95th
Bomb Wing
Biggs
AFB, Texas
The 95th Bomb Wing was established at Biggs Air Force Base, Texas, on
June
4, 1952 as the "95th Bombardment Wing (medium)". The new unit was
originally slated for B-50s, but was redesigned as a "Heavy" BW on
November
8, 1952 and received B-36D in August of the following year. The
emblem
of the "95th Bombardment Group (Medium)" was approved for use by
the new wing and three Bomb Squadrons were allocated to the 95th: the
334th,
335th and 336th. Each squadron was equipped with ten
aircraft.
In 1956 the wing started conversion to B-36H and J bombers, operating
fifteen
of each. By 1957 the 95th operated only the B-36J, ultimately
operating
thirty two of this model. On May 22 of that year a wing B-36
inadvertently
dropped a Mk 17 "Thermonuclear" (hydrogen) bomb 4 miles SE of Kirtland
AFB, NM. The bomb was being ferried to Kirtland for
servicing.
The high explosive portion of the weapon detonated, but obviously not
the
nuclear portion as Albuquerque still exists. A grazing cow was
not
so fortunate however. A first hand account of this can be
found
in CONVAIR B-36: A Comprehensive history of America's "Big Stick"
by Meyers K. Jacobsen (Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1997). In 1959,
the 95th had the distinction of operating SAC's last B-36 (52-2827) on
a flight to Fort Worth, Texas, where the aircraft was placed on display
at the Greater Southwest International Airport. The 95th lost
three
aircraft to accidents due to various causes. B-36D 44-92097, on
Aug.
8, 1954 due to loss of power during landing (1 fatality), B36D 44-92029
on Feb. 8, 1955 due to "downdraft" (windshear in today's terms. No
fatalaties)
and finally, B-36D 44-92041 on Jan. 19, 1956 due to a hard landing (no
fatalaties).
In 1959 the 95th Converted to B-52Bs, lost the 335th and 336th and
gained
the 917 Aerial Refueling Squadron, along with KC-135As. At its
peak
the wing had nineteen B-52s and eight KC-135s. The 95th
participated
in regular REFLEX excersizes to Andersen AFB, Guam during its
existence.
In the September, 1965 issue of National
Geographic (pg. 308) is a photo of B-52s standing alert on
Guam.
At least three 95th BW birds are visible. In late 1965 the
Department
of the Air Force announced that the B-52Bs in service would be
retired.
This was due to several reasons, one being that with the build up in
Viet
Nam spare parts for BUFFs could become scarce. The wing lost its
B-52s in 1966 and officially inactivated on June 26. With that
deactivation,
Biggs AFB was closed and the field turned over to the Army.
During the B-52 era, the 95th lost two aircraft: 53-0390, which was
lost
on January 19, 1961 due to structural failure and 53-0380 (Ciudad
Juarez).
The
latter was shot
down by an AIM-9 Sidewinder accidentally fired from a New Mexico
Air
National Guard (188th FIS) F-100A.
On August 8, 1966 the 95th was reactivated as the "95th Strategic Wing"
based Goose Bay, Labrador. Having no aircraft of its own, the
95th
SW became responsible for providing support to KC-135 units deployed to
Goose AB. The 95th SW was deactivated on September 30, 1976.
Once again the 95th was resurrected when it was reactivated as the
"95th
Air Base Wing" on October 1, 1994 at Edwards AFB, California.
Known
serial
numbers:
B-36D
44-92027,
-92029, -92036, -92038, 92039, -92040, -92041, -92045, 92049, -92052,
92053
and -92097.
B-36J
52-2217, -2219, -2220 (on display at the US Air Force Museum),
-2224, -2820 and
-2827.
B-52B
53-0377.
-0378, -0379, -0380 ("Ciudad Juarez"), -0383, -0385,
-0386,
-0387, -0388 (the first "City of El Paso"), -0389, -0390,
-0391, -0392, -0394 (the second "City of El Paso"), -0395,
-0396, -0397 and -0398. (There was a "Ciudad Juarez II",
but
the serial has yet to be identified.)
KC-135A
58-0054, -0085 and 62-3559.
HU-16B
51-0006
C-123B
?????
When the 95th Bomb Wing was activated in
1953, it was equipped with B-36Ds. Over the ensuing years those
would give way to B-36Hs and B-36Js, with two of the surviving B-36s
being ex95th birds. 52-2220 went to the Air Force Museum in 1959 where
she is now displayed indoors. The above photo is of her before
restoration. (USAF)
The other unidentified bird is under an
overcast sky at an unknown location.
B-52B 53-0380 was
the first Ciudad Juarez, the
aircraft shotdown by a New Mexico ANG F-100A. (John Paul Jones)
53-0388 was the first City of El Paso.
(John Paul Jones)
The second City of El Paso was 53-0394.
This aircraft was eventually flown to the US Air Force Museum, but was
sadly scrapped in the early 1990s.
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Clifford
Bossie
Modified
11-12-04
