page_title: 7499th Support Group
section_title: 7499th Support Squadron
hierarchical_section_title: 7499th Support Group / History / 7499th Support Squadron
caption_attribution_description: English: 7499th Support Squadron B-17G-85-VE Fortress 44-8889. (c/n 8289) accepted by the USAAF on 31 January 1945 at Hunter Field in Georgia, assigned 8th AF (stored), assigned Apr 8, 1949 to 7499th BS at Wiesbaden, Germany. Converted to RB-17G Oct. 14, 1949. Stored Olmsted AFB Sep 17, 1953 . Converted to QB-17G Apr 1954 - SOC Jun 1954 at Olmsted AFB. To civil registry as N9642B, to D-EGBE, to OO-SPO. On Aug 12, 1954 to Institut Geographique National of France as F-BGSO, it was heavily modified by the IGN for survey work. Donated Sep 8, 1976 to the Musee de l'Air in Le Bourget near Paris, France for display, last reported (Dec. 2000) in storage. 8891 transferred to Brazilian Air Force. Withdrawn from service in 1967.
context_page_description: The 7499th Support Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at Wiesbaden Army Airfield, West Germany. It was inactivated on 30 June 1974. Its mission was resumed by the 7575th Operations Group, which operated from Rhein-Main Air Base, West Germany from 1 July 1977 until its inactivation on 31 March 1991.
context_section_description: From Fürstenfeldbruck, the 7499th continued to fly frequent missions in the West Berlin Air Corridors. As the Soviets modernised their units and increased their presence, it was vital to gain as much information on them as possible. For better management of this covert outfit as well as to bring it closer to the major USAFE photo and ELINT interpretation centres, the 7499th moved in August 1950 to Wiesbaden AB, within a few miles of USAFE Headquarters.
  Beginning in 1950, the unit upgraded to C-54 Skymasters to do both photo reconnaissance and ELINT work, replacing the B-17s. The C-54 boasted better collection capability, and had the additional advantage of actually being a transport, thus attracting much less attention at Tempelhof.  C-47s also replaced the RB-26s, the C-47s also being less visible to the Soviets than the Invader bomber overflying East Germany.
caption: 7499th Support Squadron B-17G-85-VE Fortress 44-8889
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