19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron


caption= 19th Tactical Reconnasance Squadron Emblem
dates= 1942-1970
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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The 19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (1942-1970) is an inactive United States Air Force squadron. During World War II and the Cold War, its primary mission was aerial reconnaissance and photo mapping, later performed electronic warfare missions during the Vietnam War.

Lineage

* Constituted 19th Photographic Mapping Squadron on 14 Jul 1942. : Activated on 23 Jul 1942. : Re-designated: 19th Photographic Squadron (Heavy) on 6 Feb 1943: Re-designated: 19th Photographic Charting Squadron on 11 Aug 1943: Re-designated: 19th Reconnaissance Squadron (Long Range, Photographic) on 15 Jun 1945. : Inactivated on 15 Dec 1945.
* Re-designated 19th Reconnaissance Squadron (Photographic) on 8 Oct 1947. : Activated in the reserve on 6 Nov 1947. : Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949.
* Re-designated 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Night Photographic) on 21 Apr 1953. : Activated on 20 Jul 1953. : Re-designated 19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron on 15 Oct 1967. : Inactivated on 31 Oct 1970.

Assignments

United States Army Air Forces
* 4th Reconnaissance Group, 23 Jul 1942
* 1st Photographic Group, assigned on 11 Aug 1943; and attached on 19 Nov 1943;
* 11th Photographic Group, 1 Dec 1943
* 311th Reconnaissance Wing, 5 Oct 1944- 15 Dec 1945 : Attached to Ninth Air Force, 16 May-15 Nov 1945

United States Air Force
* 66th Reconnaissance Group, 6 Nov 1947-27 Jun 1949
* Ninth Air Force : Attached to 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 20 Jul 1953
* Third Air Force : Attached to 47th Bombardment Wing, 7 May 1954
* Twelfth Air Force, 1 Dec 1956
* 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 1 Jan 1957
* 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 Dec 1957: Attached to 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing from 8 Jan 1958
* 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 Mar 1958
* 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Jul 1965
* 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, I Oct 1965
* 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Sep 1966
* 4402d Tactical Training Group, 1 Feb 1967
* 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 20 Jan 1968
* 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, 31 Dec 1968 - 31 Oct 1970.

tations

United States Army Air Forces
* Colorado Springs, Colorado, 23 Jul 1942 17 Sep 1943
* Bradley Field, Connecticut, 17 Sep 1943 :(Flight (3-6 a/c) deployed to Mexico City AP, Mexico, 5 Nov-20 Dec 1943)
* MacDill Field, Florida, 21 Jan - 3 Feb 1944 : (Air echelon deployed to Cairo Airport, Egypt, after 30 Jan l944, and RAF Deversoir, Egypt, after 30 Jan 1944, and RAF Deversoir, Egypt, 3 Feb 1944- c, 31 Jan 1945)
* Buckley Field, Colorado, 26 Nov 1944- 6 Jun 1945 : (Air echelon deployed to RAF Accra, Gold Coast, C. 1 Feb-25 April 1945, and RAF Watton, England, 25 Apr-16 Jul 1945)
* RAF Thurleigh, England, c. 22 Jun 1945-20 Aug 1945
* Tortorella Airfield, Italy, 20 Aug 1945-6 Sep 1945
* Foggia, Italy, 6 Sep-15 Dec 1945.

United States Air Force
* Newark Airport, New Jersey, 6 Nov 1947-27 Jun 1949.
* Shaw AFB, South Carolina, 20 Jul 1953 - 22 Apr 1954
* RAF Sculthorpe, England, 11 May 1954 - 10 Jan 1959
* Spangdahlem AB, West Germany, 10 Jan - 25 Aug 1959
* RAF Bruntingthorpe, England, 25 Aug 1959 - 15 Aug 1962
* Toul-Rosières Air Base, France 15 Aug 1962 - 1 Oct 1965
* Chambley-Bussieres Air Base, France, 1 Oct 1965 - 1 Sep 1966
* Shaw AFB, South Carolina, 1 Sep 1966 - 31 Dec 1968
* Itazuke AB, Japan, 31 Dec 1968 - 15 May 1969
* Kadena AB, Okinawa, 15 May 1969 - 31 Oct 1970.

Aircraft

* P-38/F-4 Lightning 1942-1943
* B-17/F-9 Flying Fortress, 1943-1945
* B-24/F-7 Liberator, 1943-1945
* B-25/F-10 Mitchell, 1943-1945
* OA-10 (PBY-5A Catalina) 1942-1945
* FA-26C/RB-26C Invader, 1947-1949
* RB-45 Tornado, 1953-1957
* RB/EB-66 Destroyer, 1957-1970

Operations

World War II

The 19th Photographic Mapping Squadron was activated at Colorado Springs AAF on 14 July 1942 as part of the 4th Reconnaissance Group. Equipped with F-4 Lightnings (P-38Es), the group trained for overseas duty.

Reassigned the 1st Photographic Group, the squadron transfered to Bradley Field, Conn. Deployed aircraft to Mexico to perform photographic mapping over Central and South America with long range F-9 and F-7 (B-17F/B-24D) aircraft. Also performed photographic mapping of the United States while assigned to the 11th Photographic Group.

Reassigned to the 311th Photographic Group, the squadron deployed overseas, being attached to the Royal Air Force. First deployed to Africa, the squadron photographed airfields and created maps of western and central Africa in support of Air Transport Command developing logistical supply routes across Africa. Later assigned to Egypt, mapping the Middle East with long-range aircraft including some Navy PBY-5s (OA-10), photographing airfields, coastal defences and ports.

Reassigned to England in April 1945, the squadron made bomb-damage assessment photographs of airfields, marshalling yards, bridges, and other targets. Remained in the theater after combat ended, performing photo-mapping of Western Europe.

Inactivated at Foggia Airfield, Italy in December 1945

Postwar Years

Activated in the reserve at Newark Airport, New Jersey as part of the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Group in November 1947. Equipped with RB-26Cs, performed night photograpic missions until being inactivated in June 1949.

Cold War

Reactivated at Shaw AFB, South Carolina in July 1953 as 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron being assigned to Tactical Air Command Ninth Air Force, being attached to 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, equipped with RB-26Cs. Trained in the United States until being deployed to RAF Sculthorpe, England in May 1954, being assigned to USAFE Third Air Force and attached to 47th Tactical Bombardment Wing. Re-equipped with RB-45C Tornado jet aircraft, performed tactical reconnasance and photo-mapping misisons over Western Europe and North Africa. Also conducted classified deep penetration and reconnaissance flights over the Soviet Union.

Upgraded to RB-66B Destroyers and replaced the obsolescent RB-45s in 1957. Became the primary night photographic reconnaissance squadron of USAFE, being assigned to bases in West Germany, England and France. Returned to United States in 1966 after French withdrawal from NATO military alliance and became a replacement training unit for RB-66 aircrews.

In 1968 squadron was re-equipped with EB-66C electronic countermeasures aircraft. All of the reconnaissance equipment was removed and replaced by electronic jamming equipment. The tail turret was removed, and automatic jamming equipment was fitted in its place. Numerous antennae protruded from the aircraft, and chaff dispensing pods were carried. Redesignated 19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron and deployed to PACAF, being assigned to 18th TFW first in Japan, later in Okinawa. Flew missions over North Vietnam as electronic warfare aircraft, joining strike aircraft during their missions to jam enemy radar installations.

Inactivated 1970 at Kadena AB, Okinawa as part of phasedown of USAF forces in Southeast Asia.

References

* Original source of information: [http://www.47thbombwing.org/history/19th_history.htm USAF Historical Research Center - Maxwell AFB, Alabama microfilm roll] .
* [http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/uscombataircraft.html American Military Aircraft (RB-45, RB-66)]
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
* Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.

External links