578th Strategic Missile Squadron

World War II

Established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber squadron; trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO), assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England, Flew combat missions over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until the German capitulation in May 1945. Most personnel demobilized in England immediately after the end of the war in Europe, Squadron returned to the United States with a small headquarters staff and was planned to be re-equipped and remanned as a B-29 Superfortress squadron. Japanese capitulation canceled plans and was inactivated as a paper unit in the United States during September 1945.

Effective 15 September 1947, the squadron was activated at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. Having been allotted to the organized reserves, with assignment to Twelfth Air Force, Tactical Air Command. It was equipped with A-26 Invader light bombers. It was reassigned to Continental Air Command on 1 December 1948. It remained on reserve service until being inactivated on 10 November 1949 due to budget restrictions.

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Squadron

Reactivated in 1961 as a Strategic Air Command SM-65F Atlas ICBM launch squadron, stationed at Dyess AFB, Texas and assigned to the 96th Bombardment (later Strategic Aerospace) Wing on 1 July 1961.

The squadron was assigned twelve missiles, based in a 1 x 12 configuration: twelve independent widely dispersed launch sites comprised the missile squadron. In August 1962, the first Atlas F was placed on alert status. In October, all 12 missiles were put on alert status as a result of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The Atlas F was the final and most advanced version of the Atlas ICBM and was stored in a vertical position inside underground concrete and steel silos. When stored, the Atlas F sat atop an elevator. If a missile was placed on alert, it was fueled with RP-1 (kerosene) liquid fuel, which could be stored inside the missile for extended periods. If a decision was made to launch the missile, the missile was raised to the surface and the liquid oxygen tank was filled. The launch would occur shortly after completion of this process. (see below for site details).

The exposure on the surface that this procedure entailed was the great weakness of the Atlas F. It was exposed and vulnerable during this time. The Titan II and Minuteman missiles could be launched from within their silos, thereby eliminating this vulnerability. Also, since the Titan did not use a cryogenic fuel or oxydizer, and the Minuteman was a solid fuel rocket, they could be stored fully fueled and ready to launch within a very few minutes.

The 577th SMS operated twelve launch silos; one missile at each site. On December 1, 1964, the first Atlas F missile at Dyess was removed from alert status in favor of the more advanced LGM-25C Titan II; squadron was inactivated on 25 March 1965. Missile sites were later sold off to private ownership after demilitarization.

Lineage

Constituted 578th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 15 January 1943

Activated on 26 January 1943 Inactivated on 13 September 1945

Re-designated 578th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 13 August 1947

Activated in the reserve on 9 September 1947 Re-designated 578th Bombardment Squadron (light) on 27 June 1949 Inactivated on 10 November 1949

Re-designated 578th Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Atlas), and activated, on 25 January 1961

Organized on 1 July 1961 Inactivated on 25 March 1965

Assignments

392nd Bombardment Group, 26 January 1943 – 13 September 1945; 9 September 1947 – 10 November 1949

Strategic Air Command, 25 January 1961

96th Bombardment (later Strategic Aerospace) Wing, 1 July 1961 – 25 March 1965

Stations

Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 26 January 1943

Biggs Field, Texas, 1 March 1943

Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 18 April-18 July 1943

RAF Wendling (AAF-118), England, 1 August 1943-c. 7 June 1945

Charleston Army Airfield, South Carolina, 23 June-13 September 1945

Barksdale Field, Louisiana, 9 September 1947 – 10 November 1949

Dyess AFB, Texas, 1 July 1961 – 25 March 1965

Aircraft and missiles

B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945

A-26 Invader, 1947-1949

SM-65F Atlas Missile, 1961–1965

Operated twelve missile sites of one missile at each site (12 total):

578-1 1.5 mi SE of Lake Fort Phantom Hill, TX 32°36′09″N 099°38′59″W 578-2 1.5 mi S of Albany, TX 32°42′23″N 099°17′51″W 578-3 2.5 mi SE of Clyde, TX 32°22′54″N 099°27′37″W 578-4 9.6 mi SSW of Clyde, TX 32°16′25″N 099°32′28″W 578-5 1.5 mi SE of Lake Coleman, TX 32°09′42″N 099°33′10″W 578-6 2.7 mi E of Lawn, TX 32°08′25″N 099°42′12″W 578-7 3.4 mi NE of Bradshaw, TX 32°07′51″N 099°51′18″W 578-8 4.9 mi ENE of Winters, TX 31°58′24″N 099°52′48″W 578-9 11.9 mi NW of Bradshaw, TX 32°12′37″N 100°03′03″W 578-10 13.1 mi S of Trent, TX 32°18′05″N 100°09′11″W 578-11 3.2 mi SSW of Anson, TX 32°42′40″N 099°54′34″W 578-12 1.4 mi WNW of Corinth, TX 32°51′37″N 099°53′29″W