The 864th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive
United States 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 Signal ...
unit. Its last assignment was with the
494th Bombardment Wing 494th may refer to:
* 494th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit
* 494th Bombardment Wing, inactive United States Air Force unit
*494th Fighter Squadron
The 494th Fighter Squadron (494th FS), nicknamed ''the Panthers'', i ...
at
Sheppard Air Force Base
Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, Texas, Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most divers ...
, Texas, where it flew
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...
es under
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
. It was inactivated on 2 April 1966.
The
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
was first activated in late 1943 for service during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. After training in the United States, it deployed to the Pacific, where it participated in the
strategic bombing campaign against Japan. It returned to the United States and was inactivated in 1946. In 1958, it was redesignated the 864th Strategic Missile Squadron and conducted training on the
SM-78 Jupiter missile until again inactivating in 1960. In 1963, it returned to its original designation and was activated at Sheppard.
History
World War II
Organization and training in the United States
The 864th Bombardment Squadron was first activated at
Wendover Field
Wendover is a market town and civil parish at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated at the point where the main road across the Chilterns between London and Aylesbury intersects with the once important road a ...
, Utah on 1 December 1943 as one of the original squadrons of the
494th Bombardment Group 494th may refer to:
*494th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit
*494th Bombardment Wing, inactive United States Air Force unit
*494th Fighter Squadron (494 FS), part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England
See al ...
, the last
heavy bomber
Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually bombs) and longest range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy bombers have therefore usually been among the larges ...
group formed by the
Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
.
[Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 363–364] It trained with Consolidated B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
s at Wendover and at Mountain Home Army Air Field
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...
, Idaho. In January and February 1944, a 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 ...
of the squadron trained under simulated combat conditions 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 with the Army Air Forces Tactical Center
The Army Air Forces Tactical Center was a major command and military training organization of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It trained cadres from newly formed units in combat operations under simulated field conditi ...
, with aircrew
Aircrew, also called flight crew, are personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of a flight's crew depends on the type of aircraft, plus the flight's duration and purpose.
Commercial aviation
Flight deck positions ...
s filling out the squadron in March. The air echelon began to receive new B-24Js in May and the began departing for Hawaii on 28 May. The ground echelon began its move to Hawaii on 1 June 1944.[
]
Combat in the Pacific
The squadron remained at Barking Sands Army Air Field
The Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands is a U.S. naval facility and airport located five nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the central business district of Kekaha, in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States.
PMRF is the world's l ...
for additional training and modifications to its planes to meet theater standards until late September 1944, when it deployed to Angaur Airstrip
Angaur Airstrip (Japanese: アンガウル飛行場, Hepburn: Angauru hikōjō, ) is a small airstrip on Angaur, one of the islands of Palau. It also served as an airfield during World War II.
History World War II
The day the island was declare ...
in the Palau Islands
Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
.[ The squadron ground echelon was initially involved with the construction of the base on Angaur.][ Although some unit aircrews flew combat missions with the 30th Bombardment Group from ]Saipan
Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...
, the air echelon only began to arrive on Angaur on 24 October 1944, after the Seabees
United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Force (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Depending upon ...
and Army engineers had prepared the airstrip for heavy bomber
Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually bombs) and longest range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy bombers have therefore usually been among the larges ...
operations.[ The squadron finally conducted its first mission on 3 November, when it attacked Japanese ]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 publ ...
s on Yap
Yap ( yap, Waqaab) traditionally refers to an island group located in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, a part of Yap State. The name "Yap" in recent years has come to also refer to the state within the Federated States of Micro ...
and Koror
Koror is the state comprising the main commercial centre of the Republic of Palau. It consists of several islands, the most prominent being Koror Island (also ''Oreor Island''). It is Palau’s most populous state.
History
In the oral tradition ...
. It conducted attacks on Japanese military that had been bypassed as American forces had advanced in the Central Pacific. It also attacked the Philippines, hitting gun emplacements, bivouacs, and storage depots on Corregidor
Corregidor ( tl, Pulo ng Corregidor, ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of the Province of Cavite. Due to this location, Corregidor has historically b ...
and Caballo Island
Caballo Island (which means "Horse Island" in Spanish) is a bluff, rocky island located at the entrance to Manila Bay in the Philippines. It is about long with the highest elevation at 381 feet high. Caballo, along with the larger Corregidor ( ...
s at the entrance to Manila Bay
Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Phili ...
. It also attacked radio communications installations and power plants at Japanese bases in the Philippines; and attacked airfields, including Clark Field
Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...
on Luzon. Early in 1945, the 864th struck ammunition and supply dumps in the Davao Gulf
Davao Gulf is a gulf situated in the southeastern portion of Mindanao in the Philippines. It has an area of or about 520,000 hectares. Davao Gulf cuts into the island of Mindanao from the Philippine Sea. It is surrounded by all five provinces in ...
and Illana Bay
Illana Bay, also known as the Iranun Bay, is a large bay of the Moro Gulf, off the southwestern coast of Mindanao island in the Philippines.
Illana Bay and Moro Gulf form part of the Celebes Sea.
See also
*Sibuguey Bay
Sibuguey Bay is a larg ...
areas of Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
and airfields on the island.[
The squadron moved to ]Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
in June 1945. From its base at Yontan Airfield
Yontan Airfield (also known as Yomitan Auxiliary Airfield) is a former military airfield located near Yomitan Village on the west coast of Okinawa. It was closed in July 1996 and turned over to the Japanese government in December 2006. Today it i ...
it engaged primarily in attacks against enemy airfields on Kyūshū
is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...
and around the Inland Sea of Japan until V-J Day
Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...
. It also struck airfields in China and Korea. The unit also participated in incendiary raids and dropped propaganda leaflets over urban areas of Kyūshū. After the war's end, the unit transporting personnel and supplies from Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
to Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
. In December, the squadron returned to the United States, where it was inactivated at the Vancouver Barracks
Established in 1849, the Vancouver Barracks was the first U.S. Army base located in the Pacific Northwest. Built on a rise 20 feet (6 m) above the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) trading station Fort Vancouver. Its buildings were formed in a line adjac ...
Port of Embarkation on 6 January 1946.[
]
Jupiter missile training
The squadron was redesignated the 864th Strategic Missile Squadron and activated at Redstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal (RSA) is a United States Army post and a census-designated place (CDP) adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The Arsenal is a garrison f ...
, Alabama in January 1958. This was the first of three SM-78 Jupiter missile squadrons Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
(SAC) would activate at the Redstone Arsenal. Because the squadron's mission would be to conduct training of Italian Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 28 March ...
personnel on the Jupiter missile, it was stationed at the arsenal,[ which was the location of the ]Army Ballistic Missile Agency
The Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) was formed to develop the United States Army, U.S. Army's first large ballistic missile. The agency was established at Redstone Arsenal on 1 February 1956, and commanded by Major General John Bruce Meda ...
, which had developed the Jupiter, even though the 864th's parent organization, the 1st Missile Division
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
was located thousands of miles away at Vandenberg Air Force Base Vandenberg may refer to:
* Vandenberg (surname), including a list of people with the name
* USS General Harry Taylor (AP-145), USNS ''General Hoyt S. Vandenberg'' (T-AGM-10), transport ship in the United States Navy, sank as an artificial reef in K ...
, California. The first Jupiter for training was delivered in August. Although the Air Force had been given responsibility for the Jupiter by the Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philippin ...
. it became clear that it would not operate the missile, and in April 1959, the squadron became the 864th Technical Training Squadron. That same month a plan was developed to establish a Jupiter unit in the Italian Air Force,[ which was to become the 36th Strategic Interdiction Air Brigade. The 864th trained Italian Air Force personnel in the operation and launching of the Jupiter until it was inactivated on 1 June 1960][ as the Italians assumed responsibility for their own missiles.
]
Strategic Air Command bomber operations
As part of its program to disperse its Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...
bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike, SAC had established the 4245th Strategic Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base
Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, Texas, Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most divers ...
, Texas.[Mueller, p. 543] In February 1963, the 494th Bombardment Wing 494th may refer to:
* 494th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit
* 494th Bombardment Wing, inactive United States Air Force unit
*494th Fighter Squadron
The 494th Fighter Squadron (494th FS), nicknamed ''the Panthers'', i ...
assumed the aircraft, personnel and equipment of the discontinued 4245th wing. The 4245th was a Major Command Major Command or Major Commands are large formations of the United States Armed Forces. Historically, a Major Command is the highest level of command. Within the United States Army, the acronym MACOM is used for Major Command. Within the United Stat ...
controlled (MAJCON) wing, which could not carry a permanent history or lineage, and SAC wanted to replace it with a permanent unit. As part of this reorganization the 864th returned to its original designation as a bombardment squadron and assumed the mission, personnel and equipment of the 717th Bombardment Squadron
The 717th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4245th Strategic Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, where it was inactivated on 1 February 1963.
The squadron was first activated in ...
, which was simultaneously inactivated.[
One half of the squadron's aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. The squadron also trained in strategic bomber operations.][Ravenstein, ''Combat Wings'', p. 271] In December 1965, a few months after the first B-52Bs started leaving the operational inventory, Robert S. McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara (; June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American business executive and the eighth United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 1961 to 1968 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He remains the lo ...
, Secretary of Defense, directed a phaseout program that would further reduce SAC's bomber force. This program called for the retirement of all B-52Cs, and of several subsequent B-52 models. In this drawdown, the squadron was inactivated on 2 April 1966.[''See'' Ravenstein, ''Combat Wings'', p. 271 (inactivation of 494th Wing).]
Lineage
* Constituted as the 864th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 14 September 1943
: Activated on 1 December 1943
: Inactivated on 6 January 1946
* Redesignated 864th Strategic Missile Squadron (IRBM-Jupiter) on 7 January 1958
: Activated on 15 January 1958
: Redesignated 864th Technical Training Squadron on 15 April 1959
: Discontinued on 1 June 1960
* Redesignated 864th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 15 November 1962
: Organized on 1 February 1963[Lineage, including assignments, stations and aircraft, through 1963 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons''.p. 787]
: Inactivated on 2 April 1966[
]
Assignments
* 494th Bombardment Group, 1 December 1943 – 4 January 1946
* 1st Missile Division, 15 January 1958
* 704th Strategic Missile Wing
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...
, 23 February 1958 (attached to 1st Missile Division after 1 November 1958)
* 1st Missile Division, 1 July 1959
* Department of the Air Force
The United States Department of the Air Force (DAF) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Air Force was formed on September 18, 1947, per the National Sec ...
, 1 June 1960 (not organized)
* Strategic Air Command, 15 November 1962 (not organized)
* 494th Bombardment Wing, 1 February 1963 – 2 April 1966[
]
Stations
* Wendover Field, Utah, 1 December 1943
* Mountain Home Army Air Field, Idaho, 14 April 1944 – 1 June 1944
* Barking Sands Army Air Field, Hawaii, 15 June 1944
* Angaur Airstrip, Angaur, Palau Islands, 30 September 1944
* Yontan Airfield, Okinawa, 24 June 1945 – 13 December 1945
* Vancouver Barracks, Washington, 3–6 January 1946
* Redstone Arsenal. Alabama, 15 January 1958 – 1 June 1960
* Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, 1 February 1963 – 1 April 1966[
]
Aircraft
* Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1944–1945
* Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 1963–1966[''See'' Ravenstein, ''Combat Wings'', p. 271 (494th Wing bomber aircraft).]
Awards and campaigns
See also
* B-24 Liberator units of the United States Army Air Forces
This is a list of United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator combat units during World War II including variants and other historical information. Heavy bomber training organizations primarily under II Bomber Command in the United States and ...
* List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress has been operational with the United States Air Force since 5 June, 1955. This list is of the units it was assigned to, and the bases it was stationed.
In addition to the USAF, A single RB-52B (52-008) was flown ...
* List of United States Air Force missile squadrons
This article lists the missile squadrons of the United States Air Force. There are nine missile squadrons currently active in the United States (listed in bold type); all nine are equipped to operate intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Aerodyna ...
References
Notes
; Explanatory notes
; Citations
Bibliography
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*
*
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{{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II
Military units and formations established in 1943
Strategic bombing squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces
Bombardment squadrons of the United States Air Force