46th Reconnaissance Squadron

World War II

Established as at Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber replacement training unit. Converted in September 1943 for operational training; assigned to Second Air Force for training. Deployed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in December 1943, squadron taking the South Atlantic Transport Route though the Caribbean and South America; transiting the Atlantic Ocean via Brazil and Dakar, French West Africa, being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in January 1944 at Grottaglie Airfield in Southern Italy.

Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment of enemy military, industrial and transport targets, including oil refineries and production oilfields in Italy; France; Southern Germany; Austria and the Balkans. Continued strategic bombardment until German capitulation in May 1945. Most of the squadron was demobilized in Europe; small cadre reformed at Sioux Falls Army Airfield, South Dakota, in late May, being redesignated as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bomber squadron. Equipped with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and new personnel, began training for deployment to Central Pacific Area (CPA) to engage in strategic bombardment missions over Japan. Japanese capitulation in August canceled plans for re-deployment, after training was reassigned to Grand Island Army Airfield, Nebraska, as part of Continental Air Command.

Post war

Redesignated as 46th Reconnaissance Squadron in June 1946. New mission was to provide very long range reconnaissance as part of the newly established Strategic Air Command. Equipped with eighteen Reconnaissance-modified Boeing B-29 Superfortresses obtained at Grand Island Army Airfield, Nebraska. Eight of the aircraft were modified into the F-13A reconnaissance configuration, being fitted with special camera installations for photographic mapping and recon work. The F-13As carried three K-17B, two K-22 and one K-18 cameras with provisions for others. However, the standard B-29 bombing equipment and defensive armament were retained.

The squadron was assigned to Ladd Army Airfield, Alaska Territory on 1 June 1946 with a mission to fly reconnaissance and photo-mapping missions over the Arctic and perform reconnaissance along the northern border of Soviet territory in the Arctic, as well as deep-penetration reconnaissance flights. All of its missions were classified as Top Secret, the classification wasn't dropped until 2001.

The squadron flew its first operational mission on 2 August 1946 from its base at Ladd, eventually flying more than 5,000 hours in the Arctic and over 1,000,000 miles in its first year of operations, testing material and the limits of flying personnel in the Arctic. It made the first aircraft flight over the Geographic North Pole on 16 October 1946, eventually accomplishing over 100 flights to the pole and its immediate vicinity. It performed photo mapping of 5,500,000 square miles of the Arctic, including areas for the strategic location of defense components, and future locations of radar sites along the northern Canadian region. Exploratory flights were made to obtain information necessary to establish commercial airline service over the Arctic.

When the squadron arrived in Alaska, large areas of the territory and northern Canada were largely unexplored. The squadron developed means of polar navigation necessary due to the unreliability of magnetic compasses, and many existing maps of the region were unreliable. The Grid System of Navigation was developed which enabled navigators to navigate to locations within one mile of accuracy.

The squadron was redesignated as the 72d Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 October 1947; its personnel and equipment being absorbed by the new unit in a name-only change. It operated as the 46th/72d Reconnaissance Squadron until 28 June 1949 when the squadron was reassigned to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.

2000s

46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron MQ-1B Predator at Balad AB Iraq

During January 2004 the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron was deployed to Tallil Air Base, Iraq with the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom under the command of the 332d Air Expeditionary Wing. Sometime between then and June 2004 the unit moved to Joint Base Balad. Sometime between June 2004 and 2009 the unit was renamed to "46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance and Attack Squadron". During May 2016 the unit was noticed operating from Ali Al Salem Airbase, Kuwait, against Da'esh as part of the Military intervention against ISIL operating over Iraq and Syria under the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing.

Citations

Bibliography

• 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.
• "World in Peril; The Origin, Mission, and Scientific Findings of the 46th/72nd Reconnaissance Squadron," by Ken White. 1994 ISBN 1-883218-10-1