16th Electronic Warfare Squadron

16th Reconnaissance Squadron
Active	1917-1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Reconnaissance

The 16th Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 311th Photographic Wing, stationed at Buckley Field, Colorado. It was inactivated on 12 April 1945.

History

Lineage

• Organized as 3d Aviation School Squadron on 9 May 1917

Redesignated 16th Aero Squadron on 31 Aug 1917

Demobilized on 22 May 1919

• Reconstituted and consolidated (1924) with 16th Squadron which was authorized on 30 Aug 1921

Organized on 7 Dec 1921

Redesignated 16th Observation Squadron on 25 Jan 1923

Inactivated on 15 Mar 1931

• Activated on a Jun 1937

Redesignated: 16th Observation Squadron (Medium) on 13 Jan 1942

Redesignated: 16th Observation Squadron on 4 Jul 1942

Redesignated: 16th Reconnaissance Squadron (Bomber) on 31 May 1943

Redesignated: 16th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy, Special) on 12 May 1944

Disbanded on 12 Apr 1945.

Assignments

• Unknown, 9 May 1917-Jan 1918
• Second Aviation Instruction Center, Jan 1918-Feb 1919; Feb-22 May 1919
• Seventh Corps Area (Attached to Cavalry School), 7 Dec 1921
• 12th Observation Group (attached to Cavalry School), 1 Oct 1930-15 Mar 1931
• Fourth Corps Area, 1 Jun 1937 (flight attached, later assigned, to Infantry School until 20 Nov 1940)
• Armored Force, 3 Oct 1940
• 73d Observation Group, 1 Sep 1941

Attached to 68th Observation Group from Feb 1942

• HQ Army Air Forces, 12 Mar 1942

• 68th Observation (later Reconnaissance; Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 29 Mar 1942

Attached to: XII Air Force Service Command, 25 Sep 1943

Attached to: Twelfth Air Force, 1 Jan 1944

Attached to: Fifteenth Air Force, 18 Feb 1944

Attached to: Army Air Forces, MTO, 27 Mar 1944

Attached to: Northwest African Air Forces, 2o Sep 1943

Attached to: Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, 10 Dec 1943

Attached to: Army Air Forces, MTO, i Jan-26 May 1944

• Army Air Forces, MTO, 26 May 1944
• HQ Army Air Forces, 3 Nov 1944-12 Apr 1945

Attached to 311th Photographic Wing, 21 Nov 1944-12 Apr 1945

Stations

• Memphis, Tenn, g May 1917
• Chicago, Ill, 20 May 1917
• Chanute Field, Ill, c. 12 Jul 1917
• Garden City, NY, 4 Nov-4 Dec 1917
• St Maixent, France, a Jan 1918
• Tours, France, 24 Jan 1918
• St Gervais, Gironde, France, c. 12 Feb 1919
• Bordeaux, France, 17-23 Apr 1919
• Mitchel Field, NY, c. 7-22 May 1919
• Ft Riley, Kan, 7 Dec 1921-15 Mar 1931

Detachment operated between: North Platte, Neb, and Rapid City, SD, 1 Aug-Sep 1927

Detachment operated between: Chicago, Ill, and Superior, Wis, Jun-14 Sep 1928

• Pope Field, NC (flight at Lawson Field, Ga), 1 Jun 1937
• Lawson Field, Ga, 24 Oct 1940
• Daniel Field, Ga, 9 Feb 1942
• Greensboro, NC, 7 Jul 1942

• Morris Field, NC, 15 Aug 1942
• Langley Field, Va, 3-23 Oct 1942

Detachment at RAF Wattisham, England, c. 5-21 Oct 1942

• Fedala, French Morocco, 9 Nov 1942
• Casablanca, French Morocco, 12 Nov 1942
• Oujda, French Morocco, 30 Dec 1942
• Berrechid, French Morocco, 24 Mar 1943
• Berteaux, Algeria, 6 Sep 1943
• Foch Field, Tunisia, 26 Sep 1943

Detachments operated intermittently from several points in Italy and adjacent islands during period Oct 1943-Mar 1944

Operated primarily from Foggia, Italy, after 28 Mar 1944

• Foggia, Italy, 3 May-30 Oct 1944

Detachment operated from Borgo, Corsica, until Sep 1944

• Bradley Field, Conn, 20 Nov 1944
• Buckley Field, Colo, a Dec 1944-12 Apr 1945

References

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

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0892010975