556th Strategic Missile Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 556th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. It was last assigned to the 820th Strategic Aerospace Division
. It was inactivated at Plattsburgh Air Force Base
, New York
on 25 June 1965.
medium bombardment squadron in late 1942. Trained under Third Air Force
and deployed to European Theater of Operations
(ETO) in July 1943. Initially being stationed in England
and assigned to IX Bomber Command,
Engaged in tactical bombardment of enemy targets in Occupied Europe initially from stations in England
, then after D-Day
, moved to Advanced Landing Ground
s in France
and Belgium
; advancing eastward as Allied ground forces advanced. Supported Eighth Air Force
strategic bombardment missions over Nazi Germany
and Occupied Europe; striking enemy airfields to obtain maximum interference in Luftwaffe day interceptor attacks on heavy bomber formations returning to England. Also participated in Western Allied Invasion of Germany, March-April 1945, combat ending with German Capitation in May 1945.
Became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe
while squadron demobilized personnel in 1945. Squadron reassigned to the United States as a paper unit, inactivated in November 1945.
Reactivated in 1957 as a Strategic Air Command
Strategic Missile Squadron, initially performing testing on the SM-62 Snark
intercontinental cruise missile. Performed testing at the Atlantic Missile Range in Florida
; moving to Presque Isle AFB, Maine
for operational deployment in 1959. Reactivated after missile was brought into service.
SM-65F Atlas
ICBM launch squadron, stationed at Plattsburgh AFB, New York
and assigned to the 820th Air (later Strategic Aerospace) Division
on 1 July 1961. The activation of the 556th SMA at Platsburgh AFB was the only Atlas ICBM squadron east of the Mississippi River.
The squadron was assigned twelve missiles, based in a 1 x 12 configuration: twelve independent widely dispersed launch sites comprised the missile squadron. The first missile arrived in April 1962, and the silos were declared operational in December. During the Cuban missile crisis, the 556th received orders to maintain all 12 missiles on alert status.
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.
On December 1, 1964, the first Atlas F missile was removed from alert status in favor of the more advanced LGM-25C Titan II; squadron was inactivated on 25 June 1965. Missile sites were later sold off to private ownership after demilitarization.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. It was last assigned to the 820th Strategic Aerospace Division
820th Strategic Aerospace Division
The 820th Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Eighth Air Force, being stationed at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York...
. It was inactivated at Plattsburgh Air Force Base
Plattsburgh Air Force Base
Plattsburgh Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base covering 3,447 acres in the extreme northeast corner of New York, 20 miles south of the Canadian border...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 25 June 1965.
World War II
Activated as a B-26 MarauderB-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
medium bombardment squadron in late 1942. Trained under Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
and deployed to European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO) in July 1943. Initially being stationed in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and assigned to IX Bomber Command,
Engaged in tactical bombardment of enemy targets in Occupied Europe initially from stations in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, then after D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, moved to Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
s in 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...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
; advancing eastward as Allied ground forces advanced. Supported Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
strategic bombardment missions over Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and Occupied Europe; striking enemy airfields to obtain maximum interference in Luftwaffe day interceptor attacks on heavy bomber formations returning to England. Also participated in Western Allied Invasion of Germany, March-April 1945, combat ending with German Capitation in May 1945.
Became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
while squadron demobilized personnel in 1945. Squadron reassigned to the United States as a paper unit, inactivated in November 1945.
Reactivated in 1957 as a 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...
Strategic Missile Squadron, initially performing testing on the SM-62 Snark
SM-62 Snark
-External links:** Air Force Magazine article about a Snark that was test-fired and rumored to have been found in Brazil** detailed article on Snark and the USAF school to train personnel for it...
intercontinental cruise missile. Performed testing at the Atlantic Missile Range in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
; moving to Presque Isle AFB, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
for operational deployment in 1959. Reactivated after missile was brought into service.
Strategic Air Command
Reactivated in 1961 as a Strategic Air CommandStrategic 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...
SM-65F Atlas
SM-65F Atlas
The SM-65F Atlas, or Atlas-F, was the final operational variant of the Atlas missile. It first flew on 8 August 1961, and was deployed as an operational ICBM between 1961 and 1966. Following retirement as an ICBM, the Atlas-F, along with the Atlas-E, was refurbished for orbital launches as the...
ICBM launch squadron, stationed at Plattsburgh AFB, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and assigned to the 820th Air (later Strategic Aerospace) Division
820th Strategic Aerospace Division
The 820th Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Eighth Air Force, being stationed at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York...
on 1 July 1961. The activation of the 556th SMA at Platsburgh AFB was the only Atlas ICBM squadron east of the Mississippi River.
The squadron was assigned twelve missiles, based in a 1 x 12 configuration: twelve independent widely dispersed launch sites comprised the missile squadron. The first missile arrived in April 1962, and the silos were declared operational in December. During the Cuban missile crisis, the 556th received orders to maintain all 12 missiles on alert status.
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.
On December 1, 1964, the first Atlas F missile was removed from alert status in favor of the more advanced LGM-25C Titan II; squadron was inactivated on 25 June 1965. Missile sites were later sold off to private ownership after demilitarization.
Lineage
- Constituted 556 Bombardment Squadron (Medium), on 25 Nov 1942
- Activated on 1 Dec 1942
- Redesignated 556 Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 9 Oct 1944
- Inactivated on 12 Nov 1945
- Redesignated 556th Strategic Missile Squadron on 22 Nov 1957
- Activated on 15 Dec 1957
- Inactivated on 16 Jul 1959
- Activated on 26 Apr 1961
- Organized on 1 Oct 1961
- Inactivated on 25 June 1965
Assignments
- 387th Bombardment Group, 1 Dec 1942-12 Nov 1945
- Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe 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...
, 15 Dec 1957 - 702d Strategic Missile Wing, 1 Apr-16 Jul 1959
- Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe 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...
, 26 Apr 1961 - 820th Air (later Strategic Aerospace) Division820th Strategic Aerospace DivisionThe 820th Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Eighth Air Force, being stationed at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York...
, 1 Oct 1961-25 June 1965
Stations
- MacDill Field, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, 1 Dec 1942 - Drane Field, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, 12 Apr 1943 - Godman Field, KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, 12 May-10 Jun 1943 - RAF Chipping OngarRAF Chipping OngarRAF Station Chipping Ongar is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately northeast of Chipping Ongar; about northeast of London...
(AAF-162), EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 1 Jul 1943 - RAF Stoney CrossRAF Stoney CrossRAF Station Stoney Cross is a former World War II airfield in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Lyndhurst and west of Southampton....
(AAF-452), EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, c. 21 Jul 1944 - Maupertus Airfield (A-15), FranceFranceThe 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...
, c. 1 Sep 1944 - Chateaudun AirfieldChâteaudun Air BaseChâteaudun Air Base is a French Air Force base. The base is located approximately southeast of Châteaudun; about southwest of Paris.The base is primarily used for aircraft storage and ferrying them to other squadrons of the Air Force. EAA 601 is assigned to perform this mission...
(A-39), FranceFranceThe 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...
, c. 18 Sep 1944
- Clastres Airfield (A-71), FranceFranceThe 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...
, c. 4 Nov 1944 - Maastricht AirfieldMaastricht Aachen AirportMaastricht Aachen Airport is a regional airport located northeast of the city of Maastricht, in the town of Beek, both municipalities in the Limburg province in the Netherlands. The airport is also northwest of the city of Aachen, Germany....
(Y-44), NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, c. 4 May 1945 - Rosieres-en-Santerre Airfield (B-87), FranceFranceThe 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...
, 30 May-c. Nov 1945 - Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 11-12 Nov 1945 - Patrick AFB, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, 15 Dec 1957 - Presque Isle AFB, MaineMaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, 9-16 Jul 1959 - Plattsburgh AFB, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 1 Oct 1961-25 June 1965
Aircraft and missiles
- B-26 MarauderB-26 MarauderThe Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
, 1942-1945 - SM-62 SnarkSM-62 Snark-External links:** Air Force Magazine article about a Snark that was test-fired and rumored to have been found in Brazil** detailed article on Snark and the USAF school to train personnel for it...
, 1958–1959 - SM-65F AtlasSM-65F AtlasThe SM-65F Atlas, or Atlas-F, was the final operational variant of the Atlas missile. It first flew on 8 August 1961, and was deployed as an operational ICBM between 1961 and 1966. Following retirement as an ICBM, the Atlas-F, along with the Atlas-E, was refurbished for orbital launches as the...
, 1962–1965 - Operated twelve missile sites of one missile at each site (12 total):
- 556-1 5.2 mi W of Rouses Point, NY 45°00′04"N 073°28′18"W
- 556-2 1.0 mi E of Alburg, VT 44°59′14"N 073°17′18"W
- 556-3 1.3 mi SSW of Swanton, VT 44°54′08"N 073°08′17"W
- 556-4 6.4 mi S of Willsboro Point, NY 44°20′33"N 073°22′11"W
- 556-5 8.2 mi NNE of Elizabethtown, NY 44°19′55"N 073°33′13"W
- 556-6 2.1 mi NE of Au Sable Forks, NY 44°27′36"N 073°38′33"W
- 556-7 4.1 mi E of Loon Lake, NY 44°32′30"N 073°58′31"W
- 556-8 6.6 mi WSW of Saranac, NY 44°36′04"N 073°51′24"W
- 556-9 5.9 mi NW of Dannemora, NY 44°46′15"N 073°49′20"W
- 556-10 7.3 mi SE of Chateaugay, NY 44°50′36"N 073°59′17"W
- 556-11 14.0 mi WNW of Dannemora, NY 44°54′44"N 073°49′04"W
- 556-12 10.7 mi WNW of Chazy, NY 44°58′03"N 073°37′29"W