71st Tactical Missile Squadron

71st Tactical Missile Squadron
	Emblem of the 71st Tactical Bombardment Squadron
Active	1940–1975; 1984-1989
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force

B-57b-ma-52-1560-71lbs-laon-1957 — Martin B-57B-MA Serial 52-1560 of the 71st Light Bomber Squadron - 1957. This aircraft was also one of the "Black Knights" aerial acrobatic team.

The 71st Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 485th Tactical Missile Wing, based at Florennes Air Base, Belgium. It was inactivated on 30 September 1989.

History[]

It was activated in early 1941 by the Army Air Corps as a medium bomber squadron during the pre-war mobilization by the United States. Performed coastal patrols as part of First Air Force with B-18 Bolos and early-model B-26 Marauders. Deployed to Australia in early 1942 to reinforce Fifth Air Force after its withdrawal to Australia. Re-equipped with B-25 Mitchell medium bombers and flew missions from Northern Queensland over New Guinea. Moved to forward airfields in New Guinea and followed MacArthur's advance along the northern coast of the island into the Netherlands East Indies flying tactical bombardment missions against Japanese strong points and airfields. Moved to Luzon, Philippines, as part of the United States liberation forces in 1945, then moved to Okinawa during the summer in preparation for the Invasion of Japan. Moved to Japan and became part of the Occupation Forces. Inactivated in 1949 due to budget reductions.

Reactivated in France in 1953 as a NATO B-57 light bombardment squadron, equipped for night bombardment with nuclear weapons. Moved to West Germany in 1958 as a TM-76B Mace tactical missile squadron when the unit was ordered out of France. Remained as a tactical missile unit until 1969 when the Mace missile was retired, the last Mace unit on active duty.

Reactivated in 1972 as an Undergraduate Pilot Training Squadron (UPT) at Laredo AFB. Moved to Moody in 1973 when Laredo closed. Inactivated in 1975 when Moody became a Tactical Fighter base after the Vietnam War ended.

Reactivated as a BGM-109G Gryphon Cruise Missile squadron in August 1984. Maintained 80 operational missiles in a combat-ready state. Inactivated in April 1989 as a result of the INF treaty and the elimination of the BGM-109G missile from service.

Lineage[]

Constituted 71st Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on November 20, 1940

Activated on January 15, 1941

Redesignated 71st Bombardment Squadron (Light) on May 6, 1946

Inactivated on April 1, 1949

Activated on January 1, 1953

Redesignated: 71st Bombardment Squadron (Tactical) on October 1, 1955

Redesignated: 71st Tactical Missile Squadron on June 18, 1958

Inactivated on 30 April 1969

Redesignated 71st Flying Training Squadron and activated August 1, 1972

Inactivated September 30, 1973

Reactivated December 1, 1973

Inactivated December 1, 1975

Re-designated 71st Tactical Missile Squadron and activated on 1 August 1984

Inactivated 30 April 1989

Assignments[]

38th Bombardment Group, January 15, 1941 – April 1, 1949; January 1, 1953
38th Bombardment Wing, December 8, 1957
585th Tactical Missile Group, June 18, 1958
38th Tactical Missile Wing, September 25, 1962 – October 1, 1965
36th Tactical Fighter Wing, October 1, 1965 - April 30, 1969
38th Flying Training Wing, August 1, 1972 – September 30, 1973; December 1, 1973 – December 1, 1975
485th Tactical Missile Wing, 1 August 1984 to 30 April 1989

Stations[]

Langley Field, Virginia, January 15, 1941
Jackson Army Air Base, Mississippi, c. June 5, 1941 – January 18, 1942
Doomben Field (Eagle Farm Airport), Australia, February 25, 1942
Ballarat Airport, Australia, March 8, 1942
Batchelor Airfield, Australia, c. April 30, 1942
Breddan Aerodrome, Australia, August 12, 1942
RAAF Base Townsville, Australia, October 1942
Durand Airfield, Port Moresby, New Guinea, 26 November 1942
Nadzab Airfield Complex, New Guinea, 4 March 1944
Mokmer Airfield, Biak, Netherlands East Indies, 1 October 1944

Pitoe Airfield, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, 15 October 1944
Lingayen Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, c. 29 January 1945
Motobu Airfield, Okinawa, 25 July 1945
Itazuke Airfield, Japan, c. 22 November 1945
Itami Airfield, Japan, 26 October 1946 – 1 April 1949
Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, January 1, 1953
Bitburg AB, West Germany, June 18, 1958 – 30 April 1969
Laredo AFB, Texas, August 1, 1972 – September 30, 1973
Moody AFB, Georgia, December 1, 1973 – December 1, 1975
Florennes Air Base, Belgium 4 August 1984 – 30 September 1989

BGM-109G Missile site located at: 50°13′34″N 004°39′01″E / 50.22611°N 4.65028°E

Dispersed Matador/Mace missile locations

Site VII "B" Pad - 3.5 miles (5.6 km) NW of Bitburg AB 49°59′05″N 006°28′50″E / 49.98472°N 6.48056°E / 49.98472; 6.48056 (Site VII)

Underground concrete launch facility, closed 1969. largely overgrown abandoned condition.

Site VIII "C" Pad - 4.5 miles (7.2 km) SSW of Bitburg AB 49°53′21″N 006°33′30″E / 49.88917°N 6.55833°E / 49.88917; 6.55833 (Site VIII)

Underground concrete launch facility. After closure the site was transferred to the Bundesheer and converted into a Patriot AD missile site; closed 2001 now abandoned and overgrown with vegetation.

Aircraft and missiles[]

B-18 Bolo, 1941
B-26 Marauder, 1941–1942
B-25 Mitchell, 1942–1946, 1947–1948
A-26 (later B-26) Invader, 1946, 1947–1949, 1953–1955
B-57 Canberra, 1955–1958
MGM-1 Matador, 1958–1962

TM-76B Mace, 1962–1965
CGM-13B Mace, 1965–1969
T-37 Tweet (1972–1975)
T-38 Talon (1972–1975)
BGM-109G Gryphon 1984–1989

References[]

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

Maurer, Maurer, ed (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf.
Mindling, George; Bolton, Robert (2008). U.S. Air Force Tactical Missiles, 1949-1969: The Pioneers. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-0-557-00029-6.

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