page_title: 71st Tactical Missile Squadron
section_title: Matador and Mace missiles
hierarchical_section_title: 71st Tactical Missile Squadron / History / Matador and Mace missiles
caption_attribution_description: English: TM-76 Mace of the 71st Tactical Missile Squadron - Bitburg AB, West Germany
context_page_description: The 71st Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 485th Tactical Missile Wing at Florennes Air Base, Belgium, where it was inactivated on 30 September 1989 with the implementation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
  The squadron was first activated as the 71st Bombardment Squadron in 1941 as the United States built up its military forces prior to World War II. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron deployed to the Southwest Pacific Theater, participating in combat until V-J Day, moving forward from Australia to Okinawa. It earned four Distinguished Unit Citations for its actions during the war. The 71st moved to Japan as part of the occupation forces, although it was only partly manned and equipped for some of this time. The squadron was inactivated in 1949 as the Defense budget was reduced.
  The squadron was again activated in France in 1953, when it replaced an Air National Guard unit that had been mobilized for the Korean War and was being returned to state control.
context_section_description: The end of the B-57 bomber mission in Europe did not, however, result in the inactivation of the squadron.  On 18 June, the 38th Wing moved to Germany, where it replaced the 701st Tactical Missile Wing.  The 71st moved on paper to Bitburg Air Base, where it became the 71st Tactical Missile Squadron and assumed the mission, personnel and Martin TM-61 Matador missiles of the 1st Tactical Missile Squadron, which was simultaneously inactivated.  The wing's squadrons were dispersed among several bases in Germany, and the squadron was assigned to the missile group at Bitburg, the 585th Tactical Missile Group.
  The wing's missiles at Bitburg were located at two remote missile launch sites.  The squadron operated Site VII "Chargirl", which was located  3.5 miles (5.6 km) NW of Bitburg, 49°59′05″N 006°28′50″E, near .  It also operated Site VIII, which was located 4.5 miles (7.2 km) SSW of Bitburg, 49°53′21″N 006°33′30″E, near.
  In September 1962, the 38th Wing reorganized, eliminating its groups.  As a result, the squadron was now assigned directly to the 38th Tactical Missile Wing.  At the same time, the wing completed its upgrade from Matadors to the TM-76 Mace missile.  The Mace was a development of the Matador, with an internal guidance system.
  In 1966, the A model of the Mace was retired and the missiles were shipped to Eglin Air Force Base. Florida to be used as targets.  However, the 71st Tactical was the only squadron of the wing that operated the B model of the Mace with an inertial guidance system and longer range, and it remained active when the rest of the wing was inactivated, transferring to the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing at Bitburg in October 1965.  It remained active until the last Maces were withdrawn from Europe in 1969.
caption: 71st Tactical Missile Squadron - TM-76 Mace Missile
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