 22d Reconnaissance (later 412th Bombardment) Squadron
 * 24th Reconnaissance (later 414th Bombardment) Squadron
 * 25th Reconnaissance (later 415th Bombardment) Squadron
 * 26th Reconnaissance (later 416th Bombardment) Squadron
 * 28th Reconnaissance (later 418th Bombardment) Squadron

Associated 4th Air Force (later IV Bomber Command) Reconnaissance Squadrons


 * 2d Reconnaissance (later 392d Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-18 Bolo; B-17C/D Flying Fortress; LB-30B Liberator
 * 30th Bombardment Group, March Field, 15 Jan 1941 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 6th Reconnaissance (later 396th Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-18 Bolo; A-29 Hudson; LB-30B Liberator
 * 41st Bombardment Group, March Field, Davis-Monthan Field, 15 Jan 1941 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 19th Reconnaissance (later 434th Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-18 Bolo; B-23 Dragon
 * 12th Bombardment Group, McChord Field, 15 Jan – 14 Aug 1941


 * 38th Reconnaissance (later 427th Bombardment) Squadron


 * Martin B-10; B-18 Bolo; B-17C/D Flying Fortress
 * 19th Bombardment Group, March Field, 1 Sep 1936 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 88th Reconnaissance (later 436th Bombardment) Squadron
 * Martin B-10; B-18 Bolo; B-17C/D Flying Fortress
 * 7th Bombardment Group, Hamilton Field; Fort Douglas, Salt Lake City Army Air Base, 1 Sep 1936 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 89th Reconnaissance (later 432d Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-18 Bolo; B-23 Dragon; B-25 Mitchell
 * 17th Bombardment Group, March Field, McChord Field, Pendleton Army Airfield, 1 Feb 1940 – 22 Apr 1942


 * Established as bomber reconnaissance squadrons in early 1942, but not activated or trained:
 * 37th Reconnaissance (later 426th Bombardment) Squadron
 * 39th Reconnaissance (later 428th Bombardment) Squadron

Associated Panama Canal/Puerto Rican Department (later Caribbean Air Force) Reconnaissance Squadrons


 * 5th Reconnaissance (later 395th Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-18 Bolo
 * 40th Bombardment Group, Borinquen Field, 1 Apr 1941 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 7th Reconnaissance (later 397th Bombardment) Squadron
 * Martin B-10; B-18 Bolo; B-17B Flying Fortress
 * 6th Bombardment Group, France Field, Howard Field, 1 Sept 1937 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 25th Reconnaissance (later 417th Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-18 Bolo
 * 25th Bombardment Group, Borinquen Field, 16 Sep 1939 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 44th Reconnaissance (later 430th Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-18 Bolo
 * 6th Bombardment Group, France Field, Howard Field, 1 Sep 1937 – 22 Apr 1942

Associated Hawaiian Air Force (later 7th Air Force) Reconnaissance Squadrons
 * 4th Reconnaissance (later 394th Bombardment) Squadron
 * B-18 Bolo; B-17C/D Flying Fortress; Re-equipped with LB-30B Liberators after Pearl Harbor Attack
 * 5th Composite (later Bombardment) Group, Hickam Field, 25 Jan 1938 – 22 Apr 1942


 * 50th Reconnaissance (later 431st Bombardment) Squadron
 * Martin B-12; B-18 Bolo; B-17C/D Flying Fortress; Re-equipped with B-17E Flying Fortresses after Pearl Harbor Attack
 * 11th Bombardment Group, Hickam Field, 25 Jan 1938 – 22 Apr 1942

Stations

 * Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., 10 Jun 1941
 * Peterson Field, Colorado, 23 Dec 1943
 * Buckley Field, Colorado, 2 July – 5 Oct 1944.

Aircraft

 * B-18 Bolo (1941–1943)
 * A-29 Hudson (1941–1943)
 * B-17 Flying Fortress (1941–1942)
 * B-24 Liberator (1941–1942)
 * A-20/F-3A Havoc (1941–1944)
 * B-25/F-10 Mitchell (1943–1944)

Heraldry
Per pale, vert and azure, a pile or debruised by a barrulet arched of the field upon and over the pile a camera lens proper rimmed sable. Motto: FIDELITER ET DILIGENTER —Faithfully and Diligently. (Approved 24 October 1942)