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Military unit
The 74th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive
United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the
91st Air Division at
Stewart AFB , New York.
History
The unit was first activated at
Lawson Field , Georgia in February 1942 as the 74th Observation Group , shortly after the
United States entered into
World War II .
[1] However, the
group 's first operational
squadrons , the
11th , the newly activated
13th , and the
22d Observation Squadrons were not assigned until the following month.
[2]
[3]
[4] The unit flew
reconnaissance , mapping, artillery adjustment, bombing,
dive bombing , and
strafing missions to support ground units in training or on maneuvers.
[1] It trained personnel in aerial reconnaissance, medium bombardment, and fighter techniques throughout the war until it was inactivated in November 1945.
[1]
The group was reactivated in the reserves in 1946 at
Stewart Field (later Stewart Air Force Base) , New York. It was inactivated on 27 June 1949
Lineage
Constituted as 74th Observation Group on 5 February 1942
Activated on 27 February 1942
Redesignated as 74th Reconnaissance Group on 2 April 1943
Redesignated as 74th Tactical Reconnaissance Group on 11 August 1943
Inactivated on 7 November 1945.
Redesignated 74th Reconnaissance Group , allotted to the reserve, and activated, on 27 December 1946
Inactivated on 27 June 1949.
Components
Assignments
Stations
Lawson Field, Georgia, 27 February 1942
DeRidder Army Air Base , Louisiana, C. 14 April 1942
Esler Field , Louisiana, c. 13 December 1942
Desert Center Army Air Field , California, c. 28 December 1942
Morris Field , North Carolina, September 1943
Camp Campbell AAF , Kentucky, November 1943
DeRidder Army Air Field, Louisiana, April 1944
Stuttgart Army Air Field , Arkansas, February-7 November 1945
Stewart Field , New York, 27 December 1946 – 27 June 1949.
Aircraft
A-26, 1945
B-18, 1942-1943
F-6 (P-51), 1945
F-10 (B-25), 1944-1945
L-1, 1942-1943
L-3, 1942-1943
L-4, 1942-1943
L-5, 1944-1945
L-6, 1942-1943
O-52, 1942-1943
P-39, 1943
P-40, 1943-1944
P-43, 1942-1943
Sources
[16]
Equipped at various times with A-20s,
Awards
References
Notes
^
a
b
c Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961].
Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 140.
ISBN
0-912799-02-1 .
^
a
b
AFHRA Factsheet, 11th Reconnaissance Squadron
Archived 4 March 2016 at the
Wayback Machine (retrieved 3 Dec 2012)
^
a
b
AFHRA Factsheet, 29th Attack Squadron
Archived 26 February 2013 at the
Wayback Machine (retrieved 3 Dec 2012)
^
a
b Maurer, Combat Squadrons , pp. 117-119
^ This squadron is not related to the 5th Observation Squadron that is currently the
5th Reconnaissance Squadron
^ Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969].
Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 35–36.
ISBN
0-405-12194-6 .
^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons , p. 49
^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons , pp. 111-112
^ This squadron is not related to the one previously listed. During World War II it was designated the 22d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron
^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons , p. 117
^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons , pp. 184-185
^
AFHRA Factsheet, 36th Intelligence Squadron
Archived 26 February 2013 at the
Wayback Machine (retrieved 3 Dec 2012)
^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons , p. 333
^
Abstract, Final History of 74th Tactical Reconnaissance Group (retrieved 4 Dec 2012)
^
AFHRA Factsheet, 91st Air Division
Archived 28 September 2012 at the
Wayback Machine (retrieved 4 Dec 2012)
^ Aircraft flown are based on the sources cited for individual squadrons. Not all squadrons flew the same aircraft while assigned to the group
Bibliography
This article incorporates
public domain material from the
Air Force Historical Research Agency
External links
Units
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Air Commando Bombardment Fighter Fighter-Bomber Reconnaissance
United States Army Air Forces
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Bombardment Fighter Reconnaissance Troop Carrier
United States Army Air Forces