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363rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group

The 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group is a United States Air Force unit stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis. It is assigned to the 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing. It was activated in February 2015, after having been returned to regular service after operating as a provisional unit. The group has its origins in the 363rd Fighter Group, activated on 1 August 1943 at Hamilton Field, California. The unit was credited with 41 victories but lost 43 of its own aircraft during World War II.

363rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group
F-16 Fighting Falcons ready for a night mission during Operation Iraqi Freedom
Active1943–1945; 1946–1958; 1992–1993; 1998–2003; 2015–present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleIntelligence
Part ofAir Combat Command
Garrison/HQJoint Base Langley-Eustis, VA
Motto(s)Voir C'est Savoir French To See is to Know
Engagements
World War II (EAME Theater)
  • Air Offensive, Europe Campaign
  • Normandy Campaign
  • Northern France Campaign
  • Rhineland Campaign
  • Ardennes-Alsace Campaign
  • Central Europe Campaign
  • Air Combat, EAME Theater


Armed Forces Expeditionary


Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary

DecorationsAir Force Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Belgian Fourragère[1]
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Col Michael G. Cosby
Insignia
363rd Intelligence Surveillance & Reconnaissance Group emblem[note 1]

The pressing need for tactical aerial photo-reconnaissance during the Normandy Campaign led to the group's conversion to the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group at Le Mans Airfield, France in late 1944. The 363rd returned to the United States after V-E Day and was inactivated.

Reactivated in 1948, the group flew photographic, electronic and electronic intelligence missions to support both air and ground operations by American or Allied ground forces during the early years of the Cold War. It was inactivated in 1958 when its parent wing reorganized under the dual deputy system and its squadrons were reassigned directly to wing headquarters.

The unit was reactivated in 1992 as part of the USAF Objective Wing organization as the 363rd Operations Group, but was inactivated the following year and its assets transferred to another unit. It served as a provisional unit in Southwest Asia as the 363rd Expeditionary Operations Group, flying a variety of fighter aircraft (F-16, A-10, F-15 and others) from 1998 to 2003.

History edit

World War II edit

363rd Fighter Group edit

 
382nd Fighter Squadron P-51B Mustang[note 2]

The 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group was first organized as the 363rd Fighter Group, which was activated on 1 August 1943 at Hamilton Field, California. Its original fighter squadrons (380th, 381st and 382nd) trained with Bell P-39 Airacobras at Hamilton and other airfields in California and served as part of the air defense force.

The group moved to England in December 1943 for duty with the Ninth Air Force. At RAF Keevil, the group was re-equipped with North American P-51 Mustang in January 1944 and entered combat in February. The group escorted bombers and fighter-bombers to targets in France, Germany, and the Low Countries; strafed and dive-bombed trains, marshalling yards, bridges, vehicles, airfields, troops, gun positions, and other targets on the Continent.

The 363rd supported the D-Day invasion of Normandy in June 1944 by escorting troop carriers and gliders and by attacking enemy positions near the front lines, and moved to the European Continent at the end of June to take part in the Allied drive to the German border.

In the two weeks following D-Day, the 363rd experienced the most fruitful period of its service in the European Theater of Operations when patrols over France brought it actions with a total of 19 confirmed victories. However, a similar number of Mustangs were lost, albeit mostly to ground fire. During operations from the United Kingdom, the group was credited with 41 victories but lost 43 of its own aircraft in the process.

363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group edit

 
161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron P-51D Mustang[note 3]

On the continent, the 363rd was reorganized into a reconnaissance group flying the Lockheed F-5 Lightning photographic reconnaissance version of the P-38 and the F-6 photo-reconnaissance version of the P-51 Mustang at Le Mans Airfield, France. The 380th, 381st and 382nd Squadrons were redesignated as the 160th, 161st and 162nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons respectively. The group flew photographic missions to support both air and ground operations; directed fighter-bombers to railway, highway, and waterway traffic, bridges, gun positions, troop concentrations, and other opportune targets; adjusted artillery fire; and took photographs to assess results of Allied bombardment operations.

It received two Belgian citations for reconnaissance activities, including the group's support of the assault on the Siegfried Line and its participation in the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 – January 1945). The 363rd assisted Ninth Army's drive across the Rhine and deep into Germany during the period from February 1945 to V-E Day, eventually being stationed at Wiesbaden, Germany (Y-80) at the end of hostilities in May

The 363rd returned to the United States in December 1945 and was inactivated on 11 December 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

Cold War edit

 
RB-26 Invader at Shaw AFB[note 4]
 
Formation of four RF-80 Shooting Stars[note 5]

The 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group was reactivated on 29 July 1946 at Brooks Field, Texas. Initially assigned two squadrons (161st and 162nd) flying Lockheed FP-80 Shooting Stars for daylight (161st Squadron) and Douglas FA-26 Invaders (162nd Squadron) for night reconnaissance. The FA-26C was an A-26 with all guns removed and cameras installed throughout the aircraft. Additionally, aircraft intended for night reconnaissance were equipped with photo flash bombs. Some aircraft were also modified for electronic reconnaissance with the installation of radar and signal intelligence gathering equipment.

The FP-80A was a P-80A, with a longer and deeper nose to house cameras in place of the guns in the nose of the aircraft. After the end of the Korean War, the RF-80As were partially brought up to F-80C standards. These RF-80Cs had improved camera installations in a nose of modified contour

The group was placed under the newly activated 363rd Reconnaissance Wing on 15 August 1947 as part of the experimental Wing Base Organization, which placed all tactical and support units on a base under a single wing. It moved to Langley Field, Virginia in December 1947 by the newly established USAF. It was redesignated the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group on 27 August 1948. For budgetary reasons the wing was inactivated on 26 April 1949, however it was again activated on 1 September 1950 at Langley.

Due to the pressing needs of the Far East Air Forces in Japan the 162nd Squadron, flying RB-26s, and the photo-processing 363rd Reconnaissance Technical Squadron moved from Langley to Itazuke Air Base Japan for Korean War service and began operations in August 1950 as part of the 543rd Tactical Support Group. The group's two remaining squadrons were renumbered as the 16th and 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons in October 1950[2] as a result of the Air Force's police of reserving numbers between 101 and 300 for units of the Air National Guard.

On 1 April 1951, the 363rd moved to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. The group's mission was to fly photographic, electronic and electronic intelligence missions to support both air and ground operations by American or Allied ground forces.

 
363rd Group RF-84F Thunderflash[note 6]

In 1954, the Republic RF-84F Thunderflash was assigned to the 363rd. The RF-84F was the photographic reconnaissance version of the F-84F Thunderstreak. It had many components in common with the F-84F, but differed in having the jet engine fed by a pair of wing root air intakes, the nose being taken up by a bank of cameras. The USAF was in need of a replacement for its aging Lockheed RF-80 Shooting Star unarmed reconnaissance aircraft, and concluded that the F-84F with its wing root air intakes made a good camera-carrying reconnaissance aircraft.

The aircraft camera bay in the nose could accommodate up to six cameras in forward- facing, trimetrogon and individual oblique and vertical installations. The vertical camera bay had hydraulically operated retractable doors, and behind these doors was an aperture for a vertical viewfinder with a periscope presentation on the cockpit panel. Photoflash ejectors could be carried in underwing tanks for nighttime photographic reconnaissance missions. Deliveries of the RF-84F Thunderflash began in March 1954, with the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing being the first USAF recipient. The service life of the RF-84F with the 363rd was relatively short, and they were replaced by the McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo aircraft in 1957/1958.

The first USAF Douglas RB-66B Destroyers were issued to the group's 9th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in January 1956. They replaced the obsolescent RB-26 Invader for night reconnaissance missions. Two more squadrons were equipped with RB-66Bs by the end of the year. The RB-66B very soon became the primary night photographic reconnaissance weapon system of the Tactical Air Command.

In addition to the RB-66B, RB-66C models entered service with the 9th Squadron in February 1956. RB-66C models carried additional electronic countermeasures (ECM) equipment in wingtip pods. Chaff dispensing pods could be carried underneath the wing outboard of the engine nacelles. Later examples had the tail turret removed and replaced by additional ECM equipment installed in an extended tailcone. After the tail guns were removed, the gunner's position was usually left empty unless occupied by an instructor pilot or instructor navigator.

 
363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group F-101 Voodoo[note 7]

In January 1953, the USAF asked McDonnell Aircraft to develop an unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the F-101 Voodoo as a possible replacement for the Republic RF-84F Thunderflash. The first RF-101A was delivered to the 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 6 May 1957 as a replacement for the subsonic RF-84F. The RF-101A had a redesigned and longer nose housing four cameras designed for low-altitude photography. In addition, two high-altitude cameras were mounted behind the cockpit in place of the ammunition boxes of the fighter variant.

In September 1957, the RF-101C began deliveries to Shaw. The C model combined the strengthened structure of the F-101C with the camera installation of the RF-101A. In addition, the RF-101C differed from the RF-101A in being able to accommodate a centerline nuclear weapon, so that it could carry out a secondary nuclear strike mission if ever called upon to do so. The RF-101Cs served for a brief time alongside the RF-101A, but quickly replaced them by May 1958.

On 8 February 1958, as part of the conversion of Tactical Air Command Wings to the dual deputy organizations, the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group was inactivated and its personnel and equipment were assigned directly to the 363rd Wing, reporting to the wing's deputy commander for operations.

Reactivation as a fighter unit edit

 
F-16C Fighting Falcon of the 79th Fighter Squadron[note 8]

The group was redesignated the 363rd Operations Group and was activated on 1 May 1992 when the 363rd Fighter Wing implemented the USAF Objective Wing organization. The group was assigned the fighter squadrons of the wing and an operations support squadron upon activation. All aircraft carried the "SW" Tail Code.

With the closure of Myrtle Beach Air Force Base South Carolina and the inactivation of the 354th Fighter Wing, the 21st Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated at Shaw and received 30 Fairchild Republic OA-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the inactivating 355th Fighter Squadron on 1 April 1992.

As a result of the August 1992 destruction of Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, by Hurricane Andrew in September 1992, the 31st Fighter Wing's 309th Fighter Squadron was initially evacuated to Shaw prior to the hurricane making landfall. With Homestead unusable for an extended period after the hurricane, on 1 October 1992 the squadron was permanently assigned to the group. The 33rd Fighter Squadron was inactivated on 15 November 1993. Its F-16C/D aircraft were transferred to the Air National Guard.

As a result of the end of the Cold War, the Air Force began a series of changes, inactivating and redesignating units large and small. The 363rd Group and all of its squadrons were inactivated on 31 December 1993, being replaced at Shaw by the 20th Operations Group, which moved on paper to Shaw from RAF Upper Heyford in the United Kingdom.

Expeditionary operations edit

The group was converted to provisional status and renamed the 363rd Expeditionary Operations Group was activated on 1 December 1998. The 363rd was the primary United States Air Force air expeditionary group responsible for Operation Southern Watch, which involved patrolling the Southern No-Fly Zone over Iraq below the 33rd Parallel. The group was inactivated after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, when virtually all U.S. combat units left Saudi Arabia.

Intelligence edit

In 2007, the group was withdrawn from provisional status as the 363rd Operations Group, but was not activated until February 2015, when it stood up at Joint Base Langley-Eustis as the 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group.[1]

Lineage edit

  • Established as the 363rd Fighter Group (Single Engine) on 11 February 1943
Activated on 1 March 1943
Redesignated 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group on 25 August 1944
Redesignated 363rd Reconnaissance Group on 15 June 1945
Inactivated on 11 December 1945
  • Activated on 29 June 1946
Redesignated 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group 14 June 1948
  • Redesiginated 363rd Operations Group and activated on 1 May 1992
Inactivated on 31 December 1993
  • Redesignated 363rd Expeditionary Operations Group and converted to provisional status on 19 November 1998
Activated on 1 December 1998
Inactivated on 26 August 2003
  • Redesignated 363rd Operations Group returned to permanent status on 24 May 2007
  • Redesignated 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group on 13 February 2015
Activated on 17 February 2015[1]

Assignments edit

Operational components edit

Permanent units
  • 9th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: 11 November 1953 – 8 February 1958[1]
  • 10th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: attached 19 October 1950 – 1 December 1950[1]
  • 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: 29 July 1946 – 24 July 1947[1]
  • 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: attached, 22 August – 3 November 1948
  • 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: see 380th Fighter Squadron
  • 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: 2 April 1951 – 8 February 1958
  • 17th Fighter Squadron, 1 May 1992 – 30 December 1993
  • 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: see 381st Fighter Squadron
  • 19th Fighter Squadron, 1 May 1992 – 30 December 1993
  • 21st Fighter Squadron, 1 April 1992 – 30 December 1993
  • 22nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: attached 29 July – 31 August 1946[3]
  • 31st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: 23 May – 25 June 1945
  • 33rd Fighter Squadron: 1 May 1992 – 15 November 1993
  • 33rd Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 30 October 1944 – 17 May 1945, c. 5 July – 20 August 1945
  • 39th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 23 May – 25 June 1945
  • 45th Reconnaissance Squadron: 23 May – 12 July 1945[4]
  • 84th Bombardment Squadron: attached 17 October 1949 – 1 September 1950
  • 85th Bombardment Squadron: attached 17 October 1949 – 1 September 1950
  • 155th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 23 May – 12 July 1945
  • 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: see 380th Fighter Squadron
  • 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: see 381st Fighter Squadron
  • 162nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: see 382nd Fighter Squadron
  • 309th Fighter Squadron: attached 28 August – 19 November 1982, assigned 19 November 1992 – 30 December 1993
  • 380th Fighter Squadron (later 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 160th Reconnaissance Squadron 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron): 1 March 1943 – 15 November 1945; 24 July 1947 – 26 April 1949, 1 September 1950 – 8 February 1958
  • 381st Fighter Squadron (later 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 161st Reconnaissance Squadron, 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron): 1 March 1943 – 3 July 1945 (detached 23 December 1944 – 3 January 1945); 31 August 1946 – 23 September 1949 (detached after 20 September 1949), 2 April 1951 – 8 February 1958
  • 382nd Fighter Squadron (later 162nd Tactical Reconnaissance Sqquadron, 162nd Reconnaissance Squadron, 162nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron): 1 March 1943 – 29 September 1944; 29 July 1946 – 10 October 1950 (detached after 18 August 1950)
  • 2215th Combat Crew Training Squadron (later 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron): attached 1 September 1950 – 12 March 1951
  • 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron: see 2215th Combat Crew Training Squadron[5]
Expeditionary units

Stations edit

Aircraft edit

  • Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1943
  • Lockheed F-5 Lightning, 1944–1945
  • North American P-51 Mustang, 1944
  • North American F-6 Mustang, 1944–1945, 1946
  • Lockheed FP-80 (later RF-80) Shooting Star, 1946‑1949, 1951‑1954
  • Douglas FA-26 (later RB-26) Invader, 1946–1956
  • Republic RF-84F Thunderflash, 1954‑1958
  • Martin RB-57A Canberra, 1954‑1956
  • Lockheed T‑33 T-Bird, 1955‑1957
  • McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo, 1957‑1958
  • Douglas RB-66 Destroyer, 1956‑1958
  • General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1992‑1993
  • Fairchild Republic OA-10 Thunderbolt II, 1992‑1993[1]
  • Controlled aircraft operated by other organizations while in provisional status

References edit

Notes edit

Explanatory notes
  1. ^ The group uses the emblem of the 363rd wing with the group designation on the scroll. Bailey.
  2. ^ Aircraft is North American P-51B-5 Mustang, serial 43-6830 at RAF Rivenhall.
  3. ^ Aircraft is North American P-51D-10-NA Mustang serial 44-14852 at Le Culot Airfield (A-89), Belgium, November 1944.
  4. ^ Aircraft is Douglas RB-26C-45-DT Invader, serial 44-35663.
  5. ^ Aircraft are Lockheed RF-80A-15-LO Shooting Stars, serials 44-85242, 44-85019, 44-85448, and 44-85386.
  6. ^ Aircraft is Republic RF-84F-10-RE Thunderflash, serial No. 51-1875.
  7. ^ Aircraft is McDonnell RF-101C-65-MC Voodoo, serial 56–68. This aircraft is currently on static display at the Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi Air Park.
  8. ^ Aircraft is General Dynamics F-16C serial 92-3923.
  9. ^ Bailey gives 29 July, apparently a typo.
  10. ^ The 363rd Reconnaissance Wing was a Table of Distribution Wing under the experimental Wing/Base organization, the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was a Table of Organization wing, which replaced it on 27 August 1948. Ravenstein, p. 191. The two wings were consolidated in 1984 and are treated as a single unit.
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bailey, Carl E. (10 July 2017). "Factsheet 363 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  2. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 359, 360
  3. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 118
  4. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 355
  5. ^ Regular components in Bailey, except as noted.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Bailey does not list an end date for this assignment.
  7. ^ Expeditionary components in Bailey, except as noted.
  8. ^ a b c Station number in Anderson.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Station number in Johnson,
  10. ^ Station information in Bailey, except as noted.

Bibliography edit

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

  • Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL yes: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  • Freeman, Roger A. (1994). UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now. Harlow, England: After the Battle. ISBN 978-0-900913-80-8.
  • Freeman, Roger A. The Ninth Air Force in Colour: UK and the Continent-World War Two. After the Battle, 1996. ISBN 1-85409-272-3.
  • Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  • Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
  • Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military Aviation History. ISBN 0-88740-513-4.
  • Miller, Kent. The 363d Fighter Group in World War II: in Action over Germany with the P-51 Mustang. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 2002. ISBN 0-7643-1629-X.
  • Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6.* Rogers, Brian. United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications, 2005. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
  • . 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs. 18 November 2005. Archived from the original on 27 April 2006. Retrieved 18 June 2016.

363rd, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, group, united, states, force, unit, stationed, joint, base, langley, eustis, assigned, 363rd, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, wing, activated, february, 2015, after, having, been, returned, regular. The 363rd Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is a United States Air Force unit stationed at Joint Base Langley Eustis It is assigned to the 363rd Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing It was activated in February 2015 after having been returned to regular service after operating as a provisional unit The group has its origins in the 363rd Fighter Group activated on 1 August 1943 at Hamilton Field California The unit was credited with 41 victories but lost 43 of its own aircraft during World War II 363rd Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance GroupF 16 Fighting Falcons ready for a night mission during Operation Iraqi FreedomActive1943 1945 1946 1958 1992 1993 1998 2003 2015 presentCountry United StatesBranch United States Air ForceRoleIntelligencePart ofAir Combat CommandGarrison HQJoint Base Langley Eustis VAMotto s Voir C est Savoir French To See is to KnowEngagementsWorld War II EAME Theater Air Offensive Europe Campaign Normandy Campaign Northern France Campaign Rhineland Campaign Ardennes Alsace Campaign Central Europe Campaign Air Combat EAME TheaterArmed Forces Expeditionary Operation Northern Watch Operation Southern WatchGlobal War on Terrorism Expeditionary Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom 1 DecorationsAir Force Meritorious Unit AwardAir Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat V DeviceAir Force Outstanding Unit AwardBelgian Fourragere 1 CommandersNotablecommandersCol Michael G CosbyInsignia363rd Intelligence Surveillance amp Reconnaissance Group emblem note 1 The pressing need for tactical aerial photo reconnaissance during the Normandy Campaign led to the group s conversion to the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group at Le Mans Airfield France in late 1944 The 363rd returned to the United States after V E Day and was inactivated Reactivated in 1948 the group flew photographic electronic and electronic intelligence missions to support both air and ground operations by American or Allied ground forces during the early years of the Cold War It was inactivated in 1958 when its parent wing reorganized under the dual deputy system and its squadrons were reassigned directly to wing headquarters The unit was reactivated in 1992 as part of the USAF Objective Wing organization as the 363rd Operations Group but was inactivated the following year and its assets transferred to another unit It served as a provisional unit in Southwest Asia as the 363rd Expeditionary Operations Group flying a variety of fighter aircraft F 16 A 10 F 15 and others from 1998 to 2003 Contents 1 History 1 1 World War II 1 1 1 363rd Fighter Group 1 1 2 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group 1 2 Cold War 1 3 Reactivation as a fighter unit 1 4 Expeditionary operations 1 5 Intelligence 2 Lineage 2 1 Assignments 2 2 Operational components 2 3 Stations 2 4 Aircraft 3 References 3 1 Notes 3 2 BibliographyHistory editWorld War II edit 363rd Fighter Group edit nbsp 382nd Fighter Squadron P 51B Mustang note 2 The 363rd Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group was first organized as the 363rd Fighter Group which was activated on 1 August 1943 at Hamilton Field California Its original fighter squadrons 380th 381st and 382nd trained with Bell P 39 Airacobras at Hamilton and other airfields in California and served as part of the air defense force The group moved to England in December 1943 for duty with the Ninth Air Force At RAF Keevil the group was re equipped with North American P 51 Mustang in January 1944 and entered combat in February The group escorted bombers and fighter bombers to targets in France Germany and the Low Countries strafed and dive bombed trains marshalling yards bridges vehicles airfields troops gun positions and other targets on the Continent The 363rd supported the D Day invasion of Normandy in June 1944 by escorting troop carriers and gliders and by attacking enemy positions near the front lines and moved to the European Continent at the end of June to take part in the Allied drive to the German border In the two weeks following D Day the 363rd experienced the most fruitful period of its service in the European Theater of Operations when patrols over France brought it actions with a total of 19 confirmed victories However a similar number of Mustangs were lost albeit mostly to ground fire During operations from the United Kingdom the group was credited with 41 victories but lost 43 of its own aircraft in the process 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group edit nbsp 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron P 51D Mustang note 3 On the continent the 363rd was reorganized into a reconnaissance group flying the Lockheed F 5 Lightning photographic reconnaissance version of the P 38 and the F 6 photo reconnaissance version of the P 51 Mustang at Le Mans Airfield France The 380th 381st and 382nd Squadrons were redesignated as the 160th 161st and 162nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons respectively The group flew photographic missions to support both air and ground operations directed fighter bombers to railway highway and waterway traffic bridges gun positions troop concentrations and other opportune targets adjusted artillery fire and took photographs to assess results of Allied bombardment operations It received two Belgian citations for reconnaissance activities including the group s support of the assault on the Siegfried Line and its participation in the Battle of the Bulge December 1944 January 1945 The 363rd assisted Ninth Army s drive across the Rhine and deep into Germany during the period from February 1945 to V E Day eventually being stationed at Wiesbaden Germany Y 80 at the end of hostilities in MayThe 363rd returned to the United States in December 1945 and was inactivated on 11 December 1945 at Camp Kilmer New Jersey Cold War edit nbsp RB 26 Invader at Shaw AFB note 4 nbsp Formation of four RF 80 Shooting Stars note 5 The 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group was reactivated on 29 July 1946 at Brooks Field Texas Initially assigned two squadrons 161st and 162nd flying Lockheed FP 80 Shooting Stars for daylight 161st Squadron and Douglas FA 26 Invaders 162nd Squadron for night reconnaissance The FA 26C was an A 26 with all guns removed and cameras installed throughout the aircraft Additionally aircraft intended for night reconnaissance were equipped with photo flash bombs Some aircraft were also modified for electronic reconnaissance with the installation of radar and signal intelligence gathering equipment The FP 80A was a P 80A with a longer and deeper nose to house cameras in place of the guns in the nose of the aircraft After the end of the Korean War the RF 80As were partially brought up to F 80C standards These RF 80Cs had improved camera installations in a nose of modified contourThe group was placed under the newly activated 363rd Reconnaissance Wing on 15 August 1947 as part of the experimental Wing Base Organization which placed all tactical and support units on a base under a single wing It moved to Langley Field Virginia in December 1947 by the newly established USAF It was redesignated the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group on 27 August 1948 For budgetary reasons the wing was inactivated on 26 April 1949 however it was again activated on 1 September 1950 at Langley Due to the pressing needs of the Far East Air Forces in Japan the 162nd Squadron flying RB 26s and the photo processing 363rd Reconnaissance Technical Squadron moved from Langley to Itazuke Air Base Japan for Korean War service and began operations in August 1950 as part of the 543rd Tactical Support Group The group s two remaining squadrons were renumbered as the 16th and 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons in October 1950 2 as a result of the Air Force s police of reserving numbers between 101 and 300 for units of the Air National Guard On 1 April 1951 the 363rd moved to Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina The group s mission was to fly photographic electronic and electronic intelligence missions to support both air and ground operations by American or Allied ground forces nbsp 363rd Group RF 84F Thunderflash note 6 In 1954 the Republic RF 84F Thunderflash was assigned to the 363rd The RF 84F was the photographic reconnaissance version of the F 84F Thunderstreak It had many components in common with the F 84F but differed in having the jet engine fed by a pair of wing root air intakes the nose being taken up by a bank of cameras The USAF was in need of a replacement for its aging Lockheed RF 80 Shooting Star unarmed reconnaissance aircraft and concluded that the F 84F with its wing root air intakes made a good camera carrying reconnaissance aircraft The aircraft camera bay in the nose could accommodate up to six cameras in forward facing trimetrogon and individual oblique and vertical installations The vertical camera bay had hydraulically operated retractable doors and behind these doors was an aperture for a vertical viewfinder with a periscope presentation on the cockpit panel Photoflash ejectors could be carried in underwing tanks for nighttime photographic reconnaissance missions Deliveries of the RF 84F Thunderflash began in March 1954 with the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing being the first USAF recipient The service life of the RF 84F with the 363rd was relatively short and they were replaced by the McDonnell RF 101 Voodoo aircraft in 1957 1958 The first USAF Douglas RB 66B Destroyers were issued to the group s 9th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in January 1956 They replaced the obsolescent RB 26 Invader for night reconnaissance missions Two more squadrons were equipped with RB 66Bs by the end of the year The RB 66B very soon became the primary night photographic reconnaissance weapon system of the Tactical Air Command In addition to the RB 66B RB 66C models entered service with the 9th Squadron in February 1956 RB 66C models carried additional electronic countermeasures ECM equipment in wingtip pods Chaff dispensing pods could be carried underneath the wing outboard of the engine nacelles Later examples had the tail turret removed and replaced by additional ECM equipment installed in an extended tailcone After the tail guns were removed the gunner s position was usually left empty unless occupied by an instructor pilot or instructor navigator nbsp 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group F 101 Voodoo note 7 In January 1953 the USAF asked McDonnell Aircraft to develop an unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the F 101 Voodoo as a possible replacement for the Republic RF 84F Thunderflash The first RF 101A was delivered to the 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 6 May 1957 as a replacement for the subsonic RF 84F The RF 101A had a redesigned and longer nose housing four cameras designed for low altitude photography In addition two high altitude cameras were mounted behind the cockpit in place of the ammunition boxes of the fighter variant In September 1957 the RF 101C began deliveries to Shaw The C model combined the strengthened structure of the F 101C with the camera installation of the RF 101A In addition the RF 101C differed from the RF 101A in being able to accommodate a centerline nuclear weapon so that it could carry out a secondary nuclear strike mission if ever called upon to do so The RF 101Cs served for a brief time alongside the RF 101A but quickly replaced them by May 1958 On 8 February 1958 as part of the conversion of Tactical Air Command Wings to the dual deputy organizations the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group was inactivated and its personnel and equipment were assigned directly to the 363rd Wing reporting to the wing s deputy commander for operations Reactivation as a fighter unit edit nbsp F 16C Fighting Falcon of the 79th Fighter Squadron note 8 The group was redesignated the 363rd Operations Group and was activated on 1 May 1992 when the 363rd Fighter Wing implemented the USAF Objective Wing organization The group was assigned the fighter squadrons of the wing and an operations support squadron upon activation All aircraft carried the SW Tail Code With the closure of Myrtle Beach Air Force Base South Carolina and the inactivation of the 354th Fighter Wing the 21st Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated at Shaw and received 30 Fairchild Republic OA 10 Thunderbolt IIs from the inactivating 355th Fighter Squadron on 1 April 1992 As a result of the August 1992 destruction of Homestead Air Force Base Florida by Hurricane Andrew in September 1992 the 31st Fighter Wing s 309th Fighter Squadron was initially evacuated to Shaw prior to the hurricane making landfall With Homestead unusable for an extended period after the hurricane on 1 October 1992 the squadron was permanently assigned to the group The 33rd Fighter Squadron was inactivated on 15 November 1993 Its F 16C D aircraft were transferred to the Air National Guard As a result of the end of the Cold War the Air Force began a series of changes inactivating and redesignating units large and small The 363rd Group and all of its squadrons were inactivated on 31 December 1993 being replaced at Shaw by the 20th Operations Group which moved on paper to Shaw from RAF Upper Heyford in the United Kingdom Expeditionary operations edit The group was converted to provisional status and renamed the 363rd Expeditionary Operations Group was activated on 1 December 1998 The 363rd was the primary United States Air Force air expeditionary group responsible for Operation Southern Watch which involved patrolling the Southern No Fly Zone over Iraq below the 33rd Parallel The group was inactivated after the 2003 invasion of Iraq when virtually all U S combat units left Saudi Arabia Intelligence edit In 2007 the group was withdrawn from provisional status as the 363rd Operations Group but was not activated until February 2015 when it stood up at Joint Base Langley Eustis as the 363rd Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group 1 Lineage editEstablished as the 363rd Fighter Group Single Engine on 11 February 1943Activated on 1 March 1943 Redesignated 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group on 25 August 1944 Redesignated 363rd Reconnaissance Group on 15 June 1945 Inactivated on 11 December 1945Activated on 29 June 1946Redesignated 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group 14 June 1948Redesiginated 363rd Operations Group and activated on 1 May 1992Inactivated on 31 December 1993Redesignated 363rd Expeditionary Operations Group and converted to provisional status on 19 November 1998Activated on 1 December 1998 Inactivated on 26 August 2003Redesignated 363rd Operations Group returned to permanent status on 24 May 2007 Redesignated 363rd Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group on 13 February 2015Activated on 17 February 2015 1 Assignments edit IV Fighter Command 1 March 1943 San Francisco Air Defense Wing 12 April 1943 IX Fighter Command 30 December 1943 70th Fighter Wing February 1944 100th Fighter Wing 15 April 1944 303rd Fighter Wing 20 August 1944 Ninth Air Force 5 September 1944 XXIX Tactical Air Command Provisional 3 October 1944 IX Fighter Command 1 December 1944 attached to XXIX Tactical Air Command Provisional 64th Fighter Wing 18 May 1945 XII Tactical Air Command 15 November 1945 Theater Service Forces European Theater 20 November c 2 December 1945 Unknown 3 11 December 1945 Ninth Air Force 29 June 1946 note 9 363rd Reconnaissance Wing later 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing 15 August 1947 note 10 Ninth Air Force 26 April 1949 attached to 4th Fighter Wing later 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing Tactical Air Command 1 August 1950 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing 1 September 1950 8 February 1958 363rd Fighter Wing 1 May 1992 30 December 1993 Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed 19 November 1998 24 May 2007363rd Air Expeditionary Wing 1 December 1998 26 August 2003 dd 363rd Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing 13 February 2015 present 1 Operational components edit Permanent units9th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 11 November 1953 8 February 1958 1 10th Fighter Interceptor Squadron attached 19 October 1950 1 December 1950 1 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 29 July 1946 24 July 1947 1 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron attached 22 August 3 November 1948 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron see 380th Fighter Squadron 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 2 April 1951 8 February 1958 17th Fighter Squadron 1 May 1992 30 December 1993 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron see 381st Fighter Squadron 19th Fighter Squadron 1 May 1992 30 December 1993 21st Fighter Squadron 1 April 1992 30 December 1993 22nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron attached 29 July 31 August 1946 3 31st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 23 May 25 June 1945 33rd Fighter Squadron 1 May 1992 15 November 1993 33rd Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron 30 October 1944 17 May 1945 c 5 July 20 August 1945 39th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron 23 May 25 June 1945 45th Reconnaissance Squadron 23 May 12 July 1945 4 84th Bombardment Squadron attached 17 October 1949 1 September 1950 85th Bombardment Squadron attached 17 October 1949 1 September 1950 155th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron 23 May 12 July 1945 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron see 380th Fighter Squadron 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron see 381st Fighter Squadron 162nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron see 382nd Fighter Squadron 309th Fighter Squadron attached 28 August 19 November 1982 assigned 19 November 1992 30 December 1993 380th Fighter Squadron later 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 160th Reconnaissance Squadron 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 1 March 1943 15 November 1945 24 July 1947 26 April 1949 1 September 1950 8 February 1958 381st Fighter Squadron later 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 161st Reconnaissance Squadron 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 1 March 1943 3 July 1945 detached 23 December 1944 3 January 1945 31 August 1946 23 September 1949 detached after 20 September 1949 2 April 1951 8 February 1958 382nd Fighter Squadron later 162nd Tactical Reconnaissance Sqquadron 162nd Reconnaissance Squadron 162nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 1 March 1943 29 September 1944 29 July 1946 10 October 1950 detached after 18 August 1950 2215th Combat Crew Training Squadron later 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron attached 1 September 1950 12 March 1951 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron see 2215th Combat Crew Training Squadron 5 Expeditionary units27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron 21 June 13 August 1999 58th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron 15 January 2 March 1999 60th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron 10 December 1998 25 January 1999 71st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron 1 21 December 1998 78th Expeditionary Fighter 1 18 December 1998 79th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron 18 December 1998 8 February 1999 94th Expeditionary Fighter 13 Aug 1999 26 August 2003 6 363rd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron 1 Dec 1998 26 August 2003 6 363rd Expeditionary Airborne Air Control 1 Dec 1998 26 August 2003 6 363rd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron I Dec 1998 26 August 2003 6 363rd Expeditionary Communications Squadron I Dec 1998 26 August 2003 6 363rd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron 1 Dec 1998 26 August 2003 6 389th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron 8 February 23 March 1999 390th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron 2 March 21 June 1999 763rd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron 1 December 1998 26 August 2003 6 7 Stations edit Hamilton Field California 1 March 1943 Santa Rosa Army Air Field California August 1943 Mather Field California October c 3 December 1943 RAF Keevil AAF 471 8 England c 23 December 1943 RAF Rivenhall AAF 168 8 England January 1944 RAF Staplehurst AAF 413 8 England April 1944 Maupertus sur Mer Airfield A 15 9 France c 1 July 1944 Azeville Airfield A 7 9 France August 1944 Le Mans Airfield A 35 9 France September 1944 Sandweiler Airfield A 97 9 Luxembourg c 1 October 1944 Le Culot Airfield A 89 9 Belgium c 29 October 1944 Venlo Airfield Y 55 9 Netherlands March 1945 Gutersloh Airfield Y 99 9 Germany c 15 April 1945 Brunswick Waggum Airfield R 37 9 Germany c 22 April 1945 AAF Station Wiesbaden Y 80 9 Germany 17 May 1945 AAF Station Eschwege R 11 9 Germany August 1945 AAF Station Darmstadt Griesheim Y 76 Germany September c 2 December 1945 Camp Kilmer New Jersey c 9 11 December 1945 Brooks Field Texas 29 July 1946 Langley Field later Langley Air Force Base Virginia 20 December 1946 Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina c 2 April 1951 8 February 1958 Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina 1 May 1992 31 December 1993 Al Kharj Air Base later Prince Sultan Air Base Saudi Arabia 1 December 1998 25 August 2003 Joint Base Langley Eustis 13 February 2015 present 10 Aircraft edit Bell P 39 Airacobra 1943 Lockheed F 5 Lightning 1944 1945 North American P 51 Mustang 1944 North American F 6 Mustang 1944 1945 1946 Lockheed FP 80 later RF 80 Shooting Star 1946 1949 1951 1954 Douglas FA 26 later RB 26 Invader 1946 1956 Republic RF 84F Thunderflash 1954 1958 Martin RB 57A Canberra 1954 1956 Lockheed T 33 T Bird 1955 1957 McDonnell RF 101 Voodoo 1957 1958 Douglas RB 66 Destroyer 1956 1958 General Dynamics F 16 Fighting Falcon 1992 1993 Fairchild Republic OA 10 Thunderbolt II 1992 1993 1 Controlled aircraft operated by other organizations while in provisional statusReferences editNotes edit Explanatory notes The group uses the emblem of the 363rd wing with the group designation on the scroll Bailey Aircraft is North American P 51B 5 Mustang serial 43 6830 at RAF Rivenhall Aircraft is North American P 51D 10 NA Mustang serial 44 14852 at Le Culot Airfield A 89 Belgium November 1944 Aircraft is Douglas RB 26C 45 DT Invader serial 44 35663 Aircraft are Lockheed RF 80A 15 LO Shooting Stars serials 44 85242 44 85019 44 85448 and 44 85386 Aircraft is Republic RF 84F 10 RE Thunderflash serial No 51 1875 Aircraft is McDonnell RF 101C 65 MC Voodoo serial 56 68 This aircraft is currently on static display at the Keesler Air Force Base Mississippi Air Park Aircraft is General Dynamics F 16C serial 92 3923 Bailey gives 29 July apparently a typo The 363rd Reconnaissance Wing was a Table of Distribution Wing under the experimental Wing Base organization the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was a Table of Organization wing which replaced it on 27 August 1948 Ravenstein p 191 The two wings were consolidated in 1984 and are treated as a single unit Citations a b c d e f g h i Bailey Carl E 10 July 2017 Factsheet 363 Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group ACC Air Force Historical Research Agency Retrieved 18 May 2018 Maurer Combat Squadrons pp 359 360 Maurer Combat Squadrons p 118 Maurer Combat Squadrons p 355 Regular components in Bailey except as noted a b c d e f g Bailey does not list an end date for this assignment Expeditionary components in Bailey except as noted a b c Station number in Anderson a b c d e f g h i j Station number in Johnson Station information in Bailey except as noted Bibliography edit nbsp This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Anderson Capt Barry 1985 Army Air Forces Stations A Guide to the Stations Where U S Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II PDF Maxwell AFB AL yes Research Division USAF Historical Research Center Archived from the original PDF on 23 January 2016 Retrieved 28 June 2017 Freeman Roger A 1994 UK Airfields of the Ninth Then and Now Harlow England After the Battle ISBN 978 0 900913 80 8 Freeman Roger A The Ninth Air Force in Colour UK and the Continent World War Two After the Battle 1996 ISBN 1 85409 272 3 Johnson 1st Lt David C 1988 U S Army Air Forces Continental Airfields ETO D Day to V E Day PDF Maxwell AFB AL Research Division USAF Historical Research Center Archived from the original PDF on 29 September 2015 Retrieved 26 June 2017 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Maurer Maurer ed 1983 1961 Air Force Combat Units of World War II PDF reprint ed Washington DC Office of Air Force History ISBN 0 912799 02 1 LCCN 61060979 Martin Patrick 1994 Tail Code The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings Atglen PA Schiffer Military Aviation History ISBN 0 88740 513 4 Miller Kent The 363d Fighter Group in World War II in Action over Germany with the P 51 Mustang Atglen Pennsylvania Schiffer Publishing 2002 ISBN 0 7643 1629 X Mueller Robert 1989 Air Force Bases Vol I Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 PDF Washington DC Office of Air Force History ISBN 0 912799 53 6 Rogers Brian United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978 Hinkley England Midland Publications 2005 ISBN 1 85780 197 0 20th Fighter Wing 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs 18 November 2005 Archived from the original on 27 April 2006 Retrieved 18 June 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 363rd Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group amp oldid 1205709090, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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