311th Air Division

311th Air Division
Active	1944–1949
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command and Control
Part of	Strategic Air Command
Garrison/HQ	Forbes AFB, Kansas

The 311th Air Division (311th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, stationed at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas. It was inactivated on 1 November 1949.

History

The 311th came into existence in February 1944, at Bolling Field, DC, as the 311th Photographic Wing, and had its headquarters in the United States for its entire active period. Subordinate units, between February 1944 and August 1945, deployed to diverse areas of the world such as Africa, the Middle East, the China Burma India Theater, Mexico, Canada, Alaska, and the Caribbean. These units conducted mapping and charting operations, and in some instances flew reconnaissance missions.

After World War II, the 311th transferred to Continental Air Forces (later, Strategic Air Command) at Buckley Field, CO. In March 1946, it became the major reconnaissance organization of Strategic Air Command.

The 311th was SAC's first major reconnaissance organization. Its components were scattered around the world and moved several times. It was initially moved to MacDill Field on 17 April 1946, but a month later it was transferred to Andrews AFB. On 20 July 1948 it moved to Topeka AFB Kansas and a month later to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. The 311th had five squadrons: 1st, 12th, 16th, 91st, and 46th/72nd recon squadrons.

The unit was redesignated as the 311th Air Division Reconnaissance two years later, on 16 April 1948, and inactivated on 1 November 1949.

Lineage

• Established as 311th Photographic Wing, Mapping and Charting on 31 January 1944

Activated on 1 February 1944

Redesignated: 311th Reconnaissance Wing on 30 July 1945

Redesignated: 311th Air Division, Reconnaissance on 16 April 1948

Redesignated: 311th Air Division on 5 January 1949

Inactivated on 1 November 1949.

Assignments

• United States Army Air Forces, 1 February 1944
• Continental Air Forces (later, Strategic Air Command), 13 December 1945
• Fifteenth Air Force, 11 May 1946
• Strategic Air Command, 31 March 1947 – 1 November 1949.

Components

Groups/Wings

• 5th Reconnaissance Group: 26 May – 16 Jul 1949

5th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing: 16 Jul – 1 Nov 1949

• 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing: 1 May – 1 Nov 1949
• 55th Reconnaissance Group: 24 Feb 1947 – 19 Jul 1948

55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing: 19 Jul 1948 – 14 Oct 1949

• 91st Reconnaissance Group: 1 Oct 1947 – 10 Nov 1948

91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing: 10 Nov 1948 – 1 Nov 1949

Groups

• 1st Photographic Group: 5 Mar – 5 Oct 1944
• 11th Photographic Group: 5 Mar – 5 Oct 1944
• 66th Strategic Reconnaissance Group: 27 Jun – 1 Nov 1949

Squadrons

• 1st Photographic Charting (later, 1st Photographic Reconnaissance; 1st Reconnaissance) Squadron: 5 Oct – 10 Nov 1944; 4 Oct 1945 – 3 Feb 1947 (detached, 4 Oct 1945 – 3 Feb 1947)
• 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron: 10 Oct 1948 – 1 Jun 1949 (attached to 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 10–26 Oct 1948, and 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, 27 Oct 1948 – 1 Jun 1949)
• 1st Weather Reconnaissance Squadron: 9 Feb – 21 Dec 1945
• 2d Photographic Charting (later, 2d Reconnaissance) Squadron: 5 Oct 1944 – 31 Mar 1946 (detached c. 20 Oct 1944 – 4 Feb 1946)
• 3d Weather Reconnaissance (later, 3d Reconnaissance; 53d Reconnaissance) Squadron: c. 15 Feb 1945 – 13 Mar 1946
• 4th Photographic Charting (later, 4th Reconnaissance) Squadron: 5 Oct 1944 – 14 Apr 1946 (detached, c. 7 Nov 1944–1946)
• 6th Photographic Squadron: 5 Oct 1944 – 1 Jan 1945
• 7th Geodetic Control Squadron: 1946
• 6th Reconnaissance Squadron: 7–31 Mar 1946
• 10th Reconnaissance Squadron: 7–31 Mar 1946
• 16th Photographic Squadron: 5 Oct 1944 – 1 Jun 1947
• 16th Reconnaissance Squadron: attached 21 Nov 1944 – 12 Apr 1945
• 16th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 16 Dec 1947 – 1 Jun 1949
• 19th Photographic Charting (later, 19th Reconnaissance) Squadron: 5 Oct 1944 – 15 Dec 1945
• 20th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron: 21 Jul – 1 Nov 1949
• 31st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron: 1 Apr- l Nov 1949
• 36th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron: 26 May – 1 Jun 1949
• 54th Reconnaissance Squadron: 27 Nov 1945 – 13 Mar 1946 (detached 8 Dec 1945 – 28 Feb 1946)
• 55th Reconnaissance Squadron: 1 Jan – 13 Mar 1946
• 59th Reconnaissance Squadron: c. 11 Dec 1945 – 13 Mar 1946
• 72d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron: 1 Apr – 28 Jun 1949
• 91st Photographic Mapping (later, 91st Photographic Charting; 91st Reconnaissance) Squadron: 5 Oct 1944 – 26 Aug 1946.

Stations

• Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., 1 February 1944
• Buckley Field, Colorado, c. 24 November 1944
• MacDill Field, Florida, c. 17 April 1946
• Andrews Field, Maryland, c. 1 June 1947,
• Topeka (later, Forbes) AFB, Kansas, c. 20 July 1948
• Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, c. 28 October – 1 November 1949.

Aircraft

• A-29, 1944
• AT-11, 1944–1946
• B-17, 1944–1945, 1947–1949
• B-17/F 9, 1944–1945, 1946–1947.

References

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

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.