The unit operated P-38/F-4 Lightning photo-reconnaissance aircraft in the Pacific Theater of World War II over a wide area. The group, based successively on New Caledonia, Espiritu Santo, Guadalcanal, and Morotai, flew reconnaissance missions over enemy territory to supply air force units with target and damage- assessment photographs and to provide army and navy units with intelligence on Japanese troop concentrations, installations, shore defenses, supply routes, and shipping. It also produced maps of Allied and enemy-held territory and prepared navigation charts for US units.
During the last three months of the war the group photographed Japanese positions and installations on Mindanao and Borneo to aid US and Australian operations.
History
Lineage
Constituted as 4th Photographic Group on 14 July 1942
Activated on 23 July 1942
Redesignated 4th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group on 15 May 1943
Redesignated 4th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) in November 1943
Redesignated 4th Reconnaissance Group on 4 May 1945
Inactivated on 15 January 1946
Disbanded on 6 March 1947
Reconstituted on 31 July 1985 and redesignated 534th Combat Crew Training Group[1] (not active)
^Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations
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