13 Strategic Missile Division
The 13 Strategic Missile Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, based at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. It was inactivated on 2 July 1966.
History
Heraldry
Light blue, issuant from base a sphere light green with land areas vert, grid lined azure, the sinister quarter of the last with grid lines of the field, above the sphere in chief an olive branch arched fesswise or, overall an aircraft and a missile bendwise each trailing speedlines of the like and all within a diminished border of the last. (Approved 4 Jan 1961.)
Lineage
Established as 13 Composite Wing on 2 Oct 1940
Activated on 10 Oct 1940
Inactivated on 25 Oct 1941
Redesignated: 13 Bombardment Wing on 23 Aug 1942
Activated on 1 Oct 1942
Redesignated: 13 Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 1 Feb 1943
Redesignated: 13 Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 30 Aug 1943
Redesignated: 13 Combat Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 24 Aug 1944
Redesignated: 13 Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 18 Jun 1945
Redesignated: 13 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 17 Aug 1945
Inactivated on 17 Oct 1945
Redesignated: 13 Air Division on 20 May 1959
Activated on 1 Jul 1959
Redesignated: 13 Strategic Missile Division on 1 Jan 1963
Discontinued, and inactivated, on 2 Jul 1966.
Assignments
Unknown, 10 Oct 1940
Panama Canal (later, Caribbean) Air Force, c. 1 Nov 1940-25 Oct 1941
Third Air Force, 1 Oct 1942
Eighth Air Force, c. 1 Jun 1943
VIII Bomber Command, 4 Jun 1943
VIII Fighter Command, Unknown
3d Air Division, 16 Jul 1945
Second Air Force, c. 15 Aug 1945-17 Oct 1945
Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Jul 1959
Eighth Air Force, 1 Jul 1963
Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Jul 1965-2 Jul 1966.
Components
Wings 90 Strategic Missile: 1 Jul 1963-2 Jul 1966
389 Strategic Missile: 1 Jul 1961-25 Mar 1965
451 Strategic Missile: 1 Jul 1961-25 Jun 1965
703 Strategic Missile: 1 Jul 1959-1 Jul 1961
706 Strategic Missile: 1 Jul 1959-1 Jul 1961
Squadron 34 Air Refueling: 1 Jul 1965-25 Jun 1966.
Groups 25th Bombardment Group: 1 Nov 1940-c. 6 Jan 1941
36th Pursuit Group: Jan-3 Jun 1941
40th Bombardment Group: 1 May-25 Oct 1941
95th Bombardment Group: Sep 1943-c. 19 Jun 1945
100th Bombardment Group: c. Sep 1943-c. Dec 1945
390th Bombardment Group: 13 Sep 1943-c. 4 Aug 1945
490th Bombardment Group: c. Mar-Aug 1945
493d Bombardment Group: c. Mar-Aug 1945.
Stations
Langley Field, Virginia, 10-26 Oct 1940
Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, 1 Nov 1940
San Juan, Puerto Rico, c. 6 Jan 1941
Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, c. 1 May-25 Oct 1941
MacDill Field, Florida, 1 Oct 1942-c. 10 May 1943
Marks Hall, England, c. 2 Jun 1943
Camp Blainey, England, c. 13 Jun 1943
RAF Horham, England, 13 Sep 1943-c. 6 Aug 1945
Sioux Falls AAF, South Dakota, c. 15 Aug 1945
Peterson Field, Colorado, 17 Aug-17 Oct 1945
Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, 1 Jul 1959-2 Jul 1966.
Aircraft and Missiles
B-18 Bolo, 1940-1941
B-17 Flying Fortress, 1941, 1943-1945
B-26 Marauder, 1941
P-39 Aircobra, 1941
P-40 Warhawk, 1941
SM-65 Atlas, 1960-1965
Titan I, 1962-1965
LGM-30 Minuteman I, 1964-1966
EC-135, 1965-1966
KC-135, 1965-1966.
Operations
Activated in the United States in October 1940, the wing moved to Puerto Rico where it remained until inactivated in October 1941.
Following second activation, it moved in May 1943 to England for duty with the Eighth Air Force. Groups assigned in September 1943 began strategic bombing of enemy aircraft, petroleum, and ball bearing industries as well as German airfields. Later, organizational units took part in the famous raid against the ball bearing industry at Schweinfurt in October 1943 and followed with missions against shipyards and shipbuilding installations at Wilhelmshaven and Bremen.
During the 1960s, the division organized, manned, trained, and equipped several strategic missile wings in Wyoming.
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