page_title: 568th Strategic Missile Squadron
section_title: Combat in the European Theater
hierarchical_section_title: 568th Strategic Missile Squadron / History / World War II / Combat in the European Theater
caption_attribution_description: English: B-17s of the 390th Bomb Group, flying out of RAF Framlingham, England, (World War II).
context_page_description: The 568th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 462d Strategic Aerospace Wing at Larson Air Force Base, Washington. It was equipped with the first-generation SM-68 Titan I intercontinental ballistic missile, with a mission of nuclear deterrence. The squadron was inactivated as part of the phaseout of the Titan I ICBM on 25 March 1965.
  The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 568th Bombardment Squadron. After training in the United States, it deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. It was twice awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for its actions in combat. After V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States, where it was inactivated in August 1945. The squadron was active in the reserve from 1947 until 1949, but does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped at this time.
context_section_description: The squadron arrived at its combat station, RAF Framlingham in July 1943 and flew its first combat mission on 12 August against targets in the Ruhr.  Five days later, the squadron attacked the Messerschmitt factory at Regensburg, for which it earned its first Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC).  The Regensburg mission was a "shuttle" mission, and the squadron continued after striking the target to recover at Twelfth Air Force bases in North Africa.  Poor weather at the departure bases extended the time required to assemble the strike force, making fuel reserves critical.  Half of the fighter cover missed the rendezvous, lessening the bombers' protection.  For an hour and a half after its entry into German airspace, the strike force bore attacks from German interceptors.  The 390th Group suffered the heaviest losses of the leading wing, but had the best bombing results, which destroyed equipment used for the assembly of the Me 262 jet fighter, delaying its introduction into service.
  On 14 October 1943, the squadron carried out an attack on the ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt, braving unrelenting attacks by enemy fighters, despite which, the 390th Group had the highest accuracy of the attacking force.  For this mission it received a second DUC.  In late February 1944, the squadron participated in Big Week, the concentrated assault on Germany's aircraft manufacturing industry, including plants manufacturing aircraft instruments and depots for aviation supplies.  Other strategic targets included attacks on navy bases at Bremen, bridges at Cologne, marshalling yards at Frankfurt am Main, factories at Mannheim, synthetic oil plants at Merseburg, oil refineries at Zeitz.
  The squadron was occasionally diverted from the strategic bombing campaign to fly air support and interdiction missions.  It bombed near Caen fifteen minutes before the first landings on the Normandy coast on D Day.  It provided support during Operation Cobra, the breakout at Saint Lo in late July 1944.  During the Battle of the Bulge from December 1944 through January 1945, it cut German supply lines to the battle area.  It attacked Axis air bases to support Operation Varsity, the airborne assault across the Rhine, in March 1945.  The squadron flew its last combat mission on 20 April 1945.
caption: B-17s of the 568th Bomb Squadron on a mission over enemy territory[note 1]
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