page_title: 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron
section_title: Strategic Air Command
hierarchical_section_title: 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron / History / Strategic Air Command
caption_attribution_description: www.pimaair.org/collection-detail.php?cid=31 Serial Number: 53-2135 Markings: 376th Bombardment Wing, Lockbourne AFB, Ohio, 1964
context_page_description: The 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 53d Electronic Warfare Group, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
  The squadron was formed as the 513th Bombardment Squadron in the Middle East in 1942 to reinforce the Royal Air Force in North Africa with personnel and aircraft diverted from delivery to the China Burma India Theater. The squadron moved forward, eventually being stationed in Italy, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, and was awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations for its combat actions. Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States, where it converted to Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers, but was inactivated in March 1946.
  The squadron was redesignated the 513th Reconnaissance Squadron and activated in 1947 as a weather reconnaissance unit. Except for a brief period of inactivation in the winter of 1948–1949, it continued the reconnaissance mission until February 1951, when it was inactivated and its assets transferred to another squadron.
  The squadron returned to the bombardment mission later that year, and upgraded to jet Boeing B-47 Stratojet bombers in 1954.
context_section_description: The squadron was redesignated the 513th Bombardment Squadron and reactivated at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas in June 1951. The squadron was again equipped with Superfortress bombers and assigned to the 376th Group.  It began training in strategic bombardment in August.  However, SAC’s mobilization for the Korean War highlighted that SAC wing commanders focused too much on running the base organization and did not spend enough time on overseeing actual combat preparations.  To allow wing commanders the ability to focus on combat operations, SAC air base group commanders became responsible for managing the base housekeeping functions. Under the plan implemented in February 1951 and finalized in June 1952, the wing commander focused primarily on the combat units and the maintenance necessary to support combat aircraft by having the combat and maintenance squadrons report directly to the wing and eliminating the intermediate group structures. As a result of this "dual deputy" reorganization, the 376th Group was inactivated and the squadron was assigned directly to the 376th Bombardment Wing in June 1952.
  The squadron moved to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana in October.  By November 1952, electronic countermeasures (ECM) training began to predominate over bombardment, and by September 1953, ECM had become the unit's primary mission.  In 1954, the squadron converted to Boeing B-47 Stratojet jet medium bombers.  It moved again in 1957, this time to Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio.   After 1958, Strategic Air Command (SAC) B-47 units began to assume an alert posture at their home base.
  During the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, SAC dispersed its B-47s on 22 October.   Most dispersal bases were civilian airfields with Reserve or Air National Guard units.  B-47s were configured for execution of the Emergency War Order as soon as possible after dispersal. On 24 October SAC went to DEFCON 2, placing all aircraft on alert. On 15 November 1/6 of the dispersed B-47s were recalled to their home bases.  The remaining dispersed B-47s and supporting tankers were recalled on 24 November. On 27 November SAC returned to normal alert posture. The squadron continued to train in electronic warfare techniques until beginning to phase down for inactivation in March 1965 with the retirement of the Stratojet from SAC's inventory.
caption: EB-47E Stratojet in 376th Wing markings
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