25th Bombardment Group (Reconnaissance)

Constituted as 25th Bombardment Group (Reconnaissance) on 17 Jul 1944. Activated in England on 9 Aug 1944. Served with Eighth AF until V-E Day. Used various aircraft, including B-17's, B-24's, B-25's, B-26's, P-38's, and L-5's. Operations included reconnaissance over the waters adjacent to the British Isles and occasionally to the Azores to obtain meteorological data; flights over the Continent for weather information needed in planning operations; night photographic missions to detect enemy activity; and daylight photographic and mapping missions over the Continent. Occasionally engaged in scout missions to target areas for last-minute weather information that was furnished to approaching bomber formations, on-the-scene visual evaluation of bombardment strikes, and electronic-countermeasure missions in which chaff was spread to confuse enemy defenses during Allied attacks. Moved to the US, Jul-Aug 1945. Inactivated on 8 Sep 1945.

Squadrons. 652d: 1944-1945. 653d: 1944-1945. 654th: 1944-1945.

Stations. Watton, England, 9 Aug 1944-23 Jul 1945; Drew Field, Fla, Aug-8 Sep 1945.

Commanders. Lt Col Joseph A Stenglein, 9 Aug 1944; Col Leon W Gray, 23 Sep 1944; Lt Col John R Hoover, 14 Apr 1945; Maj Ernest H Patterson, 19 Jun 1945-unkn.

Campaigns. Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.

Decorations. None.

Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986