10th Tactical Reconnaissance Group The 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit . Its last assignment was to the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing , stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base , West Germany . It was inactivated on 8 December 1957 . History . World War II . The 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Group ' s origins begin as the 73rd Observation Group , being Constituted on 21 August 1941 . The 73d was activated on 1 September 1941 and assigned to First Air Force . Engaged in training activities , participating in the Tennessee Maneuvers at Camp Campbell , Kentucky in 1943 . Underwent several re - designations as Reconnaissance group , then Tactical Reconnaissance Group . Equipped variously with A - 20 Havoc s ; P - 40 Warhawk s ; P - 51 Mustang s as well as L - 1 and L - 4 light observation aircraft . After the end of the maneuvers , conducted movement to Key Field , Mississippi in preparation for overseas movement . Reassigned to Third Air Force in December 1943 and re - designated as 10th Photographic Group ( Reconnaissance ) in December 1943 . The group deployed overseas to the European theater , January – February 1944 , for duty with Ninth Air Force at RAF Chalgrove , England . At Chalgrove , the group consisted of six photographic squadrons flying a variety of reconnaissance aircraft . These were the photographic versions of the P - 38 Lightning ( F - 5 ) and P - 51 Mustang ( F - 6 ) . In addition the unit also flew the Stinson L - 1 Vigilant and L - 5 Sentinel along with the Piper L - 4 Grasshopper light observation aircraft . It photographed airfields , coastal defenses , ports , and made bomb - damage assessment photographs of airfields , marshaling yards , bridges , and other targets in preparation for the Normandy invasion . The 10th received a Distinguished Unit Citation for flying at low altitude to photograph the English Channel coast from Blankenberge to Dunkirk and from Le Touquet to Saint - Vaast - la - Hougue prior to the D - Day invasion during 6 – 20 May 1944 . In May 1944 the 30th PRS moved to RAF Middle Wallop and it was replaced by the 423rd Night Fighter Squadron with A - 20 Havocs ( F - 3A ) from RAF Charmy Down which was used for night photo reconnaissance . The group supported the Normandy invasion in June by making visual and photographic reconnaissance of bridges , artillery , road and railway junctions , traffic centres , airfields , and other targets . A deployment re - appraisal in June 1944 led to the decision to assign a tactical recon squadron to support the needs of the ground forces on the continent . To this end , the group ' s 15th Tactical Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron ( 15th TPRS ) was transferred in from RAF Middle Wallop on 27 June flying F - 6 / P - 51B Mustangs . The mission of the 15th TPRS was to fly low level missions whereas the F - 5 Lightnings would fly at higher altitudes . After the invasion the 15th TPRS moved into France first , to the Advanced Landing Ground at Rennes - St - Jacques , France ( ALG A - 27 ) on 10 August . The other squadrons of the 10th moved over the next few weeks , the last being the 155th which moved to France in mid - August . On the continent , the 10th RG aided the US Third Army and other Allied organizations in the battle to breach the Siegfried Line , September – December 1944 . The group participated in the Battle of the Bulge , December 1944 – January 1945 , by flying reconnaissance missions in the combat zone . From February 1945 to V - E Day , the 10th RG assisted the advance of Third Army across the Rhine , to Czechoslovakia and into Austria , eventually being stationed at Fürth , Germany ( ALG R - 30 ) when hostilities ended . Cold War . The 10th remained in Germany after the war as part of the army of occupation , being assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe . It was transferred without personnel or equipment back to the United States in June 1947 , becoming part of Tactical Air Command at Langley AFB , Virginia . The unit was re - manned and assigned to Lawson Field in Georgia where it was assigned F - 6 ( P - 51 ) Mustangs in September to its 1st and 15th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadrons . It was redesignated as the l0th Tactical Reconnaissance Group in June 1947 and reassigned to Pope Field , North Carolina in September . The Air Force started a “ wing - base ” service test in 1947 . Under this program the 10th Reconnaissance Wing was organized 3 December 1947 , at Pope Field . The new wing was assigned the 10th Reconnaissance Group as its operational flying component . On 25 August 1948 , the 10th Reconnaissance Wing was redesignated the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing ( 10 TRW ) , with its component group also being redesignated . The 10th conducted training at Pope , primarily with army units at Fort Bragg until 1 April 1949 when , due to budget restrictions , the unit was inactivated . On 10 July 1952 as a result of the United States Cold War military buildup in Europe , the 10 TRG was reactivated and assigned to NATO at Toul - Rosieres Air Base , France , absorbing the mission and equipment of the inactivating federalized Air National Guard 117th TRG . However , the base was not yet ready for jet aircraft , so only the 10th TRW Wing Headquarters was sent to Toul . The 10th TRG ' s propeller - driven RB - 26 Invaders of the former 112th TRS were absorbed by the 1st TRS at Toul ( which was deemed acceptable for propeller - driven aircraft ) , while the two jet RF - 80A squadrons assigned to the 32d and 38th TRS were located at Neubiberg and Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base s near Munich , West Germany . Group Headquarters was initially assigned to Furstenfeldbruck , then later moved to Toul in November . Ongoing construction delays in France forced the 10th TRW ' s transfer on 9 May 1953 to the newly completed Spangdahlem AB in West Germany where all the squadrons of the Wing and its component groups were finally united . The Republic RF - 84F Thunderflash began to arrive in the fall of 1955 , and the RF - 80As were returned to the United States for Air National Guard use . Martin RB - 57A Canberras replaced the World War II vintage RB - 26s in 1954 to perform night Reconnaissance missions . In 1956 , the 10th TRG began to transition to the RB - 66 and WB - 66 Destroyers , and the RF - 84Fs were transferred to the 66th TRG at Phalsbourg - Bourscheid Air Base , France . On 8 December 1957 the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was inactivated with its component squadrons , personnel and equipment being assigned directly to the wing . Components . World War II 20th Photographic Interpretaion Division ( dates unsure ) Cold War