395th Strategic Missile Squadron
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395th Strategic Missile Squadron (later 395th Tactical Missile Squadron) | |
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Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | |
Insignia | |
Patch with 395th Strategic Missile Squadron emblem | ![]() |
395th Bombardment Squadron emblem[1] | ![]() |
The 395th Tactical Missile Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It has not been active under that name.
The
The second predecessor of the squadron was organized in 1959 as the 395th Missile Training Squadron, later redesignated the 395th Strategic Missile Squadron. It trained crews on the
History
World War II
Antisubmarine Warfare
Activated on 1 April 1941 as the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron, its personnel and equipment being drawn from the inactivated
The 5th was initially attached as an element of the
After the Japanese Pearl Harbor Attack, the unit was detached from the 40th Bomb Group and assigned briefly to the Antilles Air Task Force to perform antisubmarine patrols along the Antillies chain south to Dutch Guiana.
On 25 April 1942 the squadron was redesignated as the 395th Bombardment Squadron, and on 17 June, was transferred from Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, to Rio Hato Army Air Base, Panama. Concurrent with this reassignment, the unit was reassigned to the
On 27 April 1943, the Squadron was transferred to David Field, Panama and, exactly a month later, moved from there to Howard Field in the Canal Zone, preparatory to its departure from the Command on 15 June 1943 as part of the takeover by the United States Navy of antisubmarine patrols.
B-29 Superfortress era
Assigned to
From airfields in eastern India, engaged in very long range bombardment raids on Japan. The squadron participated in the first American Air Force attack on the Japanese Home Islands since the 1942
Inactivated in October 1944 as part of a XX Bomber Command reorganization.
Strategic Air Command
Reactivated in 1959 to (1) conduct Operational Readiness Training (ORT) and support the Combat Training Launch Program of the Titan I and (2) as part of the development of the LGM-25C Titan II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. It operated one training facility for the Titan I, launch complex 395A, and three training facilities for the Titan II, launch complexes 395-B, 395-C and 395-D. B, C and D were constructed between 1960 and 1962 and turned over to Strategic Air Command in 1964. Flight test, evaluations, technical order verification research and development were performed at Vandenberg AFB.
The squadron was inactivated at the end of 1969, its mission turned over to the 6596th Missile Test Group on 1 January 1970.
Lineage
- 395th Bombardment Squadron
- Constituted as the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium) on 22 November 1940
- Activated on 1 April 1941
- Redesignated 395th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 April 1942
- Redesignated 395th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 7 May 1942
- Redesignated 395th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 20 November 1943
- Disbanded on 20 October 1944[3]
- Reconstituted and consolidated with the 395th Strategic Missile Squadron as the 395th Tactical Missile Squadron on 19 September 1985[4]
- 395th Tactical Missile Squadron
- Constituted as the 395th Missile Training Squadron (ICBM-Titan)
- Activated on 1 February 1959
- Redesignated 395th Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Titan) on 1 February 1964
- Inactivated on 31 December 1969
- Consolidated with the 395th Bombardment Squadron as the 395th Tactical Missile Squadron on 19 September 1985[4]
Assignments
- 40th Bombardment Group, attached on 1 April 1941, and assigned on 25 February 1942
- 6th Bombardment Group, 9 August 1942
- 40th Bombardment Group, 12 May 1943 – 20 October 1944[3]
- 1st Missile Divisionafter 6 April 1959)
- 1st Missile Division (later 1st Strategic Aerospace Division), 1 July 19591[5]
- 392d Strategic Missile Wing, 18 October 1961
- 1st Strategic Missile Division, 20 December 1961 – 31 December 1969[5]
Stations
- Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, 1 April 1941
- Rio Hato Army Air Base, Panama, 17 June 1942 – 16 June 1943
- Pratt Army Air Field, Kansas, 1 August 1943 – 12 March 1944
- Chakulia Airfield, India, c. 11 April–20 October 1944[3]
- Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, 1 February 1959 – 31 December 1969[6]
Aircraft and missiles
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/395th_Strategic_Missile_Squadron-_LGM-25C_Titan_II_Sites.png/220px-395th_Strategic_Missile_Squadron-_LGM-25C_Titan_II_Sites.png)
- B-18 Bolo, 1941–1943
- Northrop A-17, 1942–1943
- B-24 Liberator, 1942–1943
- LB-30 (B-24A) Liberator, 1942–1943
- B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1944
- B-26 Marauder, 1943
- YB-29 Superfortress, 1943
- B-29 Superfortress, 1943–1944.
- Titan I per Extract from 1MD Regulation Number 23-5 dtd 25 June 1960
- LGM-25C Titan II, 1959–1969
- Operated three launch silos at Vandenberg AFB for operational testing and development:
- 395-B (17 Feb 1964 – 29 May 1969), 34°46′57″N 120°36′26″W / 34.78250°N 120.60722°W
- 395-C (16 Feb 1963 – 27 Jun 1976), 34°44′02″N 120°35′47″W / 34.73389°N 120.59639°W
- 395-D (13 May 1963 – 5 Apr 1966), 34°42′27″N 120°35′22″W / 34.70750°N 120.58944°W
References
Notes
- ^ Watkins, pp. 81-82
- ^ ISBN 0-7864-4458-4
- ^ a b c Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 485
- ^ a b Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
- ^ a b "Factsheet 1 Strategic Aerospace Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 2 January 2008. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
- ^ Mueller, p, 575
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Hagedorn, Dan (1995). Alae Supra Canalem: Wings Over the Canal. Nashville, TN: Turner Publishing. ISBN 1-56311-153-5.
- Conaway, William. "VI Bomber Command in Defense of the Panama Canal 1941 – 45". Planes and Pilots of World War Two.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. LCCN 61060979.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. OCLC 72556.
- Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Watkins, Robert A. (2017). Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force In World War II. Vol. VI, China-Burma-India & The Western Pacific. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-5273-7.