8th Reconnaissance Group

8th Reconnaissance Group
Active	1943-1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Force
Role	Reconnaissance
Part of	Tenth Air Force
Garrison/HQ	China Burma India Theater of World War II
Engagements	Burma Campaign 1944-1945

The 8th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last duty station was at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, where it was inactivated on 5 November 1945.

The group operated as an umbrella support organization, with its component flying squadrons operating independently over a wide area in the China Burma India Theater of World War II, supporting local tactical ground forces near the front lines, frequently moving from one airfield to another.

History

Lineage

• Constituted as 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group on 15 Sep 1943

Activated on 1 Oct 1943

Redesignated 8th Reconnaissance Group in Jun 1945

Inactivated on 5 Nov 1945

Disbanded on 6 Mar 1947

• Reconstituted 31 Jul 1985 and redesignated 318th Electronic Warfare Group

Redesignated 318th Information Operations Group, 1 Jul 2000

Assignments

• Second Air Force, 1 Oct 1943-12 Feb 1944
• Tenth Air Force, 31 Mar 1944-7 Oct 1945
• Army Service Forces, 3-5 Nov 1945

Stations

Headquarters:

• Peterson Field, Colorado, 1 Oct 1943
• Gainesville Army Airfield, Texas, 26 Oct 1943-12 Feb 1944
• Bally Airfield, India, 31 Mar 1944-7 Oct 1945
• Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 3-5 Nov 1945

Component Squadrons and Flights were stationed at numerous airfields in India, Burma and China (See below)

Components

• 9th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 25 Apr 1944-7 Oct 1945

Assigned to (prior to 25 Apr 1944):

Tenth Air Force, 29 Mar 1942 (flight attached to Fourteenth Air Force, io Mar-12 Jul 1943)

AAF India-Burma Sector, 30 Oct 1943 (attached to 5306th Photographic and Reconnaissance Group [Prow], 30 Oct 1943-17 Jan 1944, and to Tenth Air Force, 17 Jan-7 Mar 1944)

Tenth Air Force, 7 Mar 1944

Stationed at:

Karachi Airport, India, 24 Jul 1942

Flight at Kunming Airport, China, Nov 1942-12 Jul 1943

Detachment thereof operating from Kweilin Airfield, China, c. Feb-12 Jul 1943

Chakulia Airfield, India, 30 Nov 1942

Detachment operated from Dinjan Airfield, India, 18 Mar-Jul 1943

Pandaveswar Airfield, India, 3 Jan 1943

Detachment operated from Dinjan Airfield, India, Sep 1943-20 May 1944

Barrackpore Airfield, India, 29 Oct 1943

Detachment operated from Tingkawk Sakan Airfield, Burma, 16 Aug-30 Nov 1944

Detachment operated from Myitkyina Airfield, Burma, 27 Nov-c. 5 Dec 1944

Detachment Operated from Chittagong Airfield, India, c. 9 Oct-21 Dec 1944

Myitkyina Airfield, Burma, c. 5 Dec 1944

Piardoba Airfield, India, c. 1 May 1945

Malir Airfield, India, Oct-c. 14 Nov 1945

• 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 25 Apr 1944-7 Oct 1945

Assigned to (prior to 25 Apr 1944):

AAF India-Burma Sector, 26 Dec 1943 (attached to 5306th Photographic and Reconnaissance Group [Prow], 26 Dec 1943-17 Jan 1944, and to Tenth Air Force, 17 Jan-7 Mar 1944)

Tenth Air Force, 7 Mar 1944 (attached to 53zoth Air Defense Wing [Prov], Mar-May 1944)

Stationed at:

Guskhara Airfield, India, 5 Jan 1944

Flight operated from Kisselbari Airfield, India, after 6 Mar 1944

Kisselbari Airfield, India, 26 Mar 1944

Operated from Dinjan Airfield, India, 1 May-20 Jun 1944

Detachment thereof operating from Tingkawk Sakan Airfield, Burma, after 21 May 1944

Operated primarily from Tingkawk Sakan Airfield, Burma, 21 Jun-c. l0 Nov 1944

Detachment thereof operating from Myitkyina Airfield, Burma, 10 Jul-c. 25 Aug 1944

Operated primarily from Myitkyina Airfield, Burma, c. 9 Nov 1944

Flight operated from Akyab Airfield, Burma, 12 Apr-22 May 1945

Nagaghuli Airfield, India, C. 20 Apr 1945

Dergaon Airfield, India, 9 Jul 1945

Piardoba Airfield, India, Sep-Nov 1945

• 24th Combat Mapping Squadron, 25 Apr 1944-7 Oct 1945

Assigned to (prior to 25 Apr 1944):

AAF, India-Burma Sector, 26 Dec 1943 (attached to 5306th Photographic and Reconnaissance Group [Prov], z6 Dec 1943-17 Jan 1944, and to Tenth Air Force, 17 Jan-7 Mar 1944)

Tenth Air Force, 7 Mar 1944

Stationed at:

Guskhara Airfield, India, 5 Jan 1944

Detachment operated from Hsinching Airfield, China, 17 Mar-9 Apr 1944

Detachment operated from Jorhat Airfield, India, 9-22 Apr 1944

Detachment operated from Hsinching Airfield, China, 27 Apr-c. 1 Jul 1944

Detachment operated from Liuchow Airfield, China, 10 Jul-22 Sep 1944

Detachment operated from Chanyi Airfield, China, 22 Sep 1944-17 Feb 1945

Element at Hsinching Airfield, China, Oct-Nov 1944

Element at Pengshan Airfield, China, Nov 1944

Tulihal Airfield and Cox's Bazar Airfield, India, Feb-c. 7 Oct 1945

• 40th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 18 Jul 1944-7 Oct 1945

Guskhara Airfield, India, 18 Jul 1944

Alipore Airfield, India, 9 Aug 1944

Detachment at Cox's Bazar Airfield, India, after c. 10 Dec 1944

Cox's Bazar Airfield, India, 18 Jan 1945

Akyab Airfield, Burma, 14 Feb 1945

Alipore Airfield, India, C. 15 May 1945

Kanchrapara Airfield, India, Sep–c. 4 Oct 1945

Non-Flying ground support squadrons

• 2nd Combat Camera Unit
• 3d Photo Technical Unit
• 7th Photo Technical Sq
• 10th Combat Camera Unit
• 17th AAF Photo Intelligence Det
• 958th Engineer Co (Avn) Topographic

Aircraft

• F-4 (P-38 Lightning), 1944-1945
• F-5 (P-51 Mustang), 1944-1945
• F-7 (B-25 Mitchell), 1945

Operational history

Organized at Peterson Field, Colorado in October 1943, then trained to provide photographic intelligence for air and ground forces at Gainesville AAF, Texas.

Moved to India, Feb-Mar 1944 and assigned to Tenth Air Force. Equipped with F-5, F-6, and F7 aircraft. Conducted photographic reconnaissance, photographic, mapping, and visual reconnaissance missions. Products created ranged from maps, mosaics, terrain models, to target charts of areas in Burma, China, French Indochina, and Thailand. Personnel also bombed and strafed enemy installations and provided escort for bombardment units, since the photographic aircraft were dual-capable as bombers.

Redesignated 8th Reconnaissance Group in Jun 1945. Returned to the US, Oct-Nov 1945. Inactivated on 5 Nov 1945.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.