The 390th Strategic Missile Wing was an
intercontinental ballistic missile organization of the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
. Part of
Strategic Air Command, it was stationed at
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) assi ...
, Arizona.
The
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...
was first organized as the 390th Bombardment Group in January 1943 and equipped with the
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. After training in the United States, the
group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...
moved to England, beginning combat operations in August. The group flew 300 combat missions and was twice awarded the
Distinguished Unit Citation for its action in combat. Its last mission was on 20 April 1945. After
V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easte ...
, the group returned to the United States, where it was inactivated in August 1945.
The 390th Strategic Missile Wing was organized in January 1962 as the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
's first
LGM-25C Titan II
The Titan II was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by the Glenn L. Martin Company from the earlier Titan I missile. Titan II was originally designed and used as an ICBM, but was later adapted as a medium-lift space l ...
wing, becoming operational in March 1963. It earned honors as the best Titan II wing in
Strategic Air Command (SAC) on five occasions, and in 1979 earned the
Blanchard Trophy as SAC's best missile wing of any kind. It was inactivated in 1984 with the retirement of the Titan II from the United States
intercontinental ballistic missile inventory. Just before the wing was inactivated, the Air Force consolidated the group and the wing into a single unit.
History
World War II
Training in the United States
The unit was first activated on 26 January 1943 at
Geiger Field
Spokane International Airport is a commercial airport located approximately west-southwest of downtown Spokane, Washington, United States. It is the primary airport serving the Inland Northwest, which consists of 30 counties and includes are ...
Washington as the 390th Bombardment Group, with the
568th[Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 665–666] 569th[Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 666] 570th[Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 666-667] and
571st Bombardment Squadrons
[Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 667] assigned as its original squadrons.
[Maurer, pp. 277–278] The group did not begin to fill its ranks until early the following month.
[Freeman, pp. 255–256]
The
group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...
trained at Geiger until June 1943 when it moved to
Great Falls Army Air Base
Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
*Artel Great (born ...
, Montana.
[ Senior officers of the group were the first from bombardment groups to be assigned to Eighth Air Force to attend the ]Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
at Orlando Army Air Base
Orlando Executive Airport is a public airport three miles (6 km) east of downtown Orlando, in Orange County, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) and serves general aviation.
Overview
Orlando ...
, Florida, where comprehensive training, based on the Army Air Forces' combat experience, was conducted.[ The 390th's Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses began their flights overseas on 4 July, taking the northern ferry route from Iceland to ]Prestwick Airport
Glasgow Prestwick Airport () is an international airport serving the west of Scotland, situated northeast of the town of Prestwick in South Ayrshire and southwest of Glasgow. It is the less busy of the two airports serving the western part of ...
, Scotland, where the first aircraft arrived on 13 July 1943. The ground echelon left for Camp Shanks
Camp Shanks was a United States Army installation in the Orangetown, New York area. Named after Major General David C. Shanks, it was situated near the juncture of the Erie Railroad and the Hudson River. The camp was the largest U.S. Army embarka ...
, New York the same day and sailed on the SS ''James Parker'' on 17 July 1943, and arrived at Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
on 27 July.[ The group was reunited at its permanent station, ]RAF Framlingham
Royal Air Force Framlingham or more simply RAF Framlingham is a former Royal Air Force station located southeast of Framlingham, Suffolk, England.
History United States Army Air Forces use
Framlingham airfield was built in 1942 and was u ...
, a few days later.[
]
Combat in Europe
The group was the last of the "second wind" heavy bombardment groups that reinforced VIII Bomber Command
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of ...
in the summer of 1943 to arrive in England.[ It operated chiefly against strategic objectives.][ The 390th began combat on 12 August 1943. Only five days later, on 17 August, the group attacked the Messerschmitt aircraft complex at Regensburg, achieving the highest accuracy of any of the groups sent against the target. Near the target area, the group was attacked by twin engine German fighters and suffered the heaviest losses of the three groups in the lead wing. This was a shuttle mission, with the bombers recovering at ]Twelfth Air Force
The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
The command is the air component to ...
bases in North Africa, although a group aircraft was one of the first two American planes to make emergency landings in neutral Switzerland.[A B-17 of the 100th Bombardment Group landed in Switzerland on the same mission. Freeman, p. 68.] The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for the mission.[
The 390th was awarded a second Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 14 October 1943 when it braved assaults by enemy fighters to bomb the ]ball bearing
A ball bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that uses balls to maintain the separation between the bearing races.
The purpose of a ball bearing is to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. It achieves this ...
plants at Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultural and educational hub. The urban ag ...
.[ Once again, the group had the most accurate bombing results of the units attacking the target. Allied intelligence estimated that following the attack German ball bearing production was reduced by 50% and that it was six months before production was restored to its level before the attack. The group participated in the intensive Allied attacks on the German aircraft industry during Big Week, from 20 to 25 February 1944, when it bombed aircraft factories, instrument plants and aircraft depots. Other strategic missions included attacks on marshalling yards at ]Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...
, bridges at Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
, petroleum facilities at Zeitz
Zeitz ( hsb, Žič) is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river White Elster, in the triangle of the federal states Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony.
History
Zeitz was first recorded u ...
, factories at Mannheim
Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's ...
, naval installations at Bremen and synthetic oil refineries at Merseburg
Merseburg () is a town in central Germany in southern Saxony-Anhalt, situated on the river Saale, and approximately 14 km south of Halle (Saale) and 30 km west of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a dioces ...
.[
In January 1944 Sergeant Hewitt ‘Buck’ Dunn joined the 390th, who was a gunner and bombardier. He went on to become the only man in the Eighth Air Force to fly over 100 combat missions and one of the most decorated ]Enlisted men
An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United States ...
in the U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
. He died in 1961 at the age of 41 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
.
The group was sometimes diverted from the strategic mission to fly interdiction Interdiction is a military term for the act of delaying, disrupting, or destroying enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area. A distinction is often made between strategic and tactical interdiction. The former refers to operations whose ...
and ground support missions.[ On 25 May 1944, a detachment of the group was directed to bomb coastal defenses in France using radar, despite weather conditions that were ideal for visual bombing. Although crewmembers were not advised why radar bombing was directed, this mission was a test to determine if pathfinder operations would succeed if the weather over Normandy was foul when the invasion took place. Thereafter, the group would frequently use pathfinder techniques when clouds obscured its assigned targets. The group bombed the coast near Caen fifteen minutes before the D-Day landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944. It attacked enemy artillery in support of ground forces during ]Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an offensive launched by the United States First Army under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy campaign of World War II. The intention was to take adv ...
, the breakout at Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô (, ; br, Sant Lo) is a commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy. in late July 1944.[
In August 1944, the group attacked a Focke-Wulf aircraft factory at ]Rumia
Rumia (; Kashubian: ''Rëmiô''; German until 1945: ''Rahmel'') is a town in northern Poland, in the Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodeship, with some 45,000 inhabitants. It is a part of the Kashubian Tricity (Rumia, Reda, Wejherowo) and ...
(Rahmel), Poland, landing at Mirgorod
Myrhorod ( uk, Ми́ргород, ) is a city in the Poltava Oblast (province) of central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Myrhorod Raion (district), the city itself is administratively incorporated as a city of oblast ...
in the Ukraine. After flying a mission against a synthetic oil production facility at Trzebinia
Trzebinia (; yi, טשעבין ''Tchebin'') is a town in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland, Poland with an Orlen oil refinery and a major rail junction of the Kraków - Katowice line, with connections to Oświęcim and Spytkowice. The town be ...
, Poland, (returning to Mirgorod), the group attacked airfields in Romania, landing in Italy. On its return to Feltwell, the group attacked a French airfield, suffering no losses to the three-legged mission. The 390th cut German supply lines during the Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...
between December 1944 and January 1945.[ On 14 January 1945, during an attack on targets near ]Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
, a low squadron of the group's aircraft were separated from the main attacking formation because of supercharger problems with the lead aircraft, making them easy targets for German fighters, which shot down all eight Flying Fortresses in the formation. This was the highest loss the 390th suffered on a single mission during the war.
The group attacked airfield
An aerodrome ( Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for pub ...
s of the Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
to support Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity (24 March 1945) was a successful airborne forces operation launched by Allied troops that took place toward the end of World War II. Involving more than 16,000 paratroopers and several thousand aircraft, it was the largest ai ...
, the airborne assault across the Rhine, in March 1945.[ On 5 April 1945, Master Sergeant Hewitt Dunn became the only person to fly 100 combat missions with Eighth Air Force. The 390th Bombardment Group flew its last combat mission on 20 April 1945. In over 300 missions, they dropped more than 19,000 tons of bombs. They lost 176 aircraft and 714 airmen were killed in action. The unit claimed the destruction of 342 enemy aircraft.][ The group dropped food supplies to the Dutch during the week prior to ]V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easte ...
.[
The 390th redeployed to the States between June and August 1945. The unit's aircraft left from Framlingham on 25 and 26 June 1945. the ground echelon sailed from Greenock on the on 5 August 1945 and arrived in New York on 11 August, and its members were granted leave.][ The group moved at minimum strength to ]Sioux Falls Army Air Field
Sioux Falls Regional Airport , also known as Joe Foss Field, is a public and military use airport three miles northwest of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. It is named in honor of aviator and Sioux Falls native Joe Foss, who later served a ...
, South Dakota on 12 August and was inactivated there on 28 August 1945.[
]
Cold War
In April 1960, the United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
announced selection of the Davis–Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) assi ...
, Arizona to support an LGM-25C Titan II
The Titan II was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by the Glenn L. Martin Company from the earlier Titan I missile. Titan II was originally designed and used as an ICBM, but was later adapted as a medium-lift space l ...
missile wing. The 1 January 1962 organization of the 390th Strategic Missile Wing marked the first stand up of a Titan II wing.[''See'' (giving site locations and activation dates for each Titan II squadron)] Although the wing was built up from scratch some of its initial cadre
Cadre may refer to:
*Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff
*Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...
came from the 303d Bombardment Wing
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
, a Strategic Air Command (SAC) Boeing B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...
wing, also stationed at Davis–Monthan. The wing's initial task was to supervise the construction of launch silos and command and control facilities for its Titans.[
Its two component squadrons were the 570th and the 571st Strategic Missile Squadrons.][The 390th's other two World War II squadrons, the 568th and 569th, had already been activated as Titan I squadrons at Mountain Home Air Force Base and ]Larson Air Force Base
Larson Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located five miles (8 km) northwest of the central business district (CBD) of Moses Lake, in Grant County, Washington. After its closure in 1966, the airport facility became ...
and assigned to the strategic wings at those bases. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 665–666. Launcher locations for the 570th Squadron were at Oracle, Three Points, Rillito (4 silos), and Oracle Junction, Arizona (3 silos). The 571st's silos were located at Benson Benson may refer to:
Animals
*Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain
Places Geography
Canada
*Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality
*Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet
United Kingdom
* Benson, Oxfordshire ...
(2 silos), Mescal, Pantano, Continental
Continental may refer to:
Places
* Continent, the major landmasses of Earth
* Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US
* Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US
Arts and entertainment
* ''Continental'' ( ...
(2 silos), Palo Alto, and Three Points, Arizona
Three Points is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 5,581 at the 2010 census.
History
According to David Leighton of the Arizona Daily Star newspaper, Three Points, also known as Robles Jun ...
.[ On 31 March 1963, the contractor turned site 570-2][Sites were numbered sequentially by the squadron that operated them.] over to SAC for operational use.[
Its first ]missile
In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocke ...
did not arrive at Davis–Monthan until 27 November 1962 and was installed in its silo twelve days later, although it would be 31 March 1963 before the wing would accept its first Titan II complex. The 570th Squadron became operational on 13 June and the 571st on 30 November,[ when the 18th and final wing Titan II went on alert. The 390th became the first operational Titan II wing in the Air Force the following day.][In evaluating "firsts" or annual "bests" garnered by the wing, it should be kept in mind that there were only two other Titan II wings in the Air Force, the ]308th Strategic Missile Wing
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
and the 381st Strategic Missile Wing
Space Delta 1 (DEL 1) is a United States Space Force unit responsible for space training. It runs the Space Force's basic military training, weapons school, and other advanced training courses and exercises. It was established on 23 August 2 ...
. Ravenstein, pp. 156–158, 206–207.
With a requirement to keep all 18 wing missiles on alert status
An alert state or state of alert is an indication of the state of readiness of the armed forces for military action or a state against natural disasters, terrorism or military attack. The term frequently used is "on high alert". Examples scales i ...
, maintenance personnel initially worked extremely long hours, particularly until the end of 1964, when the Davis–Monthan launch sites became the first Titan II sites to install dehumidifier equipment that eased corrosion problems within the silos under Project Green Jug. Additional modifications increased missile reliability, survivability, and reaction time. By the end of 1964, the 390th underwent the first operational readiness inspection for a Titan II unit.[ On 25 March 1965, the 390th performed the first operational launch test of one of its Titan IIs at ]Vandenberg Air Force Base Vandenberg may refer to:
* Vandenberg (surname), including a list of people with the name
* USNS ''General Hoyt S. Vandenberg'' (T-AGM-10), transport ship in the United States Navy, sank as an artificial reef in Key West, Florida
* Vandenberg Sp ...
, California in Operation Arctic Sun. More tests followed.
Competing in SAC's first missile competition, Project Curtain Raiser, in 1967, the 390th won the first "best crew" trophy.[ The wing was named the best Titan II wing in the Air Force at these competitions, which became known as "Olympic Arena." in 1969, 1970, 1974 and 1977.][ These awards were capped in 1979, when the wing was awarded the Blanchard Trophy as the best missile wing in SAC.][The trophy is named in honor of General William H. Blanchard. ]
In October 1981, President Ronald Reagan announced that as part of the modernization of strategic missiles the Titan II was to be retired by 1 October 1987. Site deactivation began at Davis–Monthan on 1 October 1982. During the operation, titled Rivet Cap, missiles were removed and shipped to Norton Air Force Base
Norton Air Force Base (1942–1994) was a United States Air Force facility east of downtown San Bernardino in San Bernardino County, California.
Overview
For the majority of its operational lifetime, Norton was a logistics depot and heavy-l ...
, California, where they were refurbished and stored. Demolition began at missile complex 570-7 on 30 November 1983.[ In January 1984, the Air Force consolidated the 390th Group and the 390th Wing into a single unit.][Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 539q, 31 January 1984, Subject: Consolidation of Units] In May the last Titan II at Davis–Monthan came off alert status,[ and at the end of July the Air Force inactivated the 390th Strategic Missile Wing.][
]
Lineage
; 390th Bombardment Group
* Constituted as the 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 15 January 1943
: Activated on 26 January 1943[Wilson claims the group was activated 23 February 1943 at Blythe Army Air Base, California and transferred to ]Orlando Army Air Base
Orlando Executive Airport is a public airport three miles (6 km) east of downtown Orlando, in Orange County, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) and serves general aviation.
Overview
Orlando ...
, Florida the next day. Wilson, p. 95. This is contradicted by both Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 278 and Freeman, p. 255. The 26 January date is corroborated by Maurer, ''Combat Units'' pp. 665–667, giving the activation date of the group's component squadrons.
* Redesignated 390th Bombardment Group, Heavy on 11 August 1944
: Inactivated on 28 August 1945[
* Consolidated with the 390th Strategic Missile Wing as the 390th Strategic Missile Wing on 31 January 1984][
; 390th Strategic Missile Wing
* Established as the 390th Bombardment Wing, Medium on 23 March 1953
: Redesignated 390th Strategic Missile Wing and activated on 28 November 1961
: Organized on 1 January 1962][Lineage, including assignments, components, stations and missiles through 1977 in Ravenstein, pp. 211–212]
* Consolidated with the 390th Bombardment Group on 31 January 1984[
: Inactivated on 31 July 1984][
]
Assignments
* II Bomber Command
The II Bomber Command is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. It was established in September 1941, shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor to command heavy bomber units assigned to Second Air Force. Following the entry of the United St ...
, 26 January – 4 July 1943
* 4th Bombardment Wing, July 1943 (attached to 402d Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing)
* 13th Combat Bombardment Wing
The 13th Strategic Missile Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, based at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. It was inactivated on 2 July 1966.
Initially formed in 1940 ...
, 8 January 1944 – 4 August 1945
* Second Air Force
The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defende ...
, 12–28 August 1945
* Strategic Air Command, 28 November 1961
* 12th Air Division (later 12th Strategic Aerospace Division, 12th Strategic Missile Division, 12th Air Division), 1 January 1962 – 31 July 1984[
]
Components
* 390th Missile Maintenance Squadron, 1 January 1962 – 31 July 1984
* 568th Bombardment Squadron, 26 January 1943 – 28 August 1945[
* 569th Bombardment Squadron, 26 January 1943 – 28 August 1945][
* 570th Bombardment Squadron (later 570th Strategic Missile) Squadron), 26 January 1943 – 28 August 1945; 1 January 1962 – 31 July 1984][
* 571st Bombardment Squadron (later 570th Strategic Missile) Squadron), 26 January 1943 – 28 August 1945; 1 January 1962 – 2 December 1983][
]
Stations
* Geiger Field, Washington, 26 January 1943 – 5 June 1943
* Great Falls Army Air Base, Montana, 6 June – 4 July 1943
* RAF Framlingham
Royal Air Force Framlingham or more simply RAF Framlingham is a former Royal Air Force station located southeast of Framlingham, Suffolk, England.
History United States Army Air Forces use
Framlingham airfield was built in 1942 and was u ...
(Station 153),[Station number in Anderson] England, July 1943 – 4 August 1945
* Sioux Falls Army Air Field
Sioux Falls Regional Airport , also known as Joe Foss Field, is a public and military use airport three miles northwest of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. It is named in honor of aviator and Sioux Falls native Joe Foss, who later served a ...
, South Dakota, 12 – 28 August 1945[
* Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 January 1962 – 31 July 1984][
]
Aircraft and missiles
* Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945[
* LGM-25C Titan II, 1962–1984][
]
Awards and campaigns
* Blanchard Trophy, 1979[
]
See also
* List of USAF Strategic Missile Wings assigned to Strategic Air Command
* List of inactive AFCON wings of the United States Air Force
This is a list of Air Force-controlled (AFCON) Wings of the United States Air Force.
The United States Air Force from c.1948 onward had two main types of wings and groups: AFCON, those controlled by Headquarters Air Force and usually having one, ...
*
* List of 390th aircrew awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
;Further reading
* Anzanos, Andy. ''My Combat Diary With Eighth Air Force B-17s 390th Bomb Group''. Lulu.com, 2006. .
* Drain, Richard E. ''390th Bomb Group: History of the Aircraft Assigned''. Self-published manuscript, 1993.
* Milliken, Albert E. (ed.) ''The Story of the 390th Bombardment Group (H): The Unit History of the Square J Group of the Eighth Air Force, European Theater of Operations, 1943–1945''. New York: Eilert Printing Company, 1947.
* Perry, Richard H. (ed.) ''The 390th Bomb Group Anthology, Volume II''. Tucson, Arizona: 390th Memorial Museum Foundation, 1985.
* Richarz, Wilbert H. with Richard H. Perry and William J. Robinson. ''The 390th Bomb Group Anthology''. Tucson, Arizona: 390th Memorial Museum Foundation, 1983.
* Richarz, Wilbert H. with Richard H. Perry and William J. Robinson. ''The 390th Bomb Group Anthology, Volume II''. Tucson, Arizona: 390th Memorial Museum Foundation, 1985.
* ''390th Bombardment Group: 50th Anniversary Commemorative History''. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, 1994. Republished 1997.
External links
*
"390th Strategic Missile Wing Memorial Association"
390th SMW Memorial Association.
* (Many World War II and modern photographs with details of the restored control tower and museum.)
*
{{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II
390
__NOTOC__
Year 390 ( CCCXC) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Neoterius (or, less frequently, year 1143 ...
Military units and formations disestablished in 1984