13th Strategic Missile Division (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 13th Strategic Missile Division


caption= 13th Strategic Missile Division emblem
dates= 2 October 1940–25 October 1941
23 August 1942–17 October 1945
20 May 1959–2 July 1966
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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The 13th Strategic Missile Division was a unit of the United States Air Force.

History

Activated in the United States in October 1940, the wing moved to Puerto Rico where it remained until inactivated in October 1941. Following second activation, it moved in May 1943 to England for duty with the Eighth Air Force. Groups assigned in September 1943 began strategic bombing of enemy aircraft, petroleum, and ball bearing industries as well as German airfields. Later, organizational units took part in the famous raid against the ball bearing industry at Schweinfurt in October 1943 and followed with missions against shipyards and shipbuilding installations at Wilhelmshaven and Bremen. During the 1960s, the division organized, manned, trained, and equipped several strategic missile wings in Wyoming.

Background of name

Mission

Operations

Lineage and honors

Established as 13 Composite Wing on 2 October 1940.Activated on 10 October 1940.Inactivated on 25 October 1941.

Redesignated 13 Bombardment Wing on 23 August 1942.Activated on 1 October 1942.Redesignated 13 Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 1 February 1943; 13 Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 30 August 1943; 13 Combat Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 24 August 1944; 13 Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 18 June 1945; 13 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 17 August 1945.Inactivated on 17 October 1945.

Redesignated 13 Air Division on 20 May 1959.Activated on 1 July 1959.Redesignated 13 Strategic Missile Division on 1 January 1963.Discontinued, and inactivated, on 2 July 1966.

Service streamers

This unit earned the following organizational service streamers:

World War II: European African Middle Eastern (EAME) Theater

Campaign streamers

This unit earned the following organizational campaign streamers:

none

Armed forces expeditionary streamers

none

Decorations

This unit earned the following unit decorations:

none

Awards

none

Emblem

Light blue, issuant from base a sphere light green with land areas vert, grid lined azure, the sinister quarter of the last with grid lines of the field, above the sphere in chief an olive branch arched fesswise or, overall an aircraft and a missile bendwise each trailing speedlines of the like and all within a diminished border of the last. (Approved 4 January 1961)

Assignments

Unknown, 10 October 1940;Panama Canal (later, Caribbean, Sixth) Air Force, c.1 November 1940–25 October 1941.

Third Air Force, 1 October 1942;
Eighth Air Force, c.1 June 1943;
VIII Bomber Command, 4 June 1943;
VIII Fighter Command, unknown;
3d Air Division, 16 July 1945;
Second Air Force, c.15 August 1945–17 October 1945.

Fifteenth Air Force, 1 July 1959;Eighth Air Force, 1 July 1963;Fifteenth Air Force, 1 July 1965–2 July 1966.

Components

Wings:
* 90 Strategic Missile: 1 July 1963–2 July 1966.
* 389 Strategic Missile: 1 July 1961–25 March 1965.
* 451 Strategic Missile: 1 July 1961–25 June 1965.
* 703 Strategic Missile: 1 July 1959–1 July 1961.
* 706 Strategic Missile: 1 July 1959–1 July 1961.

Groups:
* 25 Bombardment: 1 November 1940–c.6 January 1941.
* 36 Pursuit: January 1941–3 June 1941.
* 40 Bombardment: 1 May 1941–25 October 1941.
* 95 Bombardment: September 1943–c.19 June 1945.
* 100 Bombardment: c. September 1943–c. December 1945.
* 390 Bombardment: 13 September 1943–c.4 August 1945.
* 490 Bombardment: c. March 1945–August 1945.
* 493 Bombardment: c. March 1945–August 1945.

Squadron:
* 34 Air Refueling: 1 July 1965–25 June 1966.

Stations

Langley Field (later Langley Air Force Base), Virginia, 10 October 1940–26 October 1940;Borinquen Field (later Ramey Air Force Base}, Puerto Rico, 1 November 1940;
San Juan, Puerto Rico, c.6 January 1941;Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, c.1 May 1941–25 October 1941.

MacDill Field (later MacDill Air Force Base), Florida, 1 October 1942–c.10 May 1943;Marks Hall, England, c.2 June 1943;Camp Blainey, England, c.13 June 1943;Horham, England, 13 September 1943–c.6 August 1945;Sioux Falls Army Air Field (later Sioux Falls Regional Airport), South Dakota, c.15 August 1945;Peterson Field (later Peterson Air Force Base), Colorado, 17 August 1945–17 October 1945.

Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, 1 July 1959–2 July 1966.

Aircraft / Missiles / Space vehicles

B-18 Bolo, 1940–1941;
B-17 Flying Fortress, 1941;
B-26 Marauder, 1941;
P-39 Airacobra, 1941;
P-40 Warhawk, 1941.

B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945;

Atlas (SM-65), 1960–1965;
Titan I (SM-68), 1962–1965;
Minuteman I (SM-80), 1964–1966;
EC-135 Looking Glass, 1965–1966;
KC-135 Stratotanker, 1965–1966.

Commanders

First Lieutenant Paul Hinds, 10 October 1940;Captain Kenneth O. Sanborn, October 1940;Brigadier General Follett Bradley, c.1 November 1940;Lieutenant Colonel Robert V. Ignico, c.4 August 1941;Brigadier General Douglas B. Netherwood, c.7 September 1941–25 October 1941.

Major Henry Silleck, 1942–unknown;Colonel Alfred A. Kessler Jr., 16 September 1943;Colonel Harold Q. Huglin, c. 9 February 1944–c.1 April 1944;Unknown, c.1 April 1944–16 April 1944;Colonel Edgar M. Wittan, 17 April 1944;Colonel Karl Truesdell Jr., 13 September 1944;Colonel Hunter Harris, Jr., 25 September 1944;Brigadier General Alfred A. Kessler Jr., 5 November 1944;Brigadier General Harold Q. Huglin, 19 November 1944;Lieutenant Colonel Clifton D. Wright, 18 July 1945;Lieutenant Colonel Paul C. Hutchins, 31 August 1945–unknown.

Brigadier General William S. Rader, 1 July 1959;Major General Lewis E. Lyle, 13 January 1965–2 July 1966.

ee also

* Eighth Air Force

References

External links

* [http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/rso/airdivision_pages/0013smd.asp Air Force Historical Research Agency: 13th Strategic Missile Division]