644th Bombardment Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 644th Bomb Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. It was last assigned to the 410th Bombardment Wing. It was last stationed at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base
, Michigan
, and was inactivated on 21 November 1994.
A-20 Havoc light bomber Operational Training Unit in mid-1943; Deployed to European Theater of Operations
(ETO) in mid-1944; assigned to Ninth Air Force
in England
.
Entered combat in May 1944 and helped to prepare for the invasion of Normandy by assaulting coastal defenses, airfields, and V-weapon sites in France
, and marshalling yards in France and Belgium
. Supported the invasion in June by bombing gun positions and railway choke points. Assisted ground forces at Caen
and St Lo in July and at Brest
in August and September by attacking bridges, vehicles, fuel and ammunition dumps, and rail lines.
Moved to France in Sept, and through mid-December struck defended villages, railroad bridges and overpasses, marshalling yards, military camps, and communications centers to support the Allied assault on the Siegfried Line
. Participated in the Battle of the Bulge
, December 1944-January 1945, by pounding marshalling yards, railheads, bridges, and vehicles in the battle area. Continued to fly support and interdictory missions, aiding the drive across the Rhine and into Germany
, February-April 1945, continuing attacks on enemy forces until the German Capitulation in May 1945.
Most of the squadron was demobilized during the summer of 1945; squadron returned to the United States and was assigned to Seymour Johnson Field, then Myrtle Beach Army Airfield, however was minimally manned and equipped. Inactivated in November 1945.
Reactivated by Strategic Air Command
in 1958 as Missile Training squadron at Cooke (later Vandenberg) AFB. Provided training for Royal Air Force
personnel in the operation and launching of the PGM-17 Thor
Intermediate-Range Missie. Also provided training to SAC personnel on SM-65 Atlas and HGM-25A Titan I Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. Inactivated July 1, 1959.
Reactivated again as a B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombardment squadron in 1963, replacing a provisional squadron at K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan
. The squadron conducted strategic bombardment training and air refueling operations on a global scale to meet SAC commitments. From 1964 to 1975, the squadron supported combat operations over Indochina
by rotating B-52 and KC-135 flight crews to Guam
and Okinawa, participating in Operation Arc Light
, Linebacker I and Linebacker II. Remained on nuclear alert until the end of the Cold War, being inactivated in 1994 with the inactivation of the parent 410th Bomb Wing and the closure of K. I. Sawyer AFB.
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 410th Bombardment Wing. It was last stationed at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base
K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base
K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base is a decommissioned U.S. Air Force base in Marquette County, Michigan, south of the city of Marquette. The base, near the center of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, closed in 1995. The county airport, Sawyer International, now occupies a portion of the base and has scheduled...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and was inactivated on 21 November 1994.
History
Established as a Third Air ForceThird 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....
A-20 Havoc light bomber Operational Training Unit in mid-1943; 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 mid-1944; assigned to Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
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...
.
Entered combat in May 1944 and helped to prepare for the invasion of Normandy by assaulting coastal defenses, airfields, and V-weapon sites 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 marshalling yards in 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...
. Supported the invasion in June by bombing gun positions and railway choke points. Assisted ground forces at Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
and St Lo in July and at Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
in August and September by attacking bridges, vehicles, fuel and ammunition dumps, and rail lines.
Moved to France in Sept, and through mid-December struck defended villages, railroad bridges and overpasses, marshalling yards, military camps, and communications centers to support the Allied assault on the Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
. Participated in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, December 1944-January 1945, by pounding marshalling yards, railheads, bridges, and vehicles in the battle area. Continued to fly support and interdictory missions, aiding the drive across the Rhine and into 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...
, February-April 1945, continuing attacks on enemy forces until the German Capitulation in May 1945.
Most of the squadron was demobilized during the summer of 1945; squadron returned to the United States and was assigned to Seymour Johnson Field, then Myrtle Beach Army Airfield, however was minimally manned and equipped. Inactivated in November 1945.
Reactivated by 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...
in 1958 as Missile Training squadron at Cooke (later Vandenberg) AFB. Provided training for Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
personnel in the operation and launching of the PGM-17 Thor
PGM-17 Thor
Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was...
Intermediate-Range Missie. Also provided training to SAC personnel on SM-65 Atlas and HGM-25A Titan I Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. Inactivated July 1, 1959.
Reactivated again as a B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombardment squadron in 1963, replacing a provisional squadron at K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The squadron conducted strategic bombardment training and air refueling operations on a global scale to meet SAC commitments. From 1964 to 1975, the squadron supported combat operations over Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
by rotating B-52 and KC-135 flight crews to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and Okinawa, participating in Operation Arc Light
Arc Light
Arc Light is the debut novel by Eric L. Harry, a techno-thriller about limited nuclear war published in 1994 and written in 1991-2.As China and Russia clash in Siberia in June 1999, nuclear missiles strike the United States. The U.S. retaliates against Russia, and World War III begins...
, Linebacker I and Linebacker II. Remained on nuclear alert until the end of the Cold War, being inactivated in 1994 with the inactivation of the parent 410th Bomb Wing and the closure of K. I. Sawyer AFB.
Lineage
- Constituted 644th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 16 Jun 1943
- Activated on 1 Jul 1943
- Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945
- Redesignated 644th Strategic Missile Squadron on 1 Dec 1958
- Activated on 15 Jan 1959
- Inactivated on 1 Nov 1959
- Redesignated 644th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), and activated, on 15 Nov 1962
- Organized on 1 Feb 1963; receiving personnel/aircraft/equipment from 526th Bombardment Squadron526th Bombardment SquadronThe 526th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4042d Strategic Wing. It was last stationed at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan, and was inactivated on 1 February 1963.-History:...
(Inactivated) - Redesignated 644th Bomb Squadron on 1 Jun 1992
- Inactivated on 21 Nov 1994
Assignments
- 410th Bombardment Group, 1 Jul 1943-7 Nov 1945
- 704th Strategic Missile Wing704th Strategic Missile WingThe 404th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. It is attached to Seventeenth Air Force [Air Forces Africa], stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, 15 Jan 1959 - 1st Missile Division, 1 Jul-1 Nov 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...
, 15 Nov 1962 - 410th Bombardment Wing, 1 Feb 1963
- 410th Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991-21 Nov 1994
Stations
- Will Rogers Field, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, 1 Jul 1943 - Muskogee Army Airfield, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, 4 Oct 1943 - Laurel Army Airfield, MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, 10 Jan 1944 - Lakeland Army Airfield, 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...
, 8 Feb-13 Mar 1944 - RAF BirchRAF BirchRAF Station Birch is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately northeast of Tiptree; about northeast of London...
(AAF-149), 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...
, 4 Apr 1944 - RAF GosfieldRAF GosfieldRAF Station Gosfield is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north of Braintree; about north-northeast of LondonOpened in 1943, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force...
(AAF-154), 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...
, 16 Apr 1944 - Coulommiers Airfield (A-58), 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...
, 27 Sep 1944 - Juvincourt AirfieldJuvincourt AirfieldJuvincourt Airfield is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary in the Aisne department of northern France....
(A-68), 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...
, 9 Feb 1945 - Beaumont sur Oise Airfield (A-60), 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...
, 22 May-25 Jun 1945 - Seymour Johnson Field, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, c. 24 Aug 1945 - Myrtle Beach Army Airfield, South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth 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...
, 5 Oct-7 Nov 1945 - Vandenberg AFB, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 15 Jan-1 Nov 1959 - K. I. Sawyer AFB, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
1 Feb 1963-21 Nov 1994
Aircraft and missiles
- A-20 Havoc, 1944-1945
- A-26 InvaderA-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
, 1945 - PGM-17 ThorPGM-17 ThorThor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was...
Missile, 1959 - HGM-25A Titan I Missile, 1959
- SM-65 Atlas Missile, 1959
- B-52H Stratofortress, 1963-1994
See also
- List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force
- List of United States Air Force missile squadrons