Initial organization and training

The squadron was first activated on 15 January 1941 at Langley Field, Virginia as the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron. Manned like the three bombardment squadrons of the 38th Bombardment Group, to which it was attached, it was designated for the long range reconnaissance mission. While it was assigned to a higher echelon, it was attached to the 38th Group.^[3] Since a reorganization of General Headquarters Air Force in September 1936, each bombardment group of the Army Air Forces (AAF) had an attached reconnaissance squadron, which operated the same aircraft as that group's assigned bombardment squadrons.^[5] That arrangement continued for units like the 38th that were designated as medium units.^[6] The squadron trained with Martin B-26 Marauders, but also flew Douglas B-18 Bolos. In June 1941, the squadron moved to Jackson Army Air Base, Mississippi.^[3][7]

Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, on 19 January 1942, the ground echelon of the squadron departed for Australia. The air echelon remained at Jackson and continued training until the summer of 1942, converting to North American B-25 Mitchells. During this time, in February, the squadron was redesignated the 405th Bombardment Squadron and was assigned to the 38th Group.^[3][7]

Combat in the Southwest Pacific

Squadron B-25 with Green Dragon nose marking

The air echelon arrived at its first combat station, Breddan Aerodrome, Queensland, Australia in early August 1942. The squadron attacked Japanese airfields and shipping, and supported ground forces in New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago, moving forward through New Guinea and the Netherlands East Indies. In December 1943, the squadron was awarded its first Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for bombing and strafing Japanese installations on Cape Gloucester on New Britain in December 1943. It earned a second DUC for missions on 16 and 17 June 1944 for missions attacking Japanese airfields, merchant ships and naval vessels in New Guinea.^[7]

The squadron moved to Pitoe Airfield, Morotai in the Maluku Islands. From this base, it bombed airfields, ground installations, harbors and shipping in the southern Philippines to support the invasion of Leyte. It was awarded a third DUC for strikes on a large enemy convoy at Ormoc Bay on 10 November that prevented the landing of supplies and reinforcements, that were critical to the final outcome of the Battle of Leyte.^[7]

In January 1945, the squadron moved to Lingayen Airfield, on Luzon, Philippines, from which it provided air support for American forces on Luzon, and made attacks on Formosa and enemy shipping along the coast of China. In June 1945, the squadron moved temporarily to Palawan, to provide pre-invasion bombardment in preparation for Operation Oboe, the invasion of Borneo. In 21 July 1945, the squadron moved to Okinawa, attacking industrial targets, rail transportation and shipping in southern Japan until V-J Day.^[7]

Medal of Honor

On 18 August 1943, Major Ralph Cheli was leading the squadron to attack the Dague Airdrome, a heaviily defended site on New Guinea, when enemy interceptors concentrated their fire on his aircraft, causing it to burst into flames while still two miles from the target. Maj Cheli had enough altitude and airspeed to zoom and permit his crew to safely parachute. However, this would have exposed the remainder of the squadron to the enemy and caused disorganization in its formation. He continued to lead the attack in this burning plane, and the squadron made a successful strafing and bombing attack on the airfield. Maj Cheli instructed his wingman to assume the formation lead before he crashed into the sea.^[7][4]

Tactical bomber

B-26 Invader of 126th Bombardment Wing

38th Bombardment Wing B-57 in France

The 126th Bombardment Wing, an Illinois Air National Guard unit that had been mobilized for the Korean War and selected to reinforce NATO, moved to Laon-Couvron Air Base, France with its Douglas B-26 Invaders in late May 1952. The installation had not been used as an airfield since 1945, when it was an Advanced Landing Ground for the Army Air Forces.^[9] However, on 1 January 1953, the 126th was returned to state control, and the 405th was activated to take over the personnel and equipment of its 168th Bombardment Squadron.^[2] The squadron mission was to fly night intruder missions, which were mostly targeted using LORAN equipment.^[10]

In February 1955, the squadron's pilots began flying jet Lockheed T-33 T-Bird trainers to prepare for the replacement of its B-26s with Martin B-57 Canberras. The T-Birds proved essential for pilot training because the squadron did not receive any dual control B-57Cs until December, after it had completed its conversion to the B-57B. Pilots scheduled to leave Laon soon continued to fly the B-26, and some returned to the United States on temporary duty for formal conversion training with the 3510th Combat Crew Training Wing at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.^[11]

The conversion to the B-57 brought with it a new mission, the delivery of nuclear weapons.^[12] The 38th Wing maintained B-57s on alert at Laon, and also maintained a detachment at Ramstein Air Base, Germany that was manned on a 30 day rotating basis by crews temporarily stationed there.^[13] In February 1956, the squadron configured one of its B-57Bs with a Martin TM-61 Matador guidance system to evaluate the missile's performance after problems developed with the missile's AN/MSQ-1 system. These tests were performed at the test ranges at Wheelus Air Base, Libya. In December 1957, the 38th Bombardment Group was inactivated as the 38th Wing converted to the "dual deputy" system, and the squadron was assigned directly to wing headquarters.^[14] In early 1958, the squadron began transferring its B-57s back to the United States. By 18 June 1958, prompted by budget reductions and the programmed replacement of manned tactical bombers with missiles for the nuclear weapon mission, the squadron ceased bomber operations and transferred to Germany as a missile unit.^[15]

Tactical missile

Matador and Mace

TM-61 Matador at Hahn Air Base

United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) had organized its TM-61 Matadors in Germany under the 701st Tactical Missile Wing in September 1956. However, the wing and its components had all been organized in the 1950s and lacked combat records.^[16][17][18] With the withdrawal of its tactical bombers, USAFE decided to replace these units with the 38th Bombardment Wing and its tactical elements. The 405th Squadron moved on paper to Hahn Air Base, Germany, where it became the 405th Tactical Missile Squadron and assumed the personnel and equipment of the 69th Tactical Missile Squadron, which was simultaneously inactivated. Because its missile units were dispersed among several German bases, each missile squadron, along with its support elements at its home station was assigned to a separate group, and the 405th became part of the 586th Tactical Missile Group.^[3][18]

TM-76 Mace of the 38th Tactical Missile Wing

In 1962, the squadron began to replace its Matadors with an improved version of the missile, the Martin TM-76 Mace. In September of that year, the 38th Wing reorganized. The 586th Group was absorbed into the squadron and its maintenance squadron became a detachment of the 38th Missile Maintenance Squadron at Sembach Air Base. The 89th Tactical Missile Squadron was activated, as separate missile squadrons were formed for each dispersed site.^[19] The squadron was assigned directly to the 38th Wing once more.^[3] In September 1966, MGM-13A Mace operations in Europe ceased and only the 71st Tactical Missile Squadron, which operated the CGM-13B model of the Mace, which could be launched from its protective shelter and incorporated inertial guidance,^[20] remained. The squadron was inactivated along with the 38th Wing and its missiles were shipped to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida to be used as targets.^{[21][3][22][23]}

During this era, the squadron's dispersed firing locations included Site IV "Veronica" 7.0 miles (11.3 km) ENE of Hahn Air Base 49°59′58″N 007°23′58″E / 49.99944°N 7.39944°E / 49.99944; 7.39944 (Site IV);^{[24][lower-alpha 2]} Site V "Pot Fuse" 7.0 miles (11.3 km) ESE of Hahn Air Base 49°54′48″N 007°24′46″E / 49.91333°N 7.41278°E / 49.91333; 7.41278 (Site V)^{[25][lower-alpha 3]} and Site VI "Heroin" 9.7 miles (15.6 km) NE of Hahn Air Base 50°02′37″N 007°25′32″E / 50.04361°N 7.42556°E / 50.04361; 7.42556 (Site VI)^{[26][lower-alpha 4]}