VF-33
Fighter Squadron 33 | |
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F-14A Tomcat |
Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33) was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Originally established on 11 October 1948 it was disestablished on 1 October 1993. It was the second U.S. Navy squadron to be designated VF-33.[1]
VF-33 History
Korean War
The squadron was originally equipped with the
Jet transition
Following its deployment to Korea VF-33 returned to the U.S. East Coast and transitioned to the
In 1958 VF-33 transitioned to the supersonic F-11 Tiger and was renamed Astronauts. As part of CVG-6 VF-33 made two tours to the Mediterranean Sea aboard the Intrepid.
In early 1961 the squadron changed already to its fourth jet fighter in seven years, the F8U-1E Crusader, and changed its name back to Tarsiers. VF-33 took its F8U-1E (F-8B) again aboard Intrepid to the Mediterranean in 1961-62 and was then equipped with the F8U-2NE (F-8E) version. The squadron was then deployed aboard the USS Enterprise, to the Mediterranean Sea in August 1962. However, Enterprise was recalled in October to reinforce the naval blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1963 Enterprise and CVW-6 were again deployed to the United States Sixth Fleet, before taking part in Operation Sea Orbit in 1964. This was the around-the-world cruise of the United States Navy's Task Force One, consisting of USS Enterprise, USS Long Beach, and USS Bainbridge. This all-nuclear-powered unit steamed 56,606 km (30,565 nm) unrefuelled around the world for sixty-five days.
In 1964 the unit transitioned to the
Vietnam operations
VF-33 deployed to the Vietnam War on board USS America from 10 April to 16 December 1968.[2] During their time in the theatre VF-33 would drop over three million pounds of ordnance, flying 4000 combat hours over a period of 5 months. On 4 June F-4J #155554 was hit by antiaircraft fire, the pilot LT Eric Brice was killed in action, body not recovered, while the Radar Intercept Officer ejected successfully and was rescued.[3][4] On 18 June F-4J #155546 was hit by a SAM-2, both crewmen ejected successfully and were rescued.[3] On 10 July a squadron aircraft downed a Vietnam People's Air Force MiG-21, the first air-to-air kill by an East Coast Fighter Squadron over North Vietnam. On 24 July F-4J #155551 was hit by anti-aircraft fire, both crewmen ejected successfully and were rescued.[3]
Middle East crises
After their return, VF-33 was reassigned to Carrier Air Wing Seven, and made eight deployments aboard the USS Independence to the Mediterranean between 1969 and 1981.
In September 1970 Independence,
VF-33 won several awards including the
Tomcat transition
In 1981 VF-33 transitioned to the F-14A Tomcat along with VF-102 and joined Carrier Air Wing One assigned to USS America. Until 1992 VF-33 made twelve deployments with CVW-1 aboard the America to the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. Their first deployment was a grueling North Atlantic NATO deployment (Northern Wedding) between August and October 1982. VF-33 has used stars as part of their tail markings since the Crusader days and settled on a large star for their latter F-4 tenure and as the main symbol on the Tomcat. In 1987, they abandoned "Minky" and changed their name from Tarsiers to Starfighters, which was their radio callsign. The new patch featured a large star with a head-on view of a Tomcat. On 20 August 1985 VF-33 was the first squadron to complete 50 missile firings without a single failure.
Gulf of Sidra operations
In March 1986 VF-33 would bring their F-14s into a combat environment for the first time on board USS America with Carrier Air Wing 1 as they took part in
On 15 April 1986, after a terrorist attack on disco hall
In 1987 VF-33 made a short cruise on board the Navy’s newest carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt. After workups in 1988, VF-33 deployed on board America to the North Atlantic in February 1989, and again for a six-month Med-IO cruise from May through November. In February 1990 VF-33 made a two and a half month transit from San Diego to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard aboard USS Constellation (CV-64) providing fighter protection as the carrier made the journey around the southern tip of South America. VF-33 took part in several joint "Gringo-Gaucho" Exercises with South American nations during the transit.
Desert Storm operations
When
Disestablishment
In 1993 a VF-33 airframe became the first F-14 to log 5,000 flight hours. When the Navy decided to assign only a single TARPS Tomcat squadron per carrier air wing after the end of the Cold War, VF-33 was not TARPS capable and despite the squadron's success in Desert Storm, it was disestablished on 1 October 1993. However, the tradition of VF-33 lives on through a very active alumni group that hosts a website and periodic reunions.[6]
Gallery
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VF-33 F4U-4 on USS Leyte, in 1952
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FJ-3 Furies of VF-33 near NAAF El Centro, 1957
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F11F-1 Tigers of VF-33, in 1959
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F-8E Crusaders of VF-33 aboard USS Enterprise, 1964
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VF-33 F-4J in 1970
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A F-4J is catapulted from HMS Ark Royal in 1975
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VF-33 F-14A in 1982
See also
- History of the United States Navy
- List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
- List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
- Dale Snodgrass
References
- ^ "Lineage for Fighter Squadrons" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ^ "Carrier, Carrier Based Squadrons and Non-Carrier Based Squadron Deployments to Vietnam" (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. 1995. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ^ a b c "McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II All Losses in USAF, USN & USMC Service (Part 4) 1968". EjectionHistory.org. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ^ "U.S. Unaccounted-For from the Vietnam War (Sorted by Name) Prisoners of War, Missing in Action and Killed in Action/Body not Recovered" (PDF). Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ^ http://aupress.maxwell.af.mil/saas_Theses/colella/colella.pdf S. 45-52
- ^ "The Official Tarsier Web Page". Archived from the original on 13 July 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2007.
External links
- VF-33 History
- Combat history of the F-14 - Operations Against Libya
- VF-33 Reunion Website
- List of USN aces of WW II
- WWII USN Squadron patches and badges