| 30th Tactical Missile Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 30th Air Defense Missile Squadron | |
| Active | 1952–1958, 1959–1964 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch |
 United States Air Force |
| Type | Light bombardment, Tactical missile, Air defense missile |
| Size | Squadron |
| Part of | Air Defense Command |
| Motto(s) | Seek and Destroy |
The 30th Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Bangor Air Defense Sector of Aerospace Defense Command, stationed near Dow Air Force Base, Maine. It was inactivated on 15 December 1964.
History[]
World War II[]
Emblem of the 669th Bombardment Squadron
A-26 Invaders of the 669th Bomb Squadron, 1945
The squadron was first activated in 1943 as the 669th Bombardment Squadron (Light) at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma and assigned to the 416th Bombardment Group.[1] The squadron was originally a B-25 Mitchell medium bomber Operational Training Unit under Third Air Force.[1] The operational training program involved the use of oversized unit to provide cadres to "satellite groups."[2] In September 1943, the squadron's mission changed when it received A-20 Havoc light attack bombers and trained in attack and light bombardment tactics.[3] The squadron deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in early 1944, and was assigned to Ninth Air Force in England.[1][3]
From England, the squadron engaged in tactical bombardment of enemy targets mainly in coastal areas of France and the Low Countries.[3] It attacked V-1 sites in France. It flew a number of missions against airfields and coastal defenses to help prepare for the invasion of Normandy.[3] It supported the invasion in June 1944 by striking road junctions, marshalling yards, bridges, and railway overpasses.[3] It assisted ground forces at Caen and St Lo in July and at Brest later in the summer, by hitting transportation facilities, supply dumps, radar installations, and other targets.[3] In spite of intense resistance, the group bombed bridges, railways, rolling stock, and a radar station to disrupt the enemy's retreat through the Falaise gap, and was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for this action.[3] The squadron assisted the airborne attack on the Netherlands in September.[3] It then supported the assault on the Siegfried Line by pounding transportation, warehouses, supply dumps, and defended villages in Germany.[3]
The squadron converted to A-26 Invader aircraft in November 1944.[3] It attacked transportation facilities, strong points, communications centers, and troop concentrations during the Battle of the Bulge, from December 1944 to January 1945.[3] Ther 669th aided the Allied thrust into Germany by continuing its strikes against transportation, communications, airfields, storage depots, and other objectives from February through May 1945.[3] It bombed flak positions in support of the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945.[3] The squadron returned to the US and inactivated in November.[3]
Cold War in Europe[]
Emblem of the 69th Tactical Missile Squadron
The squadron was established for the second time as the 69th Pilotless Bomber Squadron, a TM-61A Matador tactical surface-to-surface missile squadron in 1952. It was the second operational missile unit in the United States Air Force. The squadron was assigned to Air Research and Development Command at Patrick AFB, Florida[4] for training, then moved to Orlando Air Force Base, Florida and Tactical Air Command to prepare for operational deployment.
The squadron deployed to United States Air Forces in Europe and was assigned to Hahn Air Base[5] in West Germany as part of NATO's defense of Western Europe. It became operational in October 1954. While at Hahn, it was redesignated as the 69th Tactical Missile Squadron.[6] The squadron kept its missiles on alert from dispersed missile sites near Hahn until June 1958 when the squadron was inactivated and replaced at Hahn by the 405th Tactical Missile Squadron, which assumed its personnel, equipment, and mission as the 701st Tactical Missile Wing and its component groups were inactivated and replaced by the 38th Tactical Missile Wing.
Cold War air defense[]
Emblem of the 30th Air Defense Missile Squadron
The third activation of the squadron occurred on 1 June 1959 as the 30th Air Defense Missile Squadron[7] and it stood alert during the Cold War with IM-99A (later CIM-10) BOMARC surface to air antiaircraft missiles. The Dow BOMARC site was the fourth of fourteen BOMARC sites to be constructed.[8] The squadron was tied into a Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) direction center which could use analog computers to process information from ground radars, picket ships and airborne aircraft[9] to accelerate the display of tracking data at the direction center to quickly direct the missile site to engage hostile aircraft.[10] The squadron never upgraded to the "B" model of the BOMARC,[8] but was inactivated on 15 December 1964. The BOMARC missile site was located 4 miles (6.4 km) north-northeast of Dow AFB at 44°51′11″N 068°47′11″W / 44.85306°N 68.78639°W.[8] Although geographically separated from the base, it was an off base facility of Dow and received administrative and logistical support from Dow. The site still has its BOMARC missile shelters intact, which are now being reused as an industrial park and is home to several small businesses.[8]
Consolidation[]
The three squadrons were consolidated as the 30th Tactical Missile Squadron on 19 September 1985,[11] while remaining inactive.
Lineage[]
669th Bombardment Squadron
- Constituted as the 669th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 25 Jan 1943[1]
- Activated on 5 Feb 1943[1]
- Redesignated as the 669th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 20 August 1943
- Inactivated on 11 Oct 1945[1]
- Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the 30th Air Defense Missile Squadron and the 69th Tactical Missile Squadron as the 30th Tactical Missile Squadron
69th Tactical Missile Squadron
- Constituted as the 69th Pilotless Bomber Squadron (Light)
- Activated on 10 January 1952
- Redesignated as the 69th Tactical Missile Squadron on 8 June 1955
- Inactivated on 18 June 1958
- Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the 30th Air Defense Missile Squadron and the 669th Bombardment Squadron as the 30th Tactical Missile Squadron
30th Air Defense Missile Squadron
- Constituted as the 30th Air Defense Missile Squadron on 23 January 1959
- Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the 69th Tactical Missile Squadron and the 669th Bombardment Squadron as the 30th Tactical Missile Squadron
Assignments[]
- 416th Bombardment Group, 5 Feb 1943 – 11 Oct 1945
- 6555th Guided Missiles Wing (later 6555th Guided Missile Wing, 6555th Guided Missile Group), 10 January 1952
- Tactical Air Command, 15 January 1954
- Twelfth Air Force, 30 September 1954 (attached to 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing 14 March 1955 – 15 April 1956,[6] 7382d Guided Missile Group (later 7382d Tactical Missile Group), 15 April 1956 – 15 September 1956)
- 586th Tactical Missile Group, 15 September 1956[12] – 18 June 1958[13]
- Bangor Air Defense Sector, 1 June 1959 – 15 December 1964[7]
Stations[]
- Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, 5 February 1943[1]
- Lake Charles Army Air Field, Louisiana, 4 June 1943[1]
- Laurel Army Air Field, Mississippi, 1 November 1943 – 1 January 1944[1]
- RAF Wethersfield (AAF Station −170), England, 2 February 1944[1]
- Melun/Villaroche Airfield (A-55), France, 25 September 1944[1]
- Laon/Athies Airfield (A-69), France, 10 February 1945[1]
- Cormeilles en Vexin Airfield (A-59), France, ca. 25 May 1945[1]
- Laon/Athies Airfield (A-69), France, 27 July 1945 – 13 September 1945[1]
- Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts, 10 October 1945 – 11 October 1945[1]
- Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, 10 January 1952[4]
- Orlando Air Force Base, Florida, 17 February 1954
- Hahn Air Base, Germany, 30 September 1954 – 18 June 1958[5]
- Dispersed Matador missile sites
- Hecken Missile Site[5]
- Koeterberg Missile Site(Site V "Pot Fuse") – 7.0 miles (11.3 km) ESE of Hahn AB 49°54′48″N 007°24′46″E / 49.91333°N 7.41278°E[5] This site was abandoned in 1961. The missile shelters were torn down and the site is very obscured by trees and other vegetation in a thick woodland area.
- Langenbrand Missile Site[5]
- Ludwigsturm Missile Site[5]
- Marsburg Missile Site[5]
- Wuescheim Missile Site(Site VI "Heroin") – 9.7 miles (15.6 km) NE of Hahn AB 50°02′37″N 007°25′32″E / 50.04361°N 7.42556°E[5] This site was transferred to the Army and converted into a Nike-Hercules Air Defense missile site. It was operational from 1970 to 1979. The area was transferred back to the USAF in 1982 and was converted into a cruise missile ground alert maintenance area for the 38th Tactical Missile Wing and was operational with BGM-109 Gryphon cruise missiles from 1985 to 1991.
- Zell Missile Site (later Idarkopf Missile Site)[5]
- Dow Air Force Base, Maine 1 June 1959 – 1 December 1964
Awards[]
- Distinguished Unit Citation
- France, 6 August 1944 – 9 August 1944[1]
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, 1 November 1962 – 31 March 1963[14]
- Campaigns
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Aircraft and missiles[]
- B-25 Mitchell, 1943
- A-20 Havoc, 1943–1944
- A-26 Invader, 1944–1945
- TM-61A Matador, 1952–1958
- IM-99A (later CIM-10A) BOMARC, 1959–1964
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 Maurer, Maurer, ed (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 698–699. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf.
- ↑ Craven, Wesley F & Cate, James L, ed (1955). "Introduction". The Army Air Forces in World War II. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. p. xxxvi. LCCN 48-3657.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 Maurer, Maurer, ed (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 299–300. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/af_combat_units_wwii.pdf.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 459–466. ISBN 0-912799-53-6. http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100921-026.pdf.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Fletcher, Harry R (1993). Air Force Bases , Vol. II, Air Bases Outside the United States of America. Washington, DC: Center for Air Force History. pp. 31–35. ISBN 0-912799-53-6. http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100525-060.pdf.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 AFHRA Factsheet, 50th Space Wing (accessed 3 July 2012)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980. Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. p. 150. http://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/handbookofadcorg.pdf.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Cold War Relics – Dow AFB BOMARC
- ↑ Winkler, David F.; Webster, Julie L (1997). Searching the skies: The legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program. Champaign, IL: US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories. p. 39. LCCN 9720912. http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bn/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA331231.
- ↑ Winkler & Webster, p. 3
- ↑ Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 Sep 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
- ↑ Abstract, History of 701st Tac Missile Wg, Sep–Dec 1956 (accessed 3 July 2012)
- ↑ Abstract, History of 701st Tac Missile Wg, Jan–Jun 1958 (accessed 3 July 2012)
- ↑ AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 15 June 1971, p. 156
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
- Continental Station Identifier Numbers are from Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day. Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center.
The original article can be found at 30th Tactical Missile Squadron and the edit history here.