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10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group

Group

  • Personnel of the 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group at Fürth airfield in Germany. F-5 Lightnings and a captured FW 190D are visible in the background. Image via R Woolner. Written on slide casing: 'Fürth 5/45, 10 PG.'

    Personnel of the 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group at Fürth airfield in Germany. F-5 Lightnings and a captured FW 190D are visible in the background. Image via R Woolner. Written on slide casing: 'Fürth 5/45, 10 PG.'

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  • Lt Arthur K. P. Chinn, Salt Lake City, Utah. F-6 Mustang pilot; 12th Tactical Recon Sq/10th Photo Recon Gp; KIA 27 Aug 1944, Brest, France.

    Lt Arthur K. P. Chinn, Salt Lake City, Utah. F-6 Mustang pilot; 12th Tactical Recon Sq/10th Photo Recon Gp; KIA 27 Aug 1944, Brest, France.

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  • Col Russell Berg - Commanding Officer 10th PRG Furth Germany 1945

    Col Russell Berg - Commanding Officer 10th PRG Furth Germany 1945

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  • Val Svoboda , Furth Germany 1945 End of the War Celebrations wearing Pilots Uniform

    Val Svoboda , Furth Germany 1945 End of the War Celebrations wearing Pilots Uniform

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  • Edward J Panner 12th TRS 1945 - Furth Germany

    Edward J Panner 12th TRS 1945 - Furth Germany

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  • Edward J Panner 12th Tac Recon Squadron. Azelot France 1944. Back of photo reads. My life & I at Azelot

    Edward J Panner 12th Tac Recon Squadron. Azelot France 1944. Back of photo reads. My life & I at Azelot

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  • F-6C (P-51C) 42-103222 Lt. Stanley Canner of the 12th TRS was piloting this Mustang over German occupied territory in France 14 July 1944 when he was shot down by Bf 109s. See MACR 6662 and Escape & Evasion Report 1203.

    F-6C (P-51C) 42-103222 Lt. Stanley Canner of the 12th TRS was piloting this Mustang over German occupied territory in France 14 July 1944 when he was shot down by Bf 109s. See MACR 6662 and Escape & Evasion Report 1203.

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  • Germany, 8 April -- The Burning Heinkel 111 Was Photographed By a 9th AF Tactical Reconnaissance Pilot, Capt. John H. Hoefker Of Fort Mitchell, Ky., Just After he had shot him out of the sky causing him to belly in several miles south of Juterbog, Germany, as testified by the deep round scars in the photograph. Capt Hoefker was on an early morning armed recon mission in a P-51C with his wingman, 1st Lt Charles D White of Clarksdale, Miss, when he met the Jerry plane. Capt Hoefker said that the He 111 ‘Soaked up plenty bullets before going down’ Lt White stayed up to watch for other Jerries while the Capt finished the job. This victory brought Hoefker’s total of enemy planes destroyed in aerial combat to nine and a half and the total of his squadron for the morning to seven Germans. After the battle Capt Hoefker and Lt White continued their recon and returned safely with valuable photos of German airfields and other military installations as well as this confirming picture of the HE 111.

    Germany, 8 April -- The Burning Heinkel 111 Was Photographed By a 9th AF Tactical Reconnaissance Pilot, Capt. John H. Hoefker Of Fort Mitchell, Ky., Just After he had shot him out of the sky causing him to belly in several miles south of Juterbog, Germany, as testified by the deep round scars in the photograph. Capt Hoefker was on an early morning armed recon mission in a P-51C with his wingman, 1st Lt Charles D White of Clarksdale, Miss, when he met the Jerry plane. Capt Hoefker said that the He 111 ‘Soaked up plenty bullets before going down’ Lt White stayed up to watch for other Jerries while the Capt finished the job. This victory brought Hoefker’s total of enemy planes destroyed in aerial combat to nine and a half and the total of his squadron for the morning to seven Germans. After the battle Capt Hoefker and Lt White continued their recon and returned safely with valuable photos of German airfields and other military installations as well as this confirming picture of the HE 111.

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  • North American P-51C-5-NT Mustang (F-6C) Serial 42-103368 of the 15th TRS at St. Dizler Airfield (ALG A-64), France, Autumn 1944. This aircraft was flown by Captain John H Hoefker, who used it to shoot down three enemy aircraft in June 1944. He became the 10th Group's most successful combatant with credits of 8.5 air victories.

    North American P-51C-5-NT Mustang (F-6C) Serial 42-103368 of the 15th TRS at St. Dizler Airfield (ALG A-64), France, Autumn 1944. This aircraft was flown by Captain John H Hoefker, who used it to shoot down three enemy aircraft in June 1944. He became the 10th Group's most successful combatant with credits of 8.5 air victories.

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  • F-6C Mustang 42-103213 8V-I 'Azel', 162nd TRS, 10th PRG, 9th AF.

    F-6C Mustang 42-103213 8V-I 'Azel', 162nd TRS, 10th PRG, 9th AF.

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US Air Force Combat Units of World War II Description

21st Aug 1941 - CONSTITUTED as 73rd Observation Group.
1st September 1941 - ACTIVATED.
April 1943 - REDESIGNATED as 73rd Reconnaissance Group.
Aug 1943 - REDESIGNATED as 73rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group.
Dec 1943 - REDESIGNATED as 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance)

Structure

Part of
Encompassing
Previously was
Not yet known
Became
Not yet known

Stations

Station Location Date
Based Chalgrove February 1944 – 11 August 1944
Based Rennes 11 August 1944 – 30 August 1944
Based Chateaudun 30 August 1944 – 30 September 1944
Based Saint-Dizier 30 September 1944 – 1 November 1944
Based Conflans 1 November 1944 – March 1945
Based Trier March 1945 – 5 April 1945
Based Ober Olm 5 April 1945 – 28 April 1945
Based Furth 28 April 1945 – 8 May 1945

Connections

People

  • Russell Berg

    Military | Brigadier General | Pilot | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group
    Russell Berg served as a Spitfire pilot with No. 610 Squadron before joining the 10th Photo Recon Group. He became the group's Commanding Officer on 20 June 1944, at age 27 ...

  • Stanley Canner

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group

  • Arthur Chinn

    Military | First Lieutenant | Reconnaissance Pilot | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group
    Chinese-American from Salt Lake City, Utah. KIA 27 Aug 1944 near Brest, France while on an artillery spotting mission; wingman was Lt Elbert Garr

  • Harry Cohen

    Military | Lieutenant | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group
    Missing in action on combat mission, his aircraft was 43-9449

  • James Frakes

    Military | Major | Photo Reconnaissance Pilot | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group

  • Elbert Garr

    Military | First Lieutenant | Reconnaissance Pilot | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group
    Wingman of Lt Arthur KP Chinn on 27 August 1944, when Chinn was killed near Brest, France

  • John Hoefker

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group
    Captain John H Hoefker, piloted North American P-51C Mustang 42-103368 to shoot down three enemy aircraft in June 1944. He became the 10th Photo Recon Group's most successful combatant with credits of 8½ air victories.

  • Ralph Knoebel

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group
    Ralph served as a pilot in the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron of the 10th Photo Recon Group out of Middle Wallop, England. On 22 June 1944, he was shot down flying F-6 42-103378 fifteen miles west of St Quentin, France and was Killed in Action....

  • Leland Larson

    Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot-1055 single engine | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group
    Flight leader 15th TRS Dec. 1944 - July 1945 6 air kills while flying 77 combat missions Scored last AAF kill in the ETO on May 8, 1945.

  • Lloyd Legerand

    Military | Staff Sergeant | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group

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Aircraft

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Citations

None

Air Force
9th
Type
Combat
Type category
Reconnaissance
Nicknames
Not yet known
Motto
ARGUS - Ceaseless Watch
Insignia
Shield: Azure a sphere or, latitude and longitude lines sable, in chief the head and arms of the Greek mythical god Argus, head facing base, arms fesswise both hands toward dexter of the second, outlined of the field.
Aircraft used
  • F-4 Lightning
  • F-5 Lightning
  • F-6 Mustang

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
22 February 2017 11:53:41 general ira snapsorter Changes to stations
Sources

Stations added with details from:
- "Battle Colors Volume III - Insignia and Tactical Markings of the Ninth Air Force in World War Two' by Robert A. Watkins;
Date Contributor Update
17 December 2016 00:59:00 Spooner Changes to aircraft types
Sources

Known fact
Date Contributor Update
28 September 2016 14:39:34 general ira snapsorter Changes to type, motto, insignia, us air force combat units of world war ii description, aircraft types and stations
Sources

Consolidation of duplicate units and connections to reflect the 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group's structure according to "Air Force Combat Units of World War 2", Ed. Maurer Maurer, Office of Air Force History. Washingto D.C. 1983. (p.50)
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:42:44 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980)

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