31st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron

The 31st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the XIX Tactical Air Command, stationed at Brooks Field, Texas. It was inactivated on February 3, 1946.

History
Activated as an Army reconnaissance squadron, flying light observation planes in Southern California. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, flew antisubmarine patrols over the Pacific Coast in 1942. Reassigned to Third Air Force in the Southeastern United States in late 1942; primarily used for observation for Army training maneuvers over Fort Polk and Fort Benning. Deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO) on April 22, 1945, flew battlefield reconnaissance in the Low Countries and during the Allied Invasion of Western Germany, spring 1945, supporting Ninth Army.

The squadron demobilized after the German Capitulation in May 1945; not manned or equipped after August 1945, carried as a paper unit by USAFE until inactivation in February 1946.

Lineage

 * Constituted 31st Army Reconnaissance Squadron on November 20, 1940.
 * Activated on 15 Jan 1941
 * Re-designated: 31st Observation Squadron on August 14, 1941.
 * Re-designated: 31st Observation Squadron (Medium) on January 13, 1942.
 * Re-designated: 31st Observation Squadron on July 4, 1942.
 * Re-designated: 31st Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on April 2, 1943.
 * Re-designated: 31st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on August 11, 1943.
 * Inactivated on February 3, 1946.
 * Disbanded on October 8, 1948.

Assignments

 * Ninth Corps Area, 15 Jan 1941
 * Fourth United States Army, 24 Jan 1941;
 * Fourth Air Force, 1 Sep 1941
 * IV Air Support Command, 3 Sep 1941
 * Attached to 69th Observation Group from Dec 1941


 * 69th Observation (later Reconnaissance; Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 29 Mar 1942
 * Ninth Air Force, 20 Mar 1945
 * Attached to 9th Tactical Reconnaissance Group [Prov] from 28 Mar 1945


 * 363d Tactical Reconnaissance (later Reconnaissance) Group, 23 May 1945
 * United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe, 25 Jun 1945
 * Third Air Force, 3 Aug 1945
 * Attached to 69th Reconnaissance Group to 3 Feb 1946


 * XIX Tactical Air Command, 10 Jan-3 Feb 1946

Stations

 * March Field, California, 15 Jan 1941
 * Salinas Army Air Base, California, 1 Oct 1941
 * San Bernardino Army Air Field, California, 31 Dec 1941
 * Ontario Army Airfield, California, 2 Jun 1942
 * Laurel Army Airfield, Mississippi, 11 Nov 1942
 * DeRidder Army Airbase, Louisiana, 9 Apr 1943
 * Abilene Army Airfield, Texas, 10 Sep 1943
 * Esler Field, Louisiana, 13 Nov 1943


 * Key Field, Mississippi, 25 Jan-26 Feb 1945
 * Maastricht Airfield (Y-44), Holland, c. 22 Mar 1945
 * Wiesbaden Airfield (Later AAF Station Wiesbaden), Germany, 19 Apr-Jul 1945
 * Drew Field, Florida, 3 Aug 1945
 * MacDill Field, Florida, 21 Dec 1945
 * Brooks Field, Texas, 10 Jan-3 Feb 1946

Aircraft

 * O-49 Vigilant, 1941-1942
 * O-52 Owl, 1942
 * L-3 Grasshopper, 1942
 * P-40 Warhawk, 1943
 * P-39 Aircobra, 1943-1944


 * Included North American O-47, L-4 Grasshopper, L-5 Sentinel, and L-6 Grasshopper during period 1942-1943
 * A-20/RDB-7 Havoc, North American O-47, O-52 Owl, and L-5 Sentinel during 1943
 * P-40 Warhawk, 1944-1945
 * F-6 Mustang, 1945