605th Air Commando Squadron
| 605th Air Commando Squadron | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Air Force: | |||
| Division: | |||
| Wing: 1st Air Commando Wing (Nov 1963 - Jul 1964) | |||
| Active: 1944-1945, 1962-1972 | |||
| Theater Panama Canal Zone | |||
| Motto: Cualquier Hora, Cualquier Lugar Spanish - "Anyplace, Anytime" | |||
| Aircraft: Douglas B-26K | |||
The 605th Air Commando Squadron operated out of Howard AFB in the Panama Canal Zone. It was a child component of the 24th Air Commando Wing. The first B-26Ks began arriving in Sep 1964 and continued to slowly stream in until the squadron was at a peak strength of 8 planes. 1 plane was lost to an accident in Apr 1965, and a second in Aug 1965 - both were replaced within 2 months keeping the squadron strength high. The planes began to be phased out beginning in Jan 1968 until the last 3 planes left the base in Apr 1968.
The planes of this squadron were assigned to Combat Support roles. The tactics were nearly identical to those used by the 211th Squdron, the "Masakis" of the CIA's operation Anstalt Wigmo. The squadron's primary fighting plane, as in the Congo, was the Trojan T-28. But, when targets of higher importance were identified or targets were known to have heavier defenses the B-26Ks would be called in to provide close support either by carrying larger bombs, numerous long-range 5" rockets that could soften the target, or by strafing enemy ground positions.
It is known that 10 Glass noses were modified for the B-26K for use as an RB-26K Variant. While we do not know the exact fate of all 10 of these noses, we do know that at least 3 of them were definitely used on planes assigned to the 605th. 64-17640, 64-17648, and 64-17655 all have photos of them wearing glass noses during this time period. It is possible that all 10 of the planes assigned to this unit had glass noses, but that needs to be confirmed with data. It is an odd coincidence.
Planes
| Serial Number | Date Assigned | Date Left | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64-17640 | 7 Jun 1965 | 15 Apr 1968 | Left the base in Mar 1966 and Oct 1967 for maintenance at McLellan AFB and OnMark. Glass nose. |
| 64-17647 | 8 Oct 1965 | 3 Apr 1968 | Went to McLellan AFB in Jun 1966 for modifications. |
| 64-17648 | 9 Sep 1964 | 19 Jul 1967 | Sent back to OnMark, then over to Vietnam. Glass nose. |
| 64-17651 | 20 Sep 1964 | 27 Jul 1967 | Sent to OnMark, then over to Vietnam. |
| 64-17653 | 13 Oct 1964 | 25 Mar 1968 | Sent to McLellan Mar 1968, then to Vietnam. |
| 64-17655 | 2 Nov 1964 | 18 Apr 1968 | Sent to 1st Air Commando Wing, Eglin AFB. Glass nose. |
| 64-17657 | 11 Nov 1964 | 18 Jan 1968 | Sent to McLellan AFB Jan 1968, then to 1st Air Commando Wing, Eglin AFB. |
| 64-17659 | 28 Nov 1964 | 18 Aug 1965 | Destroyed in accident, dropped from inventory. |
| 64-17661 | 4 Dec 1964 | 2 Aug 1967 | Sent to OnMark, then over to Vietnam. |
| 64-17663 | 22 Dec 1964 | 23 Apr 1965 | Destroyed in accident, dropped from inventory. |