VF-33

VF-33 was a United States Navy fighter squadron.

History

VF-33 Starfighters was established in September 1943 and was first equipped with the Grumman F6F Hellcat and their first combat debut, as well as the first time a US Navy squadron used the F6F in combat, was at the Solomon Islands. VF-33 was land based at this time, supporting the island hopping Pacific campaign. VF-33 was disestablished in July 1946. They were soon re-established on October 11, 1948 and flew the Chance-Vought F4U Corsair and saw action in the Korean war and was awarded the Navy Unit Citation for that campaign. By 1962 the unit was flying the F-8 Crusader from the world’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier enforcing the blockade of Cuba. In 1964 the unit transitioned to the F-4 Phantom and would fly the Phantom for the next seventeen years, the first Phantom was the F-4B and in 1967 they moved up to the F-4J which featured a different radar, higher thrust engines, slatted tailplanes, extra fuel cells and a larger main wheels to handle the increased weight.

It would not take long until VF-33 deployed to combat in South-East Asia with the USS America (CV-66). 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 July 10 1968 VF-33 downed a MiG-21, the first air-to-air kill by an East Coast Fighter Squadron over North Vietnam. After their return, VF-33 would continue and fly with CVW-7 and deploying with USS Independence (CV-62). They would win several awards including the CNO Safety Award in 1969 and 1970 and during the 1975-1976 cruise they won the Golden Tailhook Award as the Navy recognised their skill at carrier landing. In February 1979 VF-33 had flown three years without accident.

In 1981 VF-33 transitioned to the F-14 Tomcat and at the same time they changed their name from “Tarsiers” to “Starfighters”. Their first deployment was between August and October 1982 with USS America. On August 20, 1985 VF-33 was the first squadron to complete 50 missile firings without a single failure.

In March 1986 VF-33 would bring their F-14s into a combat environment for the first time onboard USS America with Carrier Air Wing 1 as they took part in Operation Attain Document in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with VF-102 they provided air cover during the operation as the carrier group moved into waters claimed by Libya as part of the “Line of Death”. Libya’s territorial waters extended 12 miles (22 km) from the Libyan coast as opposed to the internationally recognised limit of 3 miles (5.6 km), and because of this claim, any airplane or ship within these waters was in Libyan territory and liable to attack.

On April 15, 1986, after a terrorist attack on a West German disco hall, President Ronald Reagan ordered airstrikes, called Operation El Dorado Canyon, against targets in Libya. F-111 bombers based at RAF Lakenheath and RAF Upper Heyford in the United Kingdom attacked targets in Tripoli while U.S. Navy A-6 Intruders from USS America and USS Coral Sea (CV-43) attacked targets in Benghazi. Navy and United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets and Navy A-7’s attacked surface-to-air missile sites with AGM-88 HARM missiles. F-14 squadrons deployed in the Mediterranean, including VF-33, flew cover for the strike force. In 1986, VF-33 flew 895 continuous sorties without an abort.

In 1987 VF-33 made a short cruise onboard the Navy’s newest carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). Two more cruises followed, one in 1988 and one in 1989. In February 1990 VF-33 (and probably it’s sister squadron VF-102) changed airwings to CVW-9 onboard USS Constellation (CV-64) for a two and a half month transit from San Diego to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. VF-33 took part in several join exercises with South American nations during the transit. When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, VF-33 deployed with USS America to help enforce the sanctions imposed on Iraq during Operation Desert Shield and then the unit took part in Operation Desert Storm. In 1993 a VF-33 airframe became the first F-14 to complete 5000 flight hours. Despite the squadron's success in Desert Storm VF-33 was disestablished October 1, 1993.

References

[VF-33 History]

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