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Probably an RF-4E
of Aufklärungsgeschwader 52 based at Leck, Western Germany.
It was under this designation that this reconnaissance Wing was
activated at the Erding southern German Air Force Base on 12th
December 1959 with some 40 Republic F-84Fs ferried from Naples in
Italy. In 1960, the Wing was under command of Major Cescotti
after death of the first unit C/O, the Major Metz. Half of the
Wing, during october 1960, moved to Eggebeck Base in Northern
Germany and this era was a difficult one, the Wing having limited
personnel and forced to fly from various bases as Fürstenfelbrück,
Hopsten, Husum and others...in order than Erding became a true
Air Base with full infrastructures and efficient equipemments. It
was finally on 1st August 1963 that, with its completed base, AG
52 was accepted by NATO. A little more than a year later, on 1st
October 1964, AG 52 was forced to leave Erding destined to
receive a Navy unit and so move to Leck! February 1965 saw
departure of Colonel Cescotti who was replaced by Lt Colonel
Jentzen and the ageing Thunderstreaks let place to RF-104s, full
conversion of the wing taking some 18 months up to August 1966.
Before the end of this year, with Squadron 521, AG 52 was then
assigned to the so-called COM AIR BALTAP and it was in August
1971 that their recce Starfighters were replaced by RF-4Es.
