55th Space Weather Squadron

55th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron
Detachment 1, 55th WRS at Ladd AFB in 1958
Active	21 August 1944 – 16 July 2002
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Weather Reconnaissance
Engagements	World War II Cold War

Members of the 655th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, Weather Reconnaissance. This photo was taken during training at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma in 1944

"Weather Witch" Ford B-24L-10-FO Liberator 44-49506 655th Weather Recon. Squadron, 20th Air Force Depot (later, Harmon) Field, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, 19 May 1945.

The 55th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 50th Operations Group at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, where it was inactivated on 16 July 2002.

History

Established in mid-1944 as a weather reconnaissance squadron; trained under Third Air Force using Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft. Deployed to XXI Bomber Command on Guam in April 1945. Equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortress very long range aircraft and provided weather reconnaissance for Twentieth Air Force B-29 raids on Japan in the Western Pacific theater. Returned to the United States in 1946, where it trained and conducted weather reconnaissance. Between July and Oct 1947, when it inactivated, the squadron flew daily missions over the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Reactivated as part of Air Weather Service in 1951, assigned to McClellan Air Force Base, California. The squadron flew weather reconnaissance missions over the northern Pacific using WB-29s. Upgraded to Boeing WB-50 Superfortresses in 1954. Tested WB-50 aircraft flying long-duration missions over 24 hours in length and trained crews for other weather squadrons.

During the 1950s, supported atomic tests by monitoring radioactive clouds and taking atmospheric samples. Provided weather reconnaissance data for northeast Pacific Ocean, parts of Arctic Ocean, and northwestern Atlantic Ocean in late 1950s. Tracked Hurricanes Dot and Donna in 1959 and 1960. Provided weather data for transoceanic fighter deployments, photographic reconnaissance for testing experimental Corona reconnaissance satellite imagery, and surveillance for space flight recoveries. Operated detachments in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington until inactivation in 1961 due to budget reductions.

Reactivated in late 1961 and reorganized and equipped with new Martin RB-57F Canberra aircraft modified for high altitude, long range intelligence gathering, assigned to the meteorological role. Part of their duties involved high-altitude atmospheric sampling and radiation detection work in support of nuclear test monitoring. Replaced Canberras in 1964 with Boeing WB-47 Stratojets and flew weather reconnaissance and atmospheric sampling missions over the Pacific and Arctic. Between 1965 and 1993, used WB-47s to test air for radiation from possible nuclear tests to verify treaty limitations, flying missions worldwide.

Retired RB-47s in 1969; re-equipped with Boeing WC-135 Constant Phoenix aircraft. In 1986, monitored atmospheric radiation in Europe after Chernobyl nuclear accident in the Soviet Union. In 1988 and 1989, tested special photographic equipment for Strategic Defense Initiative research. Inactivated in 1993 with the end of the Cold War. Reactivated under Space Command in 1997; inactivated in 2002 due to budget reductions.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 655th Bombardment Squadron, Reconnaissance on 11 August 1944

Activated on 21 August 1944

Redesignated 55th Reconnaissance Squadron, Long Range, Weather on 16 June 1945

Redesignated 55th Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Weather on 27 November 1945

Inactivated on 15 October 1947

• Redesignated 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium, Weather on 22 January 1951

Activated on 21 February 1951

Redesignated 55th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron on 15 February 1954

Discontinued, and inactivated on 8 July 1961

• Activated on 12 October 1961

Organized on 8 January 1962

Inactivated on 1 October 1993

• Redesignated 55th Space Weather Squadron on 1 March 1997

Activated on 17 March 1997

Inactivated 16 July 2002

Assignments

• Third Air Force, 21 August 1944
• III Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1944
• III Tactical Air Division, by November 1944
• Twentieth Air Force, 11 April 1945 (attached to XXI Bomber Command)
• 311th Reconnaissance Wing, 27 November 1945 (attached to U.S. Army Strategic Air Forces)
• Air Transport Command, 13 March 1946 (attached to U.S. Army Strategic Air Forces until c. 19 March 1946)
• Air Weather Service, 20 March 1946 – 15 October 1947
• Air Weather Service, 21 February 1951
• 9th Weather Group, 20 April 1953 – 8 July 1961
• Military Air Transport Service, 12 October 1961 (not organized)
• 9th Weather Reconnaissance Group, 8 January 1962
• 9th Weather Reconnaissance Wing, 8 July 1965
• 41st Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing, 1 September 1975
• Air Rescue Service, 1 August 1989
• 60th Operations Group, 1 February 1993 – 1 October 1993
• 50th Operations Group, 17 March 1997 – 16 July 2002

Stations

• Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, 21 Aug 1944 – 5 Mar 1945
• Depot (later, Harmon) Field, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, 11 Apr 1945 – 28 Feb 1946
• Buckley Field, Colorado, 20 Mar 1946
• Langley Field, Virginia, 9 May 1946
• Morrison Field, Florida, Jul 1946
• Fairfield-Suisun Army Air Field, California, 1 Jun-15 Oct 1947
• McClellan Air Force Base, California, 21 Feb 1951 – 8 Jul 1961; 8 Jan 1962-1 Oct 1993

Detachment 1, located at: Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska, 1 Jul 1958 – 8 Jul 1961

Detachment 2, located at: Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, 1 Jul 1958 – 8 Jul 1961

Detachment 3, located at: McChord Air Force Base, Washington, 1 Jul 1958 – 8 Jul 1961

• Falcon (later, Schriever) Air Force Base, Colorado, 17 Mar 1997 – 16 Jul 2002

Aircraft

• A-20 Havoc, 1944
• B-24 Liberator, 1944–1945
• B-29 Superfortress, 1946–1947; WB/TB-29, 1951–1955
• WB-50 Superfortress, 1954–1961, 1962–1963; TB-50, 1958–1960
• WB-47 Stratojet, 1957–1961, 1962–1969; JB-57, 1960–1961, 1962–1963
• C/WC-130 Hercules, 1962–1965; WC-130, 1970–1975; HC-130, 1975.
• RB-57F Canberra, 1963–1964
• C-135, 1965; Boeing WC-135, 1965–1993

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

External links

• 55th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Factsheet