874th Tactical Missile Squadron

874th Tactical Missile Squadron
Emblem of the Tactical Missile Squadron
Active	1943-1946; 1961-1969
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment/Tactical Missile

Emblem of the World War II 874th Bombardment Squadron

874th BS Martin-Omaha B-29-5-MO Superfortress 42-65210.

The 874th Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 498th Tactical Missile Group stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.

History

B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan

Activated in November 1943 as one of the initial B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment squadrons. The squadron trained in Kansas with early model B-29s, with frequent delays in training due to modifications of the aircraft to correct production deficiencies.

When training was completed, the squadron was moved to Isely Field, Saipan, in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. Its mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese home islands and the destruction of its war-making capability.

Squadron pilots flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, and other points in the Carolines and Marianas. The squadron conducted combat missions over Japan participating in wide area firebombing attacks, but the first ten day blitz resulted in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs. Until more incendiary bonds were supplied, the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs.

The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Raids were also conducted against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterward, its B-29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria.

The squadron was largely de-mobilized on Saipan during the fall of 1945 and was reorganized as part of Continental Air Forces, Fourth Air Force at March Field, California in November 1945, being manned and equipped with low-hour B-29s returned from the Central Pacific. It later was transferred to the new Strategic Air Command on 21 March 1946, being one of SAC's initial bombardment squadrons. Demobilization, however, was in full swing and the unit turned in its aircraft and was inactivated on 31 March 1946.

United States Air Force

Reactivated in 1961 as a MGM-13 Mace Surface to Surface Missile squadron in Okinawa. Inactivated with the phaseout of the weapon in 1969.

Operations and decorations

• Combat Operations: Combat in Western Pacific, 28 Oct 1944-14 Aug 1945.
• Campaigns: Air Offensive, Japan; Eastern Mandates; Western Pacific.
• Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citations: Japan, 13 Dec 1944; Japan, 1-7 Jun 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award: 8 Feb 1961-29 May 1963.

Lineage

• Constituted 874th Bombardment Squadron on 19 November 1943

Activated on 20 November 1943

Inactivated on 4 August 1946

• Redesignated 874th Tactical Missile Squadron, and activated, on 25 April 1961

Organized on 8 September 1961

Inactivated on 8 July 1969

Assignments

• 498th Bombardment Group, 20 November 1943 – 4 August 1946
• Pacific Air Forces, 25 April 1961
• 498th Tactical Missile Group, 8 September 1961 – 8 July 1969

Stations

Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico, 20 November 1943 Great Bend Army Airfield, Kansas, 13 April-16 July 1944 Isely Field, Saipan, 7 September 1944 – 1 November 1945

March Field, California, c. 7 December 1943 MacDill Field, Florida, 5 January-4 August 1946 Kadena AB, Okinawa, 8 September 1961 – 8 July 1969

Aircraft and missiles

• B-17 Flying Fortress, 1944
• B-29 Superfortress, 1944–1946
• MGM-13 Mace, 1961–1969

See also

• List of United States Air Force missile squadrons

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.