World War II

Constituted as 343 Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine), on 21 January 1943. Activated on 1 February 1943 at McChord Field, WA as a P-38 Lightning fighter squadron. Assigned to 55 Fighter Group. Redesignated as: 343 Fighter Squadron, Twin Engine, on 20 August 1943^[1]

Moved to Nuthampstead, England, 16 September 1943. The squadron was assigned to the Eighth AF. Began operations with P-38’s on 15 Oct 1943; moved to Wormingford, England, 16 April 1944 and converted to P-51’s in July 1944. Engaged primarily in escorting American bombers that attacked industrial targets and marshalling yards in Germany, and airfields and V-weapon sites in France. The 343rd provided cover for B-17’s and B-24’s that bombed aircraft plants during Big Week in February 1944 and gun emplacements during the St Lo breakthrough in July 1944.^[3]

The squadron also patrolled the sky over the English Channel and bombed bridges in the Tours area during the invasion of the Europe in June 1944; patrolled the Arnhem sector to support the airborne invasion of Holland in September 1944.^[1] Redesignated 343 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 5 September 1944.^[1]

On 5 September 1944: Lieutenant William H. Allen, U.S. Army Air Corps, was a fighter pilot assigned to the 343rd Fighter Squadron, based at RAF Wormingford, Essex, England. After escorting a bombing mission to Stuttgart, Lt. Allen, flying his North American Aviation P-51D-5-NA Mustang, 44-14049, Pretty Patty II, and his flight, attacked an airfield north of Göppingen, Germany. Lieutenant Allen became an Ace in one day when he shot down five Heinkel He 111 bombers as they took off at two-minute intervals.^[4]

The fighters from the 343rd continued to escort bombers on raids on transportation facilities during the Battle of the Bulge, 1-4 December-January 1945.^[3]

The unit strafed trucks, locomotives, and oil depots near Wesel when the Allies crossed the Rhine in March 1945.^[3] The 343d flew combat missions in the European Theater of Operations until 21 April 1945. Moved to Kaufbeuren, Germany, 20 July 1945. Inactivated on 20 August 1946.^[1]

Cold War

Redesignated as 343 Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Mapping, on 5 February 1947. Activated on 24 Feb 1947. Redesignated as 343 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Photo-Mapping, on 29 June 1948. Inactivated on 14 October 1949. Redesignated as 343 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium, Electronics, on 27 October 1950. Activated on 1 November 1950. Assigned to the 55 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on 16 June 1952.^[1]

Redesignated as: 343 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium, on 15 July 1954; 343 Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron on 16 August 1966 at Offutt AFB, NE and converted to RC-135 in 1967. Redesignated as: 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 September 1991.^[1]

It conducted aerial photography from 1947–1949 and global strategic reconnaissance from 1950 to 1979.^[1]

Since 1979 the squadron has provided worldwide strategic reconnaissance support, including operations in Grenada in 1983, Libya in 1986, and Southwest Asia from 1990-1991.^[1] On 29 July 1953 a squadron RB-50 temporarily attached to the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron was shot down by Soviet fighters about ninety miles south of Vladivostok. The Soviet Union did not deny the plane's location was over international waters, but claimed that the bomber had twice flown over Soviet territory and fired on their MiGs, who then returned fire defensively.^[5]

Assignments

• 55th Fighter Group, 1 February 1943 – 20 August 1946
• 55th Reconnaissance Group (later 55 Strategic Reconnaissance Group), 24 February 1947 – 14 October 1949

Attached to 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 19 July - 26 October 1948

• 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, 1 November 1950

Attached to 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing until 3 January 1951

Attached to 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing after 4 January 1951

• 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 16 June 1952
• 55th Operations Group, 1 September 1991 – present^[1]

Stations

Aircraft

Operations

• World War II
• Operation Urgent Fury
• Operation El Dorado Canyon
• Operation Desert Storm

Notes

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
• Farquhar, John T. (2015). "Aerial Reconnaissance, the Press, and American Foreign Policy, 1950-1954" (PDF). Air Power History. Air Force Historical Foundation. 62 (4). Retrieved 6 January 2016. (web access limited to members)
• 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.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.