448th Missile Squadron

448th Missile Squadron [1]
448th Missile Squadron Patch
Active	26 June 1942 - 12 September 1945 15 March 1947 - 27 June 1949 1 February 1959 - 25 October 1961 2 August 1965 - 30 September 1998
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	ICBM Operations
Motto	In Aquilae Cura Under the Care of the Eagle
Decorations	DUC AFOUA

Coordinates: 47°57′40″N 097°24′04″W / 47.96111°N 97.40111°W / 47.96111; -97.40111 (Grand Forks AFB)

Emblem of the SAC 448th Bombardment Squadron

World War II Bombardment Squadron Emblem

The 448th Missile Squadron (448 MS) is an inactive squadron in the United States Air Force. It was most recently assigned to the 321st Missile Group based at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. It operated Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles.

History

Activated in mid-1942 as a B-25 Mitchell medium bomber squadron, trained by Third Air Force in the southeastern United States. Deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), being assigned to Twelfth Air Force in Algeria in early 1943. In North Africa, the squadron engaged primarily in support and interdictory operations, bombing marshalling yards, rail lines, highways, bridges, viaducts, troop concentrations, gun emplacements, shipping, harbors, and other objectives in North Africa.

The squadron also engaged in psychological warfare missions, dropping propaganda leaflets behind enemy lines. Took part in the Allied operations against Axis forces in North Africa during March–May 1943, the reduction of Pantelleria and Lampedusain islands during June, the invasion of Sicily in July, the landing at Salerno in September, the Allied advance toward Rome during January–June 1944, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944, and the Allied operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to April 1945. Inactivated in Italy after the German Capitulation in September 1945.

Reactivated as part of the Air Force Reserve in 1947 and equipped with A-26/B-26 Invader medium bombers, then inactivated in 1949 due to budget cuts.

Was reactivated in 1953 as a Strategic Air Command B-47 Stratojet squadron . Trained in air refueling and strategic bombardment operations with the B-47. in 1961, the squadron began transferring its B-47s to other SAC wings and became non-operational as part of the phaseout of the B-47.

On 1 November 1963 the 446th Strategic Missile Squadron was organized as a SAC LGM-30F Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile wing. Activated on 1 Sep 1965, being made operational on 7 December 1966, with a complement of 50 missiles. Participated in “Project Long Life II,” a unique reliability test in which modified Minuteman missiles were fueled to travel a few hundred yards. The first launch from a silo occurred on 19 October 1966 and was declared unsuccessful. Nine days later, a second attempt also failed. A third attempt under “Project Giant Boost” occurred in August 1968 and again proved unsuccessful.

From December 1971 to March 1973, converted to LGM-30G Minuteman III missiles. These missiles represented a significant technological advancement, having multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs). Coordinating the missile changeover required complex planning and execution.

With the restructuring of the Air Force and the disestablishment of Strategic Air Command (SAC) in the early 1990s was reassigned to Air Combat Command (ACC) in 1992 and then under Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) in 1993.

In March 1995, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission selected the 321st Strategic Missile Wing for deactivation. Squadron was ordered to securely transfer its alert responsibilities to the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. Maintained nuclear alert until inactivated in 1998, nearly 40 years after it went on alert. ^[1]

Lineage^[1]

• Constituted 448th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 19 Jun 1942

Activated on 26 Jun 1942

Inactivated on 12 Sep 1945

• Redesignated 448th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 26 May 1947

Activated in the reserve on 29 Jun 1947

Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949

• Redesignated 448th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 25 Nov 1953

Activated on 15 Dec 1953

Discontinued, and inactivated on 25 Oct 1961

• Redesignated 448th Strategic Missile Squadron on 1 Nov 1963

Organized on 1 Sep 1965

Redesignated 448th Missile Squadron on 1 Sep 1991

Inactivated on 30 Sep 1998

Assignments^[1]

• 321st Bombardment Group, 26 Jun 1942-12 Sep 1945; 29 Jun 1947-27 Jun 1949
• 321st Bombardment Wing, 15 Dec 1953-25 Oct 1961
• 321st Strategic (later Missile) Wing, 1 Sep 1965
• 321st Missile Group, 1 Jul 1994-30 Sep 1998

Bases stationed^[1]

Aircraft and missiles^[1]

LGM-30 Minuteman Missile Alert and Launch Facilities

• B-25 Mitchell (1942–1945)
• AT-6 Texan (1947–1949)
• AT-11 Kansan (1947–1949)
• B-47E Stratojet, 1953-1961
• LGM-30F Minuteman II, 1965-1973
• LGM-30G Minuteman III, 1972-1998

448th Missile Squadron Launch Facilities

Missile Alert Facilities (K-O flights, each controlling 10 missiles) are located as follows:

K-00 9.6 mi NE of Finley ND, 47°37′01″N 097°42′14″W / 47.61694°N 97.70389°W / 47.61694; -97.70389 (K-00)

L-00 10.5 mi W of Hope ND, 47°20′03″N 097°56′24″W / 47.33417°N 97.94°W / 47.33417; -97.94 (L-00)

M-00 3.8 mi SxSE of Hope ND, 47°16′17″N 097°41′19″W / 47.27139°N 97.68861°W / 47.27139; -97.68861 (M-00)

N-00 6.1 mi S of Hannaford ND, 47°13′24″N 098°11′30″W / 47.22333°N 98.19167°W / 47.22333; -98.19167 (N-00)

O-00 3.6 mi N of Cooperstown ND, 47°29′51″N 098°07′37″W / 47.4975°N 98.12694°W / 47.4975; -98.12694 (O-00)

Operations^[1]

• World War II

See also

• List of United States Air Force missile squadrons

References

	United States Air Force portal
	Military of the United States portal
	World War II portal

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

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5
• Grand Forks AFB Minuteman Missile Site Coordinates

External links

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