742d Missile Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 742d Missile Squadron (742 MS) is part of the 91st Missile Wing based at Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot. In the 2010 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,521....

, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....

. It operates Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile
Intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...

s.

World War II

Established as a B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...

 heavy bombardment unit in mid-1943; assigned to II Bomber Command
II Bomber Command
The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....

 for training. Primarily trained in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

 and Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

 received deployment orders for the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
Mediterranean Theater of Operations
The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army was originally called North African Theater of Operations and is an American term for the conflict that took place between the Allies and Axis Powers in North Africa and Italy during World War II...

 (MTO) in November 1943. Moved to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 where the group flew long-range convoy escort missions over the Mid-Atlantic, October–November 1943 while station in Italy was being constructed.

Deployed to Southern Italy in January 1944; entered combat in January 1944, being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....

. Engaged in very long range strategic bombing missions to enemy military, industrial and transportation targets in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

, and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....

, bombing railroad marshalling yards, oil refineries, airdrome installations, heavy industry, and other strategic objectives.

In addition to strategic missions in the Balkans, the group bombed troop concentrations, bridges, marshalling yards, and airdromes during the fall of 1944 to hamper the enemy’s withdrawal from the
region. The group also supported ground forces at Anzio and Cassino in March 1944; knocked out gun positions in preparation for the invasion of Southern France in August 1944; and assisted the final Allied drive through Italy in April 1945 by hitting such targets as bridges, gun positions, and
troop concentrations.

Remained in Italy after the German Capitulation in May, although unit personnel were demobilized throughout the summer of 1945. Group was inactivated in Italy on 9 September 1945.

Reactivated in the Air Force Reserve in 1947 with B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...

es. Trained at Hensley Field, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. Inactivated in 1949 due to budget restrictions.

Tactical Air Command

Allocated to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...

 during the 1950s. Activated at Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

 in 1956 as part of a second Fighter-Day Group planned for the new installation. Some personnel were assigned but never became operational with aircraft. Inactivated in July 1957 due to budget restrictions; personnel assigned were reassigned to 354th Fighter-Day Group.

Missiles

Reactivated on 1 Nov 1962 as an ICBM squadron assigned to the 455th Strategic Missile Wing at Minot AFB, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....

. Initially equipped with 50 LGM-30B Minuteman Is in 1963. Reassigned to 91st Strategic Missile Wing in 1968. Upgraded to LGM-30G Minuteman III in 1968/1969, has maintained ICBMs on alert ever since.

Lineage

  • Constituted 742d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 May 1943
Activated on 1 Jun 1943
Inactivated on 9 Sep 1945
  • Redesignated 742d Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 27 Dec 1946
Activated in the reserve on 10 Jan 1947
Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949
  • Redesignated 742d Fighter-Day Squadron on 7 May 1956.
Activated on 25 Jul 1956
Inactivated on 1 Jul 1957
  • Redesignated 742d Strategic Missile Squadron, and activated, on 28 Jun 1962
Organized on 1 Nov 1962
Redesignated as 742d Missile Squadron on 1 Sep 1991.

Assignments

  • 455th Bombardment Group, 1 Jun 1943-9 Sep 1945
  • Tenth Air Force
    Tenth Air Force
    The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....

    , 10 Jan 1947
  • 455th Bombardment Group, 25 Mar 1947-27 Jun 1949
  • 455th Fighter-Day Group, 25 Jul 1956-1 Jul 1957
  • Strategic Air Command
    Strategic Air Command
    The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...

    , 28 Jun 1962
  • 455th Strategic Missile Wing, 1 Nov 1962
  • 91st Strategic Missile Wing, 25 Jun 1968
  • 4091st Operations Group, 1 Jul 1988
  • 91st Strategic Missile Wing, 14 Feb 1991
  • 91st Operations Group
    91st Operations Group
    The 91st Operations Group is the operational component of the 91st Missile Wing, assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command Twentieth Air Force. It is stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota....

    , 1 Sep 1991
  • 91st Missile Group, 1 Jul 1994
  • 91st Operations Group
    91st Operations Group
    The 91st Operations Group is the operational component of the 91st Missile Wing, assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command Twentieth Air Force. It is stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota....

    , 1 Feb 1996–Present

Stations

  • Alamogordo Army Airfield, New Mexico
    New Mexico
    New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

    , 1 Jun 1943
  • Kearns Army Air Base, Utah
    Utah
    Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

    , 9 Sep 1943
  • Langley Field, Virginia
    Virginia
    The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

    , 5 Oct-13 Dec 1943
  • San Giovanni Airfield, Italy
    Italy
    Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

    , 15 Jan 1944
  • Bari Airfield, Italy
    Italy
    Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

    , c. Jul-9 Sep 1945
  • Hensley Field, Texas
    Texas
    Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

    , 10 Jan 1947-27 Jun 1949
  • Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina
    South Carolina
    South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

    , 25 Jul 1956-1 Jul 1957
  • Minot AFB, North Dakota
    North Dakota
    North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....

    , 1 Nov 1962–Present

Aircraft and missiles

  • B-24 Liberator
    B-24 Liberator
    The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...

    , 1943–1945
  • B-29 Superfortress
    B-29 Superfortress
    The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...

    , 1947–1949
  • LGM-30 Minuteman
    LGM-30 Minuteman
    The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States...

     I, 1963–1971
  • LGM-30 Minuteman
    LGM-30 Minuteman
    The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States...

     III, 1968–Present

742d Missile Squadron Launch Facilities
Missile Alert Facilities (K-O flights, each controlling 10 missiles) are located as follows:
K-1 8.8 mi SxSW of Kenmare ND, 48°33′02"N 102°07′12"W
L-1 1.5 mi SW of Bowbells ND, 48°47′21"N 102°16′06"W
M-1 9.1 mi E of Kenmare ND, 48°40′22"N 101°52′31"W
N-1 3.7 mi W of Mohall ND, 48°45′34"N 101°35′31"W
O-1 9.5 mi NW of Maxbass ND, 48°49′28"N 101°16′55"W

Decorations

  • Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
    • 1 Oct 1995-30 Sep 1997

External links

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