414th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron

The 414th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It operates the MQ-1B Predator, last known assigned to the 39th Expeditionary Operations Group, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.

414th Bombardment Squadron
An MQ-1B Predator from the 414th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron sits on the flightline 14 February 2012, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.
Active	1942–1945; 2011–
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Reconnaissance
Engagements	World War II – EAME Theater Afghanistan Campaign
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation (2x)
Insignia
Emblem of the 414th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron

During World War II, the 414th Bombardment Squadron was a B-17 Flying Fortress squadron, assigned to the 97th Bombardment Group, Fifteenth Air Force. It earned Two Distinguished Unit Citations.

History

Established in early 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomb squadron; trained under Third Air Force in Florida. Deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO) in mid-June 1942, being assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England. The squadron was one of the first B-17 heavy bomb squadrons in the ETO. During the summer of 1942, engaged in long range strategic bombardment of enemy military, transport and industrial targets, primarily in France and the Low Countries with limited fighter escorts.

Boeing B-17F-5-BO (S/N 41-24406) All American III of the 97th Bomb Group, 414th Bomb Squadron, in flight after a collision with a German fighter. The tail section remained attached to the fuselage by a few spars and a narrow section of aluminum skin. Once back on the ground, the weight of the tail caused structural failure. The aircraft was repaired and was eventually salvaged in March 1945.

Reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force in England, being deployed to Algiers as part of the initial Operation Torch forces that arrived in North Africa. Squadron aircraft carried Triangle-O on tail. Engaged in bombardment of enemy targets in Algeria and Tunisia as part of the North African Campaign, and attacked enemy strong points around Tunis as part of the Tunisian Campaign. Continued heavy bomb missions of enemy targets in Sicily and Southern Italy and in late 1943 was reassigned to new Fifteenth Air Force formed in Southern Italy. From airfields around Foggia, conducted long-range strategic bombardment missions over Southern Europe and the Balkans of enemy targets until the German Capitulation in May 1945. Demobilized squadron personnel and aircraft were sent to the United States for reclamation in the fall of 1945; being inactivated in Italy in October.

The squadron was converted to provisional status as the 414th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron and assigned to United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE) in the summer of 2011. USAFE activated it for the first time at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey in the fall.

Lineage

World War II 414th Bombardment Squadron Emblem, inspired by the 1 February 1943 flight of the All American III

• Constituted as the 24th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942

Activated on 3 February 1942

Re-designated 414th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 April 1942

Re-designated 414th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy ca. 6 March 1944

Inactivated on 29 October 1945

• Converted to provisional status and re-designated 414th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron on 19 July 2011[1]

Activated on 15 October 2011[2]

Assignments

• 97th Bombardment Group, 3 February 1942 – 29 October 1945
• United States Air Forces Europe to activate or inactivate as needed, 19 July 2011

39th Expeditionary Operations Group, 15 October 2011 – Present

Stations

MacDill Field, Florida, 3 February 1942 Sarasota Army Air Field, Florida, 29 March 1942 – 16 May 1942 Grafton Underwood, England, 11 June 1942 – 8 September 1942 RAF Polebrook (AAF-110), England, 8 September 1942 – 10 November 1942 Maison Blanche Airport, Algeria, c. 13 November 1942 Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, c. 22 November 1942 Biskra Airfield, Algeria, 26 December 1942

Chateaudun-du-Rhumel Airfield, Algeria, 8 February 1943 Pont du Fahs Airfield, Tunisia, 12 August 1943 Depienne Airfield, Tunisia, 14 August 1943 Cerignola Airfield, Italy, c. 14 December 1943 Amendola Airfield, Italy, 17 January 1944 Marcianise Airfield, Italy, c. October 1945 – 29 October 1945 Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, 15 October 2011 – Present

Aircraft

• B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1945
• MQ-1 Predator, 2011 – present

See also

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations

References

Notes

1. Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organizational Status Change Report, July 2011
2. Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organizational Status Change Report, October 2011

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• 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.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.