55th Operations Group

=55th Fighter Group =

The history of the Fightin’ Fifty-Fifth began in January 1941, when the 55th Pursuit Group was activated at Hamilton Field, California. Redesignated the 55th Fighter Group in May 1942, the group departed for England on September 4, 1943. Assigned the mission of escorting Eighth Air Force bombers on daylight bombing raids over Europe, the group completed its combat tour of duty with a distinguished record in seven campaigns. The 55th was the first operational P-38 unit in the European theater as well as the first United States Army Air Forces unit to fly over Berlin. With more than 600 combat missions, the group destroyed over 400 enemy aircraft while damaging more than 100. The 55th, inactivated in August 1946, had 16 aces credited with 90 victories.

55th Reconnaissance Group

Less than a year later, the group reactivated as the 55th Reconnaissance Group at MacDill Field, Florida with assignment to Strategic Air Command (SAC). In June 1948, the 55th transferred operations to Topeka (later named Forbes AFB) Field, Kansas, and became the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Group. It provided precise Shoran and Hiran mapping and photographic reconnaissance in 1948-1949.

55th Operations Group

ource

[http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/wwwroot/rso/wings_groups_pages/0055og.php Air Force Historical Research Agency]