66th Missile Squadron
Encyclopedia
The United States Air Force
's 66th Missile Squadron (66 MS) was a missile unit located at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota
. After the end of the Cold War, and lessening of tensions with Russia, the 66th MS was deactivated along with its contingent of Minuteman II missiles.
heavy bombardment squadron; trained under Third Air Force
in the southeastern United States. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, engaged in Antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico
.
Deployed to the European Theater of Operations
(ETO), being assigned to VIII Bomber Command
in England
during the summer of 1942. One of the first B-24 Liberator units assigned to the ETO. Engaged in very long range strategic bombardment missions over Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany
, attacking strategic targets in France
, Belgium
, Holland and Germany
. Among the targets attacked were submarine installations, industrial establishments, airfields, harbors, shipyards, and other objectives
Detachment deployed to Twelfth Air Force in Algeria
in June 1943 to help facilitate the Allied invasion of Sicily
by bombing airfields and marshalling yards in Italy
. The detachment also participated in the famous low-level raid on the Ploesti oil fields in Romania
on 1 August 1943. Most of the detachment returned to England at the end of August, however some crews and aircraft remained in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
(MTO) and flew very long range attacks over Italy
, Romania
, Austria
, and Sicily
and supported Allied ground forces in Sicily as well as attacking Axis forces in Italy supporting the Salerno Invasion of Italy. All aircraft and personnel returned to England in October.
Returned to VIII Bomber Command operations, and supported the Allied Invasion of France
in June 1944 by attacking strong points in the beachhead area and transportation targets behind the front lines. The group aided the Caen
offensive and the Saint-Lô
breakthrough in July. Dropped food, ammunition, and other supplies to troops engaged in the airborne attack on Holland in September. Attacked enemy targets during the Battle of the Bulge
, December 1944-January 1945, by striking bridges, tunnels, choke points, rail and road junctions, and communications in the battle area. The squadron attacked airfields and transportation in support of the Western Allied Invasion of Germany, and flew a resupply mission during the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945. Combat operations concluded with the German Capitulation in May 1945.
Returned to the United States in June 1945, being reassigned to Second Air Force
and redesignated as a B-29 Superfortress
Very Heavy bombardment squadron. Trained with B-29s and planned to deploy to the Western Pacific, however the Japanese Capitulation in August canceled deployment plans. Assigned to Kansas
as part of Continental Air Forces (later Strategic Air Command
) but inactivated in July 1946 as part of the general demobilization of the AAF.
Reactivated in 1947 under SAC as a paper unit; not manned or equipped and inactivated in 1949 due to budget constraints. Reactivated in 1950 and used as an Operational Training Unit for B-29 aircrews and maintenance personnel being deployed to for Far East Air Forces during the Korean War
. Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1953, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union
. In the late 1950s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Began sending aircraft to other B-47 wings as replacements in late 1959, being phased down for inactivation in 1960.
Reactivated in 1962 as a SAC ICBM missile squadron. Trained with the 850th SMS in HGM-25A Titan I operations in 1962, being made operational with LGM-30B Minuteman I missiles in 1963. Upgraded to the LGM-30F Minuteman II in 1972. Remained on Cold War
nuclear alert until in response to President Bush's directive to stand down the Minuteman II. Dissipated launch codes and pin safety control switches at 15 launch control facilities. Deactivation of the entire missile complex ended in the summer of 1993; squadron inactivated on 1 September.
66th Missile Squadron Launch Facilities
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's 66th Missile Squadron (66 MS) was a missile unit located at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. After the end of the Cold War, and lessening of tensions with Russia, the 66th MS was deactivated along with its contingent of Minuteman II missiles.
History
Established in early 1941 as a B-24 LiberatorB-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
heavy bombardment squadron; trained under Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
in the southeastern United States. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, engaged in Antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
.
Deployed to the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO), being assigned to VIII Bomber Command
VIII Bomber Command
The VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
during the summer of 1942. One of the first B-24 Liberator units assigned to the ETO. Engaged in very long range strategic bombardment missions over Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, attacking strategic targets in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Holland and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Among the targets attacked were submarine installations, industrial establishments, airfields, harbors, shipyards, and other objectives
Detachment deployed to Twelfth Air Force in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
in June 1943 to help facilitate the Allied invasion of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
by bombing airfields and marshalling yards in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The detachment also participated in the famous low-level raid on the Ploesti oil fields in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
on 1 August 1943. Most of the detachment returned to England at the end of August, however some crews and aircraft remained in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
Mediterranean Theater of Operations
The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army was originally called North African Theater of Operations and is an American term for the conflict that took place between the Allies and Axis Powers in North Africa and Italy during World War II...
(MTO) and flew very long range attacks over Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and supported Allied ground forces in Sicily as well as attacking Axis forces in Italy supporting the Salerno Invasion of Italy. All aircraft and personnel returned to England in October.
Returned to VIII Bomber Command operations, and supported the Allied Invasion of France
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
in June 1944 by attacking strong points in the beachhead area and transportation targets behind the front lines. The group aided the Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
offensive and the Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
breakthrough in July. Dropped food, ammunition, and other supplies to troops engaged in the airborne attack on Holland in September. Attacked enemy targets during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, December 1944-January 1945, by striking bridges, tunnels, choke points, rail and road junctions, and communications in the battle area. The squadron attacked airfields and transportation in support of the Western Allied Invasion of Germany, and flew a resupply mission during the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945. Combat operations concluded with the German Capitulation in May 1945.
Returned to the United States in June 1945, being reassigned to Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
and redesignated as a B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
Very Heavy bombardment squadron. Trained with B-29s and planned to deploy to the Western Pacific, however the Japanese Capitulation in August canceled deployment plans. Assigned to Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
as part of Continental Air Forces (later Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
) but inactivated in July 1946 as part of the general demobilization of the AAF.
Reactivated in 1947 under SAC as a paper unit; not manned or equipped and inactivated in 1949 due to budget constraints. Reactivated in 1950 and used as an Operational Training Unit for B-29 aircrews and maintenance personnel being deployed to for Far East Air Forces during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1953, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. In the late 1950s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Began sending aircraft to other B-47 wings as replacements in late 1959, being phased down for inactivation in 1960.
Reactivated in 1962 as a SAC ICBM missile squadron. Trained with the 850th SMS in HGM-25A Titan I operations in 1962, being made operational with LGM-30B Minuteman I missiles in 1963. Upgraded to the LGM-30F Minuteman II in 1972. Remained on Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
nuclear alert until in response to President Bush's directive to stand down the Minuteman II. Dissipated launch codes and pin safety control switches at 15 launch control facilities. Deactivation of the entire missile complex ended in the summer of 1993; squadron inactivated on 1 September.
Lineage
- Constituted 66th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 Nov 1940
- Activated on 15 Jan 1941
- Redesignated 66th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 5 Aug 1945
- Inactivated on 12 Jul 1946
- Activated on 1 Jul 1947
- Inactivated on 6 Sep 1948
- Redesignated 66th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 20 Dec 1950
- Activated on 2 Jan 1951
- Discontinued on 15 Jun 1960
- Redesignated 66th Strategic Missile Squadron on 19 Mar 1962
- Organized on 1 Sep 1962
- Redesignated 66th Missile Squadron on 1 Sep 1991
- Inactivated on 1 Sep 1993.
Assignments
- 44th Bombardment Group, 15 Jan 1941-12 Jul 1946; 1 Jul 1947-6 Sep 1948; 2 Jan 1951
- 44th Bombardment Wing, 16 Jun 1952
- Department of the Air ForceDepartment of the Air ForceThe Department of the Air Force is one of the three Military Departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America...
, 15 Jun 1960 - Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 19 Mar 1962 - 44th Strategic Missile Wing, 1 Sep 1962
- 44th Operations Group44th Operations GroupThe 44th Fighter Group is a United States Air Force Reserve unit, assigned to Tenth Air Force. It is stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. It was activated on 9 April 2010....
, 1 Sep 1991-1 Sep 1993
Stations
- MacDill Field, Florida, 15 January 1941
- Barksdale Field, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, February 1942 - Will Rogers Field, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, July-c. 28 August 1942 - RAF CheddingtonRAF CheddingtonRAF Cheddington is a former World War II airfield in England, located 1 mile south-west of Cheddington in Buckinghamshire. The airfield was closed in 1952.-Origins:...
(USAAF Station 113), England, 11 September 1942 - RAF ShipdhamRAF ShipdhamRAF Shipdham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles S of East Dereham in Norfolk, now used as a privately owned airfield.-USAAF use:...
(USAAF Station 115), England, 10 October 1942-c. 15 June 1945 - Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, c. 27 June 1945
- Great Bend Army Air Field, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, 25 July 1945 - Smoky Hill Army Air Field, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, 14 December 1945-12 July 1946 - Andrews Field, MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, July 1947-6 September 1948 - March AFB, California, 2 January 1951
- Lake Charles AFB, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, 1 August 1951-15 June 1960 - Ellsworth AFB, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, 1 September 1962-1 Sep 1993
Aircraft and missiles
- B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
, 1941–1945 - TB-29 Superfortress, 1951; B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
, 1945–1946; 1947–1948; 1951–1952 - B-47 StratojetB-47 StratojetThe Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
, 1953–1960 - LGM-30B Minuteman I, 1963–1973
- LGM-30F Minuteman II, 1972–1993
66th Missile Squadron Launch Facilities
- Missile Alert Facilities (A-E flights, each controlling 10 missiles) are located as follows:
- A-01 19.9 mi S of Howes, SD, 44°19′52"N 102°03′03"W
- B-01 7.5 mi NxNW of Wall SD, 44°05′56"N 102°17′01"W
- C-01 10.1 mi N of Philip SD, 44°11′01"N 101°42′09"W
- D-01 6.7 mi SxSW of Cottonwood SD, 43°52′40"N 101°57′42"W
- E-01 6.3 mi NxNE of Kadoka SD, 43°55′12"N 101°28′52"W
Decorations
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
- 30 May 1990-29 May 1992
- 1 Jul 1985-30 Jun 1986
- 1 Jul 1983-30 Jun 1985
- 1 Jul 1974-30 Jun 1976
- 9 Jun 1972-10 Jul 1972
- 1 Jul 1969-30 Jun 1970
See also
- Minuteman Missile National Historic SiteMinuteman Missile National Historic SiteMinuteman Missile National Historic Site was established in 1999 to illustrate the history and significance of the Cold War, the arms race, and intercontinental ballistic missile development. This National Historic Site preserves the last remaining Minuteman II ICBM system in the United States...
- one of the 66th SMS' Launch Control Facilities and Launch Facilities left over from the Cold War. - List of United States Air Force missile squadrons