66th Missile Squadron
 | This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (February 2023) |
| 66th Missile Squadron | |
|---|---|
Antisubmarine (American Theater)Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (6x) | |
| Insignia | |
| 66th Missile Squadron emblem |  |
| Patch with 66th Bombardment Squadron emblem SAC era |  |
| 66th Bombardment Squadron emblem World War II[2] |  |
| World War II fuselage code[2] | QK |
The 66th Missile Squadron is an inactive
LGM-30F Minuteman II Intercontinental ballistic missile, with a mission of nuclear deterrence. With the end of the Cold War
, the 66th was inactivated on 1 September 1993.
Number of flights 100
History
World War II
The squadron was first activated in January 1941 as the 66th Bombardment Squadron at
Deployed to the
Occupied Europe and Germany
, attacking strategic targets in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Among the targets attacked were submarine installations, industrial establishments, airfields, harbors, shipyards, and other objectives.
A detachment deployed to
Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) and flew very long range attacks over Italy, Romania, Austria, and Sicily
and supported Allied ground forces in Sicily as well as attacking Axis forces in Italy supporting the Salerno Invasion of Italy. All aircraft and personnel returned to England in October.
Returned to VIII Bomber Command operations, and supported the
Allied Invasion of France in June 1944 by attacking strong points in the beachhead area and transportation targets behind the front lines. The group aided the Caen offensive and the Saint-Lô breakthrough in July. Dropped food, ammunition, and other supplies to troops engaged in the airborne attack on the Netherlands in September. Attacked enemy targets during the Battle of the Bulge
, December 1944-January 1945, by striking bridges, tunnels, choke points, rail and road junctions, and communications in the battle area. The squadron attacked airfields and transportation in support of the Western Allied Invasion of Germany, and flew a resupply mission during the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945. Combat operations concluded with the German Capitulation in May 1945.
Returned to the United States in June 1945, being reassigned to Second Air Force and reorganized as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment squadron. Trained with B-29s and planned to deploy to the Western Pacific, however the Japanese Capitulation in August canceled deployment plans. Stationed in Kansas as part of Continental Air Forces (later Strategic Air Command) but inactivated in July 1946 as part of the general demobilization of the AAF.
Strategic Air Command
Reactivated in 1947 under SAC as a paper unit; not manned or equipped and inactivated in 1949 due to budget constraints.
Reactivated in 1950 and used as an Operational Training Unit for B-29 aircrews and maintenance personnel being deployed to for
Boeing B-47E Stratojet
swept-wing medium bombers in 1953, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union. In the late 1950s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Began sending aircraft to other B-47 wings as replacements in late 1959, being phased down for inactivation in 1960.
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Squadron
66th Missile Squadron Launch Facilities Reactivated in 1962 as a SAC
LGM-30F Minuteman II in 1972. Remained on Cold War
nuclear alert until in response to President Bush's directive to stand down the Minuteman II. Dissipated launch codes and pin safety control switches at 15 launch control facilities. Deactivation of the entire missile complex ended in the summer of 1993; squadron inactivated on 1 September.
- Missile Alert Facilities (A-E flights, each controlling 10 missiles) are located as follows:
- A-01 19.9 mi S of Howes, SD, 44°19′52″N 102°03′03″W / 44.33111°N 102.05083°W
- B-01 7.5 mi NxNW of Wall SD, 44°05′56″N 102°17′01″W / 44.09889°N 102.28361°W
- C-01 10.1 mi N of Philip SD, 44°11′01″N 101°42′09″W / 44.18361°N 101.70250°W
- D-01 6.7 mi SxSW of Cottonwood SD, 43°52′40″N 101°57′42″W / 43.87778°N 101.96167°W
- E-01 6.3 mi NxNE of Kadoka SD, 43°55′12″N 101°28′52″W / 43.92000°N 101.48111°W
Lineage
- Constituted as the 66th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 November 1940
- Activated on 15 Jan 1941
- Redesignated 66th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943
- Redesignated 66th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 August 1945
- Inactivated on 12 July 1946
- Activated on 1 July 1947
- Inactivated on 6 September 1948
- Redesignated 66th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 20 December 1950
- Activated on 2 January 1951
- Discontinued on 15 June 1960
- Redesignated 66th Strategic Missile Squadron on 19 March 1962
- Organized on 1 July 1962[7]
- Redesignated 66th Missile Squadron on 1 September 1991
- Inactivated on 1 September 1993
Assignments
- 44th Bombardment Group, 15 January 1941 – 12 July 1946
- 44th Bombardment Group, 1 July 1947 – 6 September 1948
- 44th Bombardment Group, 2 January 1951 (attached to 44th Bombardment Wingafter 10 February 1951)
- 44th Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952
- Department of the Air Force, 15 June 1960 (not organized)
- Strategic Air Command, 19 March 1962 (not organized)
- 44th Strategic Missile Wing, 1 July 1962[7]
- 44th Operations Group, 1 September 1991 – 1 September 1993
Stations
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Aircraft and missiles
- Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1941–1945
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1945–1946; 1951–1952
- Boeing TB-29 Superfortress, 1951
- Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1953–1960
- LGM-30B Minuteman I, 1963–1973
- LGM-30F Minuteman II, 1972–1993
See also
- Minuteman Missile National Historic Site - one of the squadron's launch control facilities and launch facilities left over from the Cold War.
- List of United States Air Force missile squadrons
References
- ^ Dpaa.mil accessed June 27,2019
- ^ a b Watkins, pp. 32-33
- ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 248
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 250–251
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 253–254
- ^ a b Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 101-103
- ^ a b c Lineage, assignment, station information through March 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 248, except as noted.
- ^ a b Station number in Anderson, p. 20.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- 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. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- 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.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Watkins, Robert (2008). Battle Colors: Insignia and Markings of the Eighth Air Force In World War II. Vol. I (VIII) Bomber Command. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-1987-7.
External links
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