567th Strategic Missile Squadron

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567th Strategic Missile Squadron
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
567th Strategic Missile Squadron emblem[a][1]
567th Bombardment Squadron emblem[2]
World War II fuselage marking[2]HP

The 567th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive

92d Strategic Aerospace Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, where it was inactivated as part of the phaseout of the Atlas ICBM on 25 June 1965. It was equipped with the SM-65E Atlas
ICBM, with a mission of nuclear deterrence.

The squadron was first activated during

V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated in September 1945. The squadron was active from 1947 to 1949 in the reserve
, but does not appear to have been fully equipped or manned.

History

World War II

Initial activation and training

The squadron was first activated as the 567th Bombardment Squadron in late December 1942 at

Sioux City Army Air Base via the North Atlantic ferry route.[1][3][4]

Combat in Europe

By the time the ground echelon arrived at the squadron's combat station,

93d Bombardment Groups to provide the squadron ground support in Libya.[5]

The squadron flew its first combat mission on 9 July 1943, with an attack on

Distinguished Unit Citation for this action. Before returning to England, the squadron participated in another long range attack on the Messerschmitt aircraft factory at Wiener Neustadt, Austria on 13 August, which reduced the production of Bf 109s at the factory by a third. The squadron returned to England in the last week of August.[3][7]

Squadron B-24 Liberator[b]

The 567th flew its first combat mission from England on 7 September 1943, when it attacked an

Pas de Calais and participated in the strikes against the German aircraft manufacturing industry during Big Week in late February 1944.[3]

The squadron was occasionally diverted from strategic targets to perform

Saint Lo. During the Battle of the Bulge, from December 1944 to January 1945, it attacked storage depots and communications centers. It supported Operation Varsity, the airborne assault across the Rhine by dropping food, ammunition, and other supplies to the ground troops. The squadron flew its last mission on 25 April 1945.[3][4]

Return to the United States and inactivation

Following

Charleston Army Air Field, South Carolina in June for air transport missions, but was not fully manned before inactivating on 13 September 1945.[1][3][4]

Air reserve

The squadron was activated in the

Air Defense Command (ADC). It is not clear to what degree the squadron was staffed or equipped.[8] In 1948 Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC.[9] President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force,[10] The 567th was inactivated in June 1949 as reserve flying operations at Coffeyville came to an end.[1]

Intercontinental ballistic missiles

The squadron was redesignated the 567th Strategic Missile Squadron and organized at

alert.[11] The bulk of the Fairchild force went on alert status in November, although some missiles were still used for training.[14]

The squadron was assigned nine missiles, based in nine independent launch sites. The major improvement in the Atlas E was the new all-inertial system that obviated the need for ground control facilities. Since the missiles were no longer tied to a central guidance control facility, the launchers could be dispersed widely.

SM-65E Atlas Missile Sites

Squadron missile sites:

567–1, 3.4 mi ENE of Deer Park, WA 47°58′30″N 117°24′32″W / 47.97500°N 117.40889°W / 47.97500; -117.40889 (567-1)
567–2, 3.1 mi SE of Newman Lake, WA 47°44′25″N 117°03′38″W / 47.74028°N 117.06056°W / 47.74028; -117.06056 (567-2)
567–3, 5.3 mi ESE of Rockford, WA 47°26′13″N 117°01′06″W / 47.43694°N 117.01833°W / 47.43694; -117.01833 (567-3)
567–4, 4.0 mi NE of Sprague, WA 47°19′58″N 117°54′11″W / 47.33278°N 117.90306°W / 47.33278; -117.90306 (567-4)
567–5, 0.7 mi NW of Lamona, WA 47°22′04″N 118°29′27″W / 47.36778°N 118.49083°W / 47.36778; -118.49083 (567-5)
567–6, 6.5 mi S of Davenport, WA 47°33′36″N 118°09′34″W / 47.56000°N 118.15944°W / 47.56000; -118.15944 (567-6)
567–7, 4.4 mi E of Wilbur, WA 47°45′52″N 118°36′31″W / 47.76444°N 118.60861°W / 47.76444; -118.60861 (567-7)
567–8, 6.2 mi SW of Deer Meadows, WA 47°49′40″N 118°13′21″W / 47.82778°N 118.22250°W / 47.82778; -118.22250 (567-8)
567–9, 8.9 mi NNE of Reardan, WA 47°47′42″N 117°49′51″W / 47.79500°N 117.83083°W / 47.79500; -117.83083 (567-9)

In response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, on 20 October 1962, SAC directed that all Atlas E missiles off alert for modifications be “as covertly as possible” and returned to alert status. Atlas missiles being used for operational readiness training were to be put on alert as soon as liquid oxygen was available. For safety reasons, liquid nitrogen was used rather than liquid oxygen during training. [15] Despite the need for stealth, eventually a priority was established that resulted in the entire production of liquid oxygen in the US being diverted to SAC to bring the missiles to readiness. [16] From 3 November the number of alert missiles was reduced until on 29 November the number was the same as before the crisis. [17] Normal training had resumed on 15 November.[18]

In April 1963, the squadron was the first SAC missile squadron to pass an Operational Readiness inspection and was the only missile squadron to pass every inspection. It was cited by the

Air Force Association as the best missile unit in the Air Force and as the best maintenance unit in SAC.[11]

On 19 November 1964, the

Department of Defense announced that all Atlas E and F missiles would be removed from the inventory.[c] The squadron's first missiles were taken off alert in January 1965.[19] By 31 March all squadron missiles had been prepared for shipment to storage. The squadron became non-operational on 6 April, and was inactivated on 25 June, the last Altas E squadron to inactivate.[11][20]

Lineage

  • Constituted as the 567th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 December 1942
Activated on 24 December 1942
Redesignated 567th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 4 January 1944
Inactivated on 13 September 1945
  • Redesignated 567th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 25 August 1947
Activated in the reserve on 15 September 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
  • Redesignated 567th Strategic Missile Squadron on 16 December 1959 and activated (not organized)
Organized on 1 April 1960
Inactivated on 25 June 1965[11][21]

Assignments

  • 389th Bombardment Group, 24 December 1942 – 13 September 1945
  • Second Air Force, 15 September 1947
  • Tenth Air Force, 1 July 1948 – 27 June 1949
  • Strategic Air Command, 16 December 1959 (not organized)
  • 92d Bombardment Wing (later 92d Strategic Aerospace Wing), 1 April 1960 – 25 June 1965[20][21]

Stations

Aircraft and missiles

  • Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1942–1945
  • Convair SM-65E (later CGM-16E) Atlas, 1960–1965[11][21]

Awards and campaigns

Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Distinguished Unit Citation
 1 August 1943 Ploesti, Romania 567th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
 1 January 1961-31 March 1962 567th Strategic Missile Squadron[1]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Air Offensive, Europe 16 June 1943–5 June 1944 567th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Air Combat, EAME Theater 16 June 1943–11 May 1945 567th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Sicily 3 July 1943–17 August 1943 567th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Naples-Foggia 18 August 1943–3 October 1943 567th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Normandy 6 June 1944–24 July 1944 567th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Northern France 25 July 1944–14 September 1944 567th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Rhineland 15 September 1944–21 March 1945 567th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Ardennes-Alsace 16 December 1944–25 January 1945 567th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Central Europe 22 March 1944–21 May 1945 567th Bombardment Squadron[1]

See also

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. base, light blue, grid lines Air Force blue, above the globe an arched missile trajectory path between in dexter
    surmounting the globe, a missile at take-off leaving a cloud of exhaust and above the globe in sinister a missile dropping to earth leaving a nuclear cloud, all Air Force golden yellow.
  2. prisoners of war. Baugher, Joe (28 December 2022). "1942 USAF Serial Numbers"
    . Joe Baugher. Retrieved 27 April 2023. Missing Air Crew Report 2938.
  3. ^ Headquarters USAF had approved the phaseout of Atlas and Titan I missiles in May 1963. SAC Missile Chronology, p. 40.
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 664-665
  2. ^ a b Watkins, pp. 78-79
  3. ^ a b c d e Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 276-277
  4. ^ a b c Freeman, p. 255
  5. ^ Freeman, p. 86
  6. ^ Freeman, p. 87
  7. ^ Freeman, p. 89
  8. ^ See Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 664-665 (no aircraft listed as assigned to the squadron from 1947 to 1949).
  9. ^ "Abstract, Mission Project Closeup, Continental Air Command". Air Force History Index. 27 December 1961. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  10. ^ Knaack, p. 25
  11. ^ a b c d e f O'Connell, Jim (4 June 2014). "Fairchild had a missile squadron… Who knew?". 92d Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  12. ^ SAC Missile Chronology, p. 25
  13. ^ SAC Missile Chronology, p. 28
  14. ^ SAC Missile Chronology, p. 32
  15. ^ Kipp, et al., pp. 62-63
  16. ^ Kipp, et al., p. 64
  17. ^ Kipp, et al., p. 66
  18. ^ Kipp, et al., pp. 70-71
  19. ^ SAC Missile Chronology, p. 46.
  20. ^ a b Ravenstein, pp. 128-130
  21. ^ a b c Lineage, including assignments and aircraft, through March 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 664-665.
  22. ^ Station number in Anderson.
  23. ^ Station information through March 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 664-665, except as noted.
  24. ^ Mueller, p. 177

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

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