13th Strategic Missile Division

13th Strategic Missile Division
13th Strategic Missile Division emblem
Active	1940–1941; 1942–1945; 1959–1966
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Engagements	World War II

The 13th Strategic Missile Division is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. Its last assignment was with the Fifteenth Air Force, being stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. It was inactivated on 2 July 1966

Activated in the United States in October 1940, the 13th Composite Wing moved to Puerto Rico where it remained until inactivated in October 1941.

Following second activation, the 13th Bombardment Wing moved in May 1943 to England for duty with the Eighth Air Force. Groups assigned in September 1943 began strategic bombing of enemy aircraft, petroleum, and ball bearing industries as well as German airfields. Later, organizational units took part in the famous raid against the ball bearing industry at Schweinfurt in October 1943 and followed with missions against shipyards and shipbuilding installations at Wilhelmshaven and Bremen.

During the 1960s, the SAC 13th Strategic Missile Division organized, manned, trained, and equipped several strategic missile wings in Wyoming.

History

Lineage

• Established as 13th Composite Wing on 2 October 1940

Activated on 10 October 1940

Inactivated on 25 October 1941

• Redesignated 13th Bombardment Wing on 23 August 1942

Activated on 1 October 1942

Redesignated 13th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 1 February 1943

Redesignated 13th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 30 August 1943

Redesignated 13th Combat Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 24 August 1944

Redesignated 13th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 18 June 1945

Redesignated 13th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 17 August 1945

Inactivated on 17 October 1945

• Redesignated 13th Air Division on 20 May 1959

Activated on 1 July 1959

Redesignated 13th Strategic Missile Division on 1 January 1963

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 2 July 1966

Assignments

• Unknown, 10 October 1940
• Panama Canal (later, Caribbean) Air Force, c. 1 November 1940 – 25 October 1941
• Third Air Force, 1 October 1942
• Eighth Air Force, c. 1 June 1943
• VIII Bomber Command, 4 June 1943
• VIII Fighter Command, Unknown

• 3d Air Division, 16 July 1945
• Second Air Force, c. 15 August 1945 – 17 October 1945
• Fifteenth Air Force, 1 July 1959
• Eighth Air Force, 1 July 1963
• Fifteenth Air Force, 1 July 1965 – 2 July 1966

Components

Wings

• 90th Strategic Missile Wing, 1 July 1963 – 2 July 1966
• 389th Strategic Missile Wing, 1 July 1961 – 25 March 1965
• 451st Strategic Missile Wing, 1 July 1961 – 25 June 1965
• 703d Strategic Missile Wing, 1 July 1959 – 1 July 1961
• 706th Strategic Missile Wing, 1 July 1959 – 1 July 1961.

Groups

• 25th Bombardment Group, 1 November 1940-c. 6 January 1941
• 36th Pursuit Group, January-3 June 1941
• 40th Bombardment Group, 1 May – 25 October 1941
• 95th Bombardment Group, September 1943-c. 19 June 1945
• 100th Bombardment Group, c. September 1943-c. December 1945
• 390th Bombardment Group, 13 September 1943-c. 4 August 1945
• 490th Bombardment Group, c. March–August 1945
• 493d Bombardment Group, c. March–August 1945.

Stations

• Langley Field, Virginia, 10–26 October 1940
• Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, 1 November 1940
• San Juan, Puerto Rico, c. 6 January 1941
• Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, c. 1 May – 25 October 1941
• MacDill Field, Florida, 1 October 1942-c. 10 May 1943
• Marks Hall, England, c. 2 June 1943

• Camp Blainey, England, c. 13 June 1943
• RAF Horham, England, 13 September 1943-c. 6 August 1945
• Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, c. 15 August 1945
• Peterson Field, Colorado, 17 August – 17 October 1945
• Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, 1 July 1959 – 2 July 1966.

Aircraft and missiles

• B-18 Bolo, 1940–1941
• B-17 Flying Fortress, 1941
• B-26 Marauder, 1941
• P-39 Airacobra, 1941
• P-40 Warhawk, 1941.
• B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945

• Atlas (SM-65), 1960–1965
• Titan I (SM-68), 1962–1965
• Minuteman I (SM-80), 1964–1966;
• EC-135 Looking Glass, 1965–1966
• KC-135 Stratotanker, 1965–1966.

See also

• List of United States Air Force air divisions

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.