00497476 2-4565-2A UNCLASSIFIED 2434195 07-01-1952 2434378 12-31-1952

SQUADRON/0055/STRATEGIC RECONNAISSANCE, MEDIUM, WEATHER

History K360.4-55 16810 K3821 1310 1406 06 43 2451744 07-18-2000 2451752 07-26-2000 MISSION WAS TO PROVIDE AERIAL WEATHER RECONNAISSANCE AND PARTICIPATE IN SPECIAL PROJECTS AS DIRECTED. FUNCTIONS INCLUDED ESTABLISHING, ADMINISTERING AND TECHNICALLY SUPPORTING SEPARATE FLIGHT OPERATIONS WHEN DIRECTED; DETERMINING TECHNIQUES RELATIVE TO PERFORMANCE OF AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE; MAINTAINING MOBILITY CAPABILITIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH CURRENT PLANS AND PERFORMING HURRICANE RECONNAISSANCE AS REQUIRED. SPECIAL MISSIONS INCLUDED FLIGHTS TO NEWLY DEVELOPED VOLCANO ON SAN BENEDICTO ISLAND; INTO UNUSUAL PACIFIC HURRICANE; AND PARADROP TO OCEAN STATION SHIP. AUGMENTED FLIGHT OPERATIONS OF 57 STRATEGIC RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON (SRS) AT HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE (AFB) HI. RESEARCH PROJECTS INVOLVING ALTIMETER CALIBRATION AND ICING RATE SURVEY CONTINUED. WORKED WITH AIR MATERIEL COMMAND IN RUNNING TESTS ON MODIFICATIONS OF R-3350 AIRCRAFT ENGINE. ATTEMPTS AT CREW INTEGRITY FAILED DUE TO PERSONNEL SHORTAGES OF WEATHER OBSERVERS, NAVIGATORS, FLIGHT ENGINEERS, DROPSONDE MEN AND RADIO OPERATORS. REPRESENTED AIR WEATHER SERVICE (AWS) AT CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR HELD IN SACRAMENTO CA. CAPT LEONARD B. WINSTEAD KILLED IN AIRCRAFT CRASH IN APR 1952; BASE ATHLETIC FIELD NAMED IN HIS HONOR. NONE CONTAINS PHOTOGRAPHS, CHARTS AND GRAPHS. 2451745 07-19-2000 CG 2451752 07-26-2000