The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 564th Bombardment Squadron, when after training in the United States, it deployed to England and participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. Shortly after its arrival in Europe, the squadron sent a detachment to Libya. From this location, the detachment participated in Operation Tidal Wave, the low level attack on oil refineries near Ploesti, for which the squadron was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation. Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated in September 1945. The squadron was active from 1947 to 1949 in the reserve, but does not appear to have been fully equipped or manned.
The squadron was reactivated in July 1958 as the 564th Strategic Missile Squadron. On 1 December 1958, it was the first Air Force intercontinental ballistic missile squadron to go on nuclear alert status. It was inactivated in 1964 with the phase out of the SM-65D Atlas missile.
On 1 April 1966, the 564th was reactivated with the LGM-30F Minuteman II missile, and in 1975 was upgraded to the LGM-30G Minuteman III. It was inactivated when the United States reduced its land based missile force.
By the time the ground echelon arrived at the squadron's combat station, RAF Hethel, the squadron had been called upon to reinforce Ninth Air Force in Africa and had begun its movement to Libya. The advanced echelon of the 389th Group had arrived at Hethel on 11 June and most of the air echelon was in place two weeks later. Personnel were transferred from the 44th and 93d Bombardment Groups to provide the squadron ground support in Libya.[7]
The squadron flew its first combat mission on 9 July 1943, with an attack on Maleme, Crete. It also flew missions to Sicily and other parts of Italy to support Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily through the middle of July. During the later part of the month the squadron concentrated on training for low-level operations in preparation for the attack on the oil refineries around Ploesti, Romania.[8]Operation Tidal Wave was launched on 1 August 1943, with the squadron forming part of the last group formation to attack. The squadron headed for its target in Campina. This target was the most distant of the refineries being attacked and was assigned to the 389th Group because its B-24Ds were late production models and had a longer range than the planes of the other attacking groups. This refinery was totally destroyed in the attack. The squadron was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for this action. Before returning to England, the squadron participated in another long range attack on the Messerschmitt aircraft factory at Wiener Neustadt, Austria on 13 August, which reduced the production of Bf 109s at the factory by a third. The squadron returned to England in the last week of August.[5][9]
The 564th flew its first combat mission from England on 7 September 1943, when it attacked an air base in the Netherlands. The squadron again deployed to Tunisia during September and October 1943 to support Operation Avalanche, the landings on the Italian mainland at Salerno, striking targets in Corsica, Italy, and Austria. after returning to England, the squadron concentrated on strategic bombing campaign against Germany, with targets including industrial areas of Berlin, oil production plants at Merseburg, and factories at Munster, and shipbuilding facilities at Vegesack. It struck V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket launch sites in the Pas de Calais and participated in the strikes against the German aircraft manufacturing industry during Big Week in late February 1944.[5]
The squadron was occasionally diverted from strategic targets to perform air support and interdiction missions. To support Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, it hit airfields and artillery batteries. It struck enemy positions to support Operation Cobra, the breakout at Saint Lo. During the Battle of the Bulge, from December 1944 to January 1945, it attacked storage depots and communications centers. It supported Operation Varsity, the airborne assault across the Rhine by dropping food, ammunition, and other supplies to the ground troops. The squadron flew its last mission on 25 April 1945.[5][6]
Return to the United States and inactivation
Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States. The first airplane left Hethel on 20 May 1945 and the ground echelon left England on the SS Cristobal on 30 May. The squadron reformed at Charleston Army Air Field, South Carolina in June for air transport missions, but was not fully manned before inactivating on 13 September 1945.[5][6]
Air reserve
The squadron was activated in the reserve at Fairfax Field, Kansas, where it trained under the supervision of Air Defense Command (ADC)'s 4101st AAF Base Unit (Reserve Training) (later 2472d AF Reserve Training Center). It is not clear to what degree the squadron was staffed or equipped.[3] (no aircraft listed as assigned to the squadron from 1947 to 1949); AFHRA Factsheet (unknown what aircraft assigned). In 1948 Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC.[10] President Truman's reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force,[11] In addition, ConAC reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization system in June 1949. The 564th was inactivated and the squadron's personnel and equipment were transferred to elements of the 442d Troop Carrier Wing, which became the reserve organization at Fairfax.[2][12]
The squadron was assigned six Atlas D missiles. The missiles were located on six launch pads, controlled by two launch operations buildings and clustered around a central guidance control facility.[f] The squadron would be the only Atlas unit deployed in this configuration[16] However, the Atlas missile itself was still under development and the first successful launch of an Atlas D missile from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida did not occur until 9 September 1959. The squadron received its first missile later that month, the first delivered to a field unit.[17] In April 1960, the coffin type launcher used by the squadron was successfully tested at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California and declared operationally ready.[18] The first Atlas D complex was turned over to the 564th and declared operational on 9 August 1960.[19] On 1 July 1961, the 389th Strategic Missile Wing replaced the 706th and took over its resources.[20]
In response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, on 20 October SAC directed that all Atlas D missiles off alert for modifications be "as covertly as possible" and returned to alert status. Atlas missiles being used for operational readiness training were to be put on alert as soon as liquid oxygen was available. For safety reasons, liquid nitrogen was used rather than liquid oxygen during training.[21] Despite the need for stealth, eventually a priority was established that resulted in the entire production of liquid oxygen in the US being diverted to SAC to bring the missiles to readiness.[22] From 3 November the number of alert missiles was reduced until on 29 November the number was the same as before the crisis.[23] Normal training had resumed on 15 November.[24]
In May 1963, the Air Force determined that all Atlas D missiles would be phased out of its inventory between 1965 and 1968. A year later, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara directed this program be accelerated and the first Atlas D missile left Warren on 26 May 1964.[25] with the retirement of the Atlas D, the squadron was inactivated on 1 September 1964.[2]
Minuteman ICBM era
On 1 April 1966, the squadron was organized at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana and assigned to the 341st Strategic Missile Wing.[2] It was the twentieth and last Minuteman squadron to be activated and was armed with the LGM-30F Minuteman II.[26] Construction of the squadron's launch facilities was completed in October.[27] On 21 April 1967, the squadron was declared operational by SAC and its last missiles were placed on alert the following month, completing the deployment of the Minuteman force.[28] The LGM-30F was the second Minuteman system deployed at Malmstrom, resulting in the squadron being nicknamed "Deuce."[1]
Squadron missile alert and launch facilities
The squadrons Missile Alert Facilities (P-T flights, each controlling 10 missiles) are located as follows:
In January 1975, the fifty Minuteman II missiles of the squadron began to be replaced by LGM-30G Minuteman IIIs. Conversion to the upgraded version of the Minuteman was completed by July.[29] In September 1991, SAC implemented the Objective Wing organization and the squadron was assigned to the 341st Operations Group.[2] With the disestablishment of SAC in 1992, Air Force Space Command assumed responsibility for the intercontinental ballistic missile force.
The 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review determined to reduce the Minuteman II missile force from 500 to 450 missiles.[30] As a result, in 2007, the squadron's missiles were taken off alert and removed from their silos in a process that took thirteen months. The squadron was inactivated on 15 August 2008.[1][31]
Lineage
Constituted as the 564th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 December 1942
Activated on 24 December 1942
Redesignated 564th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 4 January 1944
Inactivated on 13 September 1945
Redesignated 564th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 28 January 1947
Activated in the reserve on 27 February 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
Redesignated 564th Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Atlas) on 1 May 1958
Activated on 1 July 1958
Discontinued and inactivated on 1 September 1964
Redesignated 564th Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Minuteman) and activated, on 14 December 1965 (not organized)
Organized on 1 April 1966
Redesignated 564th Missile Squadron on 1 September 1991[32]
RAF Hethel (AAF-114),[33] England, 16 June 1943 – c. 28 May 1945 (operated from Soluch Airfield, Libya, 3 July-25 August 1943, Massicault Airfield, Tunisia, 19 September–3 October 1943)
Charleston Army Air Field, South Carolina, 12 Jun-13 September 1945
^Approved 28 February 1995. Description: Azure, between flaunchesOr bearing fleurs-de-lis of the first [color mentioned] a "sky sword" Yellow charged on the grip with a sprig of laurel Blue; all within a diminished bordureCeleste.
^Approved 9 July 1959. Description: On an Air Force blue isosceles triangle one point up, edged Air Force golden yellow, eight diagonal stripes in base alternating red and white; overall issuing from base palewise a white missile pointing upward, markings shades of blue, its three exhaust trails to base, Air Force golden yellow and red; around the center of the missile a SAC ribbon (light blue, spattered with white stars); encircling the nose three white electrons in orbit; the lower edge of the Air Force blue field spattered with white tars; outlines and details Air Force blue throughout.
^Aircraft is Consolidated B-24D-15-CF Liberator, serial 42-63960 Dorothy. Taken on 8 February 1944.
^Missile is Convair SM-65D Atlas, serial 58-2205. After removal, it was expended in a test firing on 5 October 1965. Baugher, Joe (21 April 2023). "1958 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 27 April 2023. The missile is on pad 564-A2, Warren I site, taken in 1961.
^This was called the 3 x 2 configuration. SAC Missile Chronology p. 18.
Freeman, Roger A. (1970). The Mighty Eighth: Units, Men and Machines (A History of the US 8th Army Air Force). London, England, UK: Macdonald and Company. ISBN978-0-87938-638-2.
Watkins, Robert (2008). Battle Colors: Insignia and Markings of the Eighth Air Force In World War II. Vol. I (VIII) Bomber Command. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN978-0-7643-1987-7.
