851st Strategic Missile Squadron - History

History

The squadron was organized in early 1941 as the 78th Bombardment Squadron assigned to First Air Force as a medium bombardment squadron equipped with A-20 Havocs, and later B-18 Bolos. The unit was assigned to the 45th Bombardment Group at Savannah AAB, Georgia, then moving to Grenier Field, New Hampshire.

After the United States entered World War II the group was ordered to search for German U-Boats and to fly aerial coverage of friendly convoys off the northeast coast, then being reassigned to Langley Field, Virginia, then to Jacksonville AAF, Florida flying missions along the mid-atlantic and southeast coastline. In May 1942, the squadron was redesignated as the 7th Antisubmarine Squadron and assigned to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing of the AAF Antisubmarine Command.

The squadron was deployed to the Caribbean and attached to the Sixth Air Force 25th Bombardment Group on Trinidad, flying antisubmarine patrols over the Caribbean as part of the Antilles Task Force during the spring and summer of 1943.

In September 1943 due to the pending turnover of aerial antisubmarine patrolling to the Navy, the squadron was redesignated as the 851st Bombardment Squadron and returned to the role of a heavy B-17 Flying Fortress squadron and deployed to RAF Eye, England as part of the VIII Bomber Command 490th Bombardment Group. From England, the squadron flew combat missions over Europe until the end of the war. The squadron returned to Drew Field, Florida on 3 September 1945, then was deactivated on 7 November 1945.

Reactivated in 1960 as a Strategic Air Command HGM-25A Titan I ICBM launch squadron. On April 1,1961, SAC placed the 851st Strategic Missile Squadron on operational status. Squadron was deployed in a 3x3 configuration, which meant a total of nine missiles were divided into three bases. Each missile base had three ICBM missiles ready to launch at any given time.

On May 24, 1962, during a contractor checkout, a terrific blast rocked launcher 1 at complex 4C at Chico (851-C), destroying a Titan I and causing heavy damage to the silo. After the investigation, the Air Force concluded that the two separate explosions occurred because of a blocked vent and blocked valve. After damages were repaired, the Chico complex became operational on March 9, 1963.

On November 19, 1964, Defense Secretary McNamara announced the phase-out of remaining first-generation SM-65 Atlas and Titan I missiles by the end of June 1965. Consequently, the Titan Is of the 851st SMS were removed from alert status on January 4th, 1965. The last missile was shipped out on February 10th. The Air Force subsequently deactivated the squadron on 25 March.

Missile sites were later sold off to private ownership after demilitarization. Today the remains of the sites are still visible in aerial imagery, in various states of use or abandonment.