The squadron was activated in the reserve in 1947, but apparently was not fully manned or equipped before inactivating in June 1949 and transferring its resources to another unit. It was redesignated the 740th Fighter-Day Squadron and activated, but did not become operational before inactivating in July 1957. In November 1962 it was organized as the 740th Strategic Missile Squadron, an LGM-30B Minuteman I squadron. In 1971 it upgraded to the Minuteman III, and is currently a part of the 91st Operations Group.
Mission
The 740th Missile Squadron controls and maintains 50 launch facilities and 5 missile alert facilities. The squadron is divided into missile operations flights, which are responsible for day-to-day operations, maintenance, and security, and an operations support flight, which is responsible for ensuring the readiness of the missile alert facilities.[3]
The air echelon of the squadron was delayed in Tunisia and was not entirely lodged at the squadron's combat station of San Giovanni Airfield, Italy until 1 February 1944, and the squadron flew its first mission that month. The squadron was engaged primarily in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, attacking targets like airfields, factories, oil refineries, harbors, marshalling yards in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia.[4]
On 2 April 1944, the squadron attacked a ball bearing plant at Steyr, Austria for which it earned a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). The primary target, the Daimler-Pusch aircraft engine factory was obscured by clouds, so the unit attacked the nearby ball bearing plant although attacks by an estimated 75 twin engine fighters continued through the bomb run and heavy, accurate flak was encountered. The squadron claimed the destruction of seven of these fighters against the loss of one squadron Liberator.[8]
On 26 June 1944, the squadron encountered fighter opposition that was described as the strongest Fifteenth Air Force had encountered to date, and which destroyed several Liberators of the 455th Group, which was leading the 304th Bombardment Wing on the raid. One squadron Liberator was lost on the raid, while the squadron claimed eleven enemy aircraft destroyed (two shared claims). The squadron pressed its attack on the oil refinery at Moosbierbaum, Austria, for which it received a second DUC.[4][9]
The squadron provided air support to ground forces in Operation Shingle, the landings at Anzio and the Battle of Monte Cassino in the spring of 1944. It knocked out coastal defenses to clear the way for Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France in September. As Axis forces were withdrawing from the Balkan peninsula in the fall of 1944, the squadron bombed marshalling yards, troop concentrations and airfields to slow their retreat. It flew air interdiction missions to support Operation Grapeshot, the Spring 1945 offensive in Northern Italy.[4]
The squadron flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945 against rail yards at Linz, Austria.[10] Following the surrender of German forces in Italy, it flew some supply missions and transported personnel to ports and airfields for shipment back to the United States. Most of the air echelon returned to the United States, ferrying their aircraft in June. The squadron's remaining ground personnel remained in Italy, moving to Bari Airfield in July 1945, where they serviced the aircraft assigned to headquarters, Fifteenth Air Force.[11] It was inactivated there on 9 September 1945.[1]
Air Force reserve
The squadron was reactivated as a reserve unit under Air Defense Command (ADC) at Hensley Field, Texas in January 1947, where its training was supervised by ADC's 4122d AAF Base Unit (later the 2596th Air Force Reserve Training Center).[citation needed] It was assigned directly to Tenth Air Force until March, when its parent 455th Group was activated. It was nominally a very heavy bomber unit, but the squadron does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped with operational aircraft while a reserve unit.[12] In 1948 Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC.[13] President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force.[14] ConAC also reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization system in June 1949. As a result, the squadron was inactivated and its personnel and equipment were transferred to elements of the 443d Troop Carrier Wing, which was activated simultaneously.[1][15]
Tactical Air Command
The squadron was redesignated the 740th Fighter-Day Squadron and activated at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina in July 1956 as Tactical Air Command planned to organize a second North American F-100 Super Sabre wing there. Some personnel were assigned to the unit, but it never became operational with aircraft. It was inactivated in July 1957 and its few personnel assigned were reassigned to elements of the 354th Fighter-Day Wing.[1][16]
Intercontinental ballistic missile squadron
740th Missile Squadron missile sites
The squadron was redesignated the 740th Strategic Missile Squadron and activated on 1 November 1962 as an intercontinental ballistic missile squadron at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. The squadron was initially equipped with 50 LGM-30B Minuteman Is, and placed its first missile on alert in 1963. The 740th upgraded to LGM-30G Minuteman III between December 1970 through December 1971 and has maintained ICBMs on alert ever since.[1]
The squadron has undergone several changes in assignment that did not affect its mission. In June 1968, the 455th Strategic Missile Wing at Minot was replaced by the 91st Strategic Missile Wing, which moved from Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana to Minot on paper, and the squadron was reassigned to the 91st Wing.[17] In September 1991 Strategic Air Command (SAC) reorganized its missile wings under the combat wing organization, and the 91st Wing's missile squadrons were assigned to the reactivated 91st Operations Group and dropped the "strategic" from their name. In 1992, the Air Force reorganized its combat forces. SAC was inactivated and the squadron became an element of Air Combat Command until July 1993, when it became part of Air Force Space Command. Between 1994 and 1996, the wing was reduced to group level. In December 2009, the Air Force's nuclear capable missile units, including the 740th were transferred to Air Force Global Strike Command.[1][18][19]
Squadron missile sites are designated by flight, using one letter of the alphabet, followed by a number. The first site in each flight is #1 and designates the Missile Alert Facility, which consists of an above-ground structure plus an underground Launch Control Center staffed by two officers. The Launch Facilities, are numbered 2 through 11 and are connected to the Launch Control Center by hardened intersite cables, which also interconnect flights. The 740th includes flights A through E.[20]
Lineage
Constituted as the 740th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 May 1943
Activated on 1 June 1943
Redesignated 740th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 6 March 1944
Inactivated on 9 September 1945
Redesignated 740th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 27 December 1946
Activated in the reserve on 10 January 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
Redesignated 740th Fighter-Day Squadron on 7 May 1956
Activated on 25 July 1956
Inactivated on 1 July 1957
Redesignated 740th Strategic Missile Squadron and activated on 28 June 1962 (not organized)
Organized on 1 November 1962
Redesignated as 740 Missile Squadron on 1 September 1991[1]
Assignments
455th Bombardment Group, 1 June 1943 - 9 September 1945
Tenth Air Force, 10 January 1947
455th Bombardment Group, 25 March 1947 - 27 June 1949
455th Fighter-Day Group, 25 July 1956 - 1 July 1957
Strategic Air Command, 28 June 1962 (not organized)
455th Strategic Missile Wing, 1 November 1962
91st Strategic Missile Wing, 25 June 1968
91st Operations Group, 1 September 1991
91st Missile Group, 1 July 1994
91st Operations Group, 1 February 1996 – present[1]
Stations
Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 1 June 1943
Kearns Army Air Base, Utah, 9 September 1943
Langley Field, Virginia, 5 October – 13 December 1943
San Giovanni Airfield, Italy, 15 January 1944
Bari, Italy, c. July–9 September 1945
Hensley Field, Texas, 10 January 1947 – 27 June 1949
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina, 25 July 1956 – 1 July 1957
Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, 1 November 1962 – present[1]
^This emblem apparently did not receive official approval. See Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 730 (no approved emblem as of 1963).
^Aircraft is Ford Motors built Consolidated B-24H-10-FO Liberator, serial 42-52249, Fords Folly. This plane was shot down over Sichelbach, Austria on 16 June 1944. Baugher, Joe (14 May 2023). "1942 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 14 June 2023. Missing Air Crew Report 6956.
Watkins, Robert A. (2009). Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force In World War II. Vol. IV, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN978-0-7643-3401-6.
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