89th Tactical Missile Squadron
Active	1940-1949; 1962-1966; 1985-1990
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Tactical Missile
Engagements	World War II

The 89th Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 38th Tactical Missile Wing, based at Pydna Missile Base at Wüschheim Air Station, West Germany. It was inactivated on 22 August 1990.

History

U.S. A-20 Havoc of the 89th Squadron, 3rd Attack Group, at the moment it clears a Japanese merchant ship following a successful skip bombing attack. Wewak, New Guinea, March 1944

The squadron was established in early 1941 as a reconnaissance squadron equipped with the Douglas B-18 Bolo. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, it flew antisubmarine missions over the southeast Atlantic coast.

In February 1942, the squadron was deployed to the Southwest Pacific , flying Douglas A-20 Havoc and North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers. During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, it engaged in the first sea-level attack by B-25 Mitchells in World War II and demonstrated that this tactic was extremely effective. The squadron also participated in the raids on Wewak, New Guinea, which were preemptive strikes that virtually ended the threat of enemy offensive air capabilities. In 1945, the squadron converted to the Douglas A-26 Invader.

After World War II, the squadron moved to Japan and was reassigned to the 38th Bombardment Group. it performed occupation duty throughout the late 1940s and was inactivated in 1949 due to budget reductions.

The squadron was reactivated in 1962 as a MGM-13 Mace NATO tactical missile squadron, stationed in West Germany. It maintained missiles until the MGM-13 was withdrawn from service in 1966.

The unit was again reactivated as a BGM-109G Gryphon cruise missile squadron in April 1985. It maintained 80 operational missiles in a combat-ready state. In August 1990 it was inactivated as a result of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the elimination of the BGM-109G missile from service.

See also

• List of United States Air Force missile squadrons

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• 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.
• U.S. Air Force Tactical Missiles, (2009), George Mindling, Robert Bolton ISBN 978-0-557-00029-6

External links