740th Missile Squadron

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Coordinates: 48°24′57″N 101°21′29″W / 48.41583°N 101.35806°W / 48.41583; -101.35806 (Minot AFB)
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740th Missile Squadron
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
740th Missile Squadron emblem[a][1]
740th Strategic Missile Squadron emblem[b][1]
740th Bombardment Squadron emblem (World War II)[2][c]

The 740th Missile Squadron is a

LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile
, with a mission of nuclear deterrence.

The squadron was first activated as the 740th Bombardment Squadron in June 1943. After training in the United States with the

V-E Day
, the squadron remained in Italy without its flight echelon until inactivating in September 1945.

The squadron was activated in the reserve in 1947, but apparently was not fully manned or equipped before inactivating in June 1949 and transferring its resources to another unit. It was redesignated the 740th Fighter-Day Squadron and activated, but did not become operational before inactivating in July 1957. In November 1962 it was organized as the 740th Strategic Missile Squadron, an LGM-30B Minuteman I squadron. In 1971 it upgraded to the Minuteman III, and is currently a part of the 91st Operations Group.

Mission

The 740th Missile Squadron controls and maintains 50 launch facilities and 5 missile alert facilities. The squadron is divided into missile operations flights, which are responsible for day-to-day operations, maintenance, and security, and an operations support flight, which is responsible for ensuring the readiness of the missile alert facilities.[3]

History

World War II

Training in the United States

The

Mitchel Field, New York to ferry their Liberators via the southern ferry route.[6] The ground echelon sailed on the SS Charles Brantley Aycock.[7]

Combat operations

455th Bomb Group B-24H Liberator[d]

The air echelon of the squadron was delayed in Tunisia and was not entirely lodged at the squadron's combat station of

marshalling yards in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia.[4]

On 2 April 1944, the squadron attacked a ball bearing plant at

flak was encountered. The squadron claimed the destruction of seven of these fighters against the loss of one squadron Liberator.[8]

On 26 June 1944, the squadron encountered

304th Bombardment Wing on the raid. One squadron Liberator was lost on the raid, while the squadron claimed eleven enemy aircraft destroyed (two shared claims). The squadron pressed its attack on the oil refinery at Moosbierbaum, Austria, for which it received a second DUC.[4][9]

The squadron provided

Operation Grapeshot, the Spring 1945 offensive in Northern Italy.[4]

The squadron flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945 against rail yards at

Bari Airfield in July 1945, where they serviced the aircraft assigned to headquarters, Fifteenth Air Force.[11] It was inactivated there on 9 September 1945.[1]

Air Force reserve

The squadron was reactivated as a

443d Troop Carrier Wing, which was activated simultaneously.[1][15]

Tactical Air Command

The squadron was redesignated the 740th Fighter-Day Squadron and activated at

354th Fighter-Day Wing.[1][16]

Intercontinental ballistic missile squadron

740th Missile Squadron missile sites

The squadron was redesignated the 740th Strategic Missile Squadron and activated on 1 November 1962 as an

LGM-30G Minuteman III between December 1970 through December 1971 and has maintained ICBMs on alert ever since.[1]

The squadron has undergone several changes in assignment that did not affect its mission. In June 1968, the

group level. In December 2009, the Air Force's nuclear capable missile units, including the 740th were transferred to Air Force Global Strike Command.[1][18][19]

Squadron missile sites are designated by flight, using one letter of the alphabet, followed by a number. The first site in each flight is #1 and designates the Missile Alert Facility, which consists of an above-ground structure plus an underground Launch Control Center staffed by two officers. The Launch Facilities, are numbered 2 through 11 and are connected to the Launch Control Center by hardened intersite cables, which also interconnect flights. The 740th includes flights A through E.[20]

Lineage

  • Constituted as the 740th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 May 1943
Activated on 1 June 1943
Redesignated 740th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 6 March 1944
Inactivated on 9 September 1945
  • Redesignated 740th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 27 December 1946
Activated in the reserve on 10 January 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
  • Redesignated 740th Fighter-Day Squadron on 7 May 1956
Activated on 25 July 1956
Inactivated on 1 July 1957
  • Redesignated 740th Strategic Missile Squadron and activated on 28 June 1962 (not organized)
Organized on 1 November 1962
Redesignated as 740 Missile Squadron on 1 September 1991[1]

Assignments

  • 455th Bombardment Group, 1 June 1943 - 9 September 1945
  • Tenth Air Force, 10 January 1947
  • 455th Bombardment Group, 25 March 1947 - 27 June 1949
  • 455th Fighter-Day Group, 25 July 1956 - 1 July 1957
  • Strategic Air Command, 28 June 1962 (not organized)
  • 455th Strategic Missile Wing, 1 November 1962
  • 91st Strategic Missile Wing, 25 June 1968
  • 91st Operations Group, 1 September 1991
  • 91st Missile Group, 1 July 1994
  • 91st Operations Group, 1 February 1996 – present[1]

Stations

  • Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 1 June 1943
  • Kearns Army Air Base, Utah, 9 September 1943
  • Langley Field, Virginia, 5 October – 13 December 1943
  • San Giovanni Airfield, Italy, 15 January 1944
  • Bari, Italy, c. July–9 September 1945
  • Hensley Field, Texas, 10 January 1947 – 27 June 1949
  • Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina, 25 July 1956 – 1 July 1957
  • Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, 1 November 1962 – present[1]

Aircraft and missiles

  • Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943-1945
  • LGM-30 Minuteman, 1962–present[1]

Awards and campaigns

Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Distinguished Unit Citation
 2 April 1944 Steyr, Austria, 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Distinguished Unit Citation 26 June 1944 Austria, 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
 1 July 1972-30 June 1973 740th Strategic Missile Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1972-30 June 1973 740th Strategic Missile Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1976-30 June 1978 740th Strategic Missile Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1978-30 June 1980 740th Strategic Missile Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1989-14 February 1991 740th Strategic Missile Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 September 1993-31 August 1995 740th Missile Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 September 1995-31 August 1997 740th Missile Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 October 1998-30 September 2000 740th Missile Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 October 2000-1 October 2001 740th Missile Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 January-31 December 2002 740th Missile Squadron[1]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Air Offensive, Europe 15 January 1944 – 5 June 1944 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Air Combat, EAME Theater 15 January 1944 – 11 May 1945 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Naples-Foggia 15 January 1944 – 21 January 1944 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Anzio 22 January 1944 – 24 May 1944 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Rome-Arno 22 January 1944 – 9 September 1944 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Central Europe 22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Normandy 6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Northern France 25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Southern France 15 August 1944 – 14 September 1944 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]
North Apennines 10 September 1944 – 4 April 1945 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Rhineland 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Po Valley 3 April 1945 – 8 May 1945 740th Bombardment Squadron[1]

See also

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

48°24′57″N 101°21′29″W / 48.41583°N 101.35806°W / 48.41583; -101.35806 (Minot AFB)

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. ^ Modified 1995.
  2. ^ Approved 16 July 1964.
  3. ^ This emblem apparently did not receive official approval. See Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 730 (no approved emblem as of 1963).
  4. Ford Motors built Consolidated B-24H-10-FO Liberator, serial 42-52249, Fords Folly. This plane was shot down over Sichelbach, Austria on 16 June 1944. Baugher, Joe (14 May 2023). "1942 USAF Serial Numbers"
    . Joe Baugher. Retrieved 14 June 2023. Missing Air Crew Report 6956.
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak Robertson, Patsy (28 May 2010). "Factsheet 740 Missile Squadron (AFGSC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  2. ^ Watkins, pp.100-101
  3. ^ No byline (28 May 2006). "Minot Air Force Base Factsheets: 740th Missile Squadron". 5th Bomb Wing Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d Maurer, Combat Units, p. 330
  5. ^ Asch, et al., pp. 10-13
  6. ^ Asch, et al., p. 25
  7. ^ Asch, et al., p.32
  8. ^ Asch, et al., pp. 61-69
  9. ^ Asch, et al., pp. 82-85
  10. ^ Asch, et al., p. 156
  11. ^ Asch, et al., pp. 160-161
  12. ^ See Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 729 (listing no aircraft for the period 1947-1949)
  13. ^ "Abstract, Mission Project Closeup, Continental Air Command". Air Force History Index. 27 December 1961. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  14. ^ Knaack, p. 25
  15. ^ Ravenstein, pp. 240-241
  16. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 730
  17. ^ Ravenstein, pp. 125-128, 250
  18. ^ Haulman, Daniel L. (17 July 2009). "Factsheet Air Force Global Strike Command". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  19. ^ Bailey, Carl E. (24 July 2008). "Factsheet Air Force Space Command". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  20. ^ Kirkpatrick, Jim. "Minot AFB Minuteman Missile Site Coordinates". University of Wyoming. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2019.

Bibliography

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

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