The squadron was first activated at Geiger Field, Washington in January 1943 as the 571st Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 390th Bombardment Group.[2] A cadre from the squadron and group went to the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida for advanced training. The 390th Group was the first to go through this training process, which was followed by later combat groups.[3] The squadron was filled out with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortressheavy bombers beginning the following month and trained at Geiger and at Great Falls Army Air Base, Montana until early July 1943. The squadron's air echelon ferried their B-17s to England via the north Atlantic ferry route, with the first bombers arriving on 13 July. The ground echelon departed for Camp Shanks and the New York Port of Embarkation, sailing on the USAT James Parker on 17 July, reaching England ten days later.[2][4][5]
Combat in the European Theater
Fighter contrails over a formation of 390th Group B-17s
The squadron arrived at its combat station, RAF Framlingham in July 1943 and flew its first combat mission on 12 August against targets in the Ruhr. Five days later, the squadron attacked the Messerschmitt factory at Regensburg, for which it earned its first Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC).[4] The Regensburg mission was a "shuttle" mission, and the squadron continued after striking the target to recover at Twelfth Air Force bases in North Africa. Poor weather at the departure bases extended the time required to assemble the strike force, making fuel reserves critical. Half of the fighter cover missed the rendezvous, lessening the bombers' protection. For an hour and a half after its entry into German airspace, the strike force bore attacks from German interceptors. The 390th Group suffered the heaviest losses of the leading wing, but had the best bombing results, which destroyed equipment used for the assembly of the Me 262 jet fighter, delaying its introduction into service.[6]
On 14 October 1943, the squadron carried out an attack on the ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt, braving unrelenting attacks by enemy fighters, despite which, the 390th Group had the highest accuracy of the attacking force.[7] For this mission it received a second DUC. In late February 1944, the squadron participated in Big Week, the concentrated assault on Germany's aircraft manufacturing industry, including plants manufacturing aircraft instruments and depots for aviation supplies. Other strategic targets included attacks on navy bases at Bremen, bridges at Cologne, marshalling yards at Frankfurt am Main, factories at Mannheim, synthetic oil plants at Merseburg, and oil refineries at Zeitz.[4]
The squadron was occasionally diverted from the strategic bombing campaign to fly air support and interdiction missions. It bombed near Caen fifteen minutes before the first landings on the Normandy coast on D Day. It provided support during Operation Cobra, the breakout at Saint Lo in late July 1944. During the Battle of the Bulge from December 1944 through January 1945, it cut German supply lines to the battle area. It attacked Axis air bases to support Operation Varsity, the airborne assault across the Rhine, in March 1945. The squadron flew its last combat mission on 20 April 1945.[4]
Return to the United States and inactivation
Just prior to and after V-E Day, the squadron dropped food supplies to civilians in the Netherlands. The squadron's aircraft began returning to the United States on 25 June 1945, while the ground echelon sailed on the RMS Queen Elizabeth in early August. The squadron reassembled at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota later that month and was inactivated there on 28 August 1945.[2][4][5]
Intercontinental ballistic missiles
The squadron was redesignated the 571st Strategic Missile Squadron and organized at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona on 1 May 1962 as a Strategic Air Command (SAC) LGM-25C Titan IIintercontinental ballistic missile squadron.[2] The squadron was mostly formed from ground up and was initially concerned with training and duties associated with facility construction, for the first Titan did not arrive until November,[8] and the squadron's first missile silo (571-9) went on operational alert in 1963.[citation needed] When the full squadron went on alert in November 1963, the 390th Wing became the first Titan II wing to go on alert.[9]
The Titan II was an improvement over the Titan I. It used storeable liquid propellant and all inertial guidance. It could be launched from its silo and carried a larger warhead. The squadron operated nine missile sites:[10]
In November 1964, the squadron and the 390th Wing became the first Titan II unit in SAC to complete an operational readiness inspection.[11]
On 2 October 1981, Deputy Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci directed the inactivation of the Titan II as soon as possible. Project Rivet Cap, the termination of the Titan II weapons system, formally began with the removal of site 571-6 from alert on 30 September 1982. In November 1983, explosive demolition of Titan II silos at Davis-Monthan began. The squadron was inactivated on 2 December 1983.[12] Complexes that were still active were transferred to the 570th Strategic Missile Squadron, and the last former squadron site (571-8) was inactivated on 8 February 1984.[citation needed]
Local aviation enthusiasts associated with the Pima Air Museum won Defense Department approval in 1984 to set aside one silo for permanent display. The silo at Green Valley (571-7) was retained by the Air Force and leased to local government for use as the "Titan Missile Museum." With a training Titan II missile in place, the silo is maintained by a dedicated organization of volunteers from nearby retirement communities. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as the only surviving sample of a Titan II installation. In addition to the launch complex and missile, the museum obtained auxiliary support equipment for display.[citation needed]
Lineage
Constituted as the 571st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 15 January 1943
Activated on 26 January 1943
Redesignated 571st Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 20 August 1943
Inactivated on 28 August 1945
Redesignated 571st Strategic Missile Squadron and activated on 28 November 1961 (not organized)
Freeman, Roger A. (1970). The Mighty Eighth: Units, Men and Machines (A History of the US 8th Army Air Force). London: 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.
