325th Air Division

The 325th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fourth Air Force, based at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 27 June 1949.

History
From August 1944 – October 1945, subordinate units of the 325th, using various aircraft, flew reconnaissance over the waters adjacent to the British Islands and the European continent to obtain photographic and meteorological data for use in the Air Offensive of Europe and the Allied invasion of the continent. Wing aircraft collected weather information needed in planning operations; flew night photographic missions to detect enemy activity; and provided daylight photographic and mapping missions. The wing also flew photographic missions over the Netherlands in support of Operation Market Garden in September 1944 and operated closely with tactical units in the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 – February 1945).

To insure the success of an operation as large as the invasion, allied forced required millions of aerial photographs. The 325th Photographic Wing Reconnaissance base laboratory provided photographs of enemy fortifications and troop dispositions vital to employment of ground forced, while Eighth Air Force daylight precision bombing of industrial and military targets required vast quantities of aerial photographs for target material.

To fill these demands for photographic reproduction, the best available equipment (American and British) was obtained and supply requirements and channels were established. Personnel were furnished from the 1st (later redesigned the 8th) and the 2nd Photo Tech Squadrons. The unified effort by personnel of both squadrons enabled the laboratory to produce two million prints in a single month.

Active in the Reserve, 9 April 1947-27 June 1949 and redesignated as a division, the organization participated in routine reserve training.

Lineage

 * Established as 325 Photographic Wing, Reconnaissance on 17 July 1944
 * Activated on 9 August 1944
 * Redesignated 325 Reconnaissance Wing on 26 June 1945
 * Inactivated on 20 October 1945


 * Activated in the Reserve on 9 April 1947
 * Redesignated 325 Air Division (Reconnaissance) on 16 April 1948
 * Inactivated on 27 June 1949

Assignments

 * Eighth Air Force, 9 August 1944
 * VIII Fighter Command, 16 July – 20 October 1945
 * Fourth Air Force, 9 April 1947 – 27 June 1949

Components
Groups
 * 7th Reconnaissance Group : 9 August 1944 – 18 October 1945
 * 25th Bombardment Group : 6 October 1944-c. 23 July 1945
 * 68th Reconnaissance Group : 9 April 1947 – 27 June 1949
 * 70th Reconnaissance Group : 26 April 1947 – 27 June 1949
 * 72nd Reconnaissance Group : 12 July 1947 – 27 June 1949.

Squadrons
 * 652d Bombardment Squadron: 6 January – 12 October 1945
 * 653d Bombardment Squadron: 5 September – 11 October 1945.

Stations

 * RAF High Wycombe, England, 9 August 1944 – 20 October 1945
 * Hamilton Field (later, AFB), California, 9 April 1947 – 27 June 1949.

Aircraft

 * B-17, 1944–1945
 * B-24, 1944–1945
 * B-25, 1944–1945
 * B-26, 1944–1945
 * F-5, 1944–1945
 * L-5, 1944–1945
 * P-38, 1944–1945
 * P-51, 1944–1945
 * Spitfire, 1944–1945
 * Mosquito XVI, 1945
 * A-6, 1947–1949
 * A-7, 1947–1949
 * A-11, 1947–1949