VF-33
Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33) was an aviation unit of the United States Navy, established on 12 October 1948 at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, and disestablished on 1 October 1993 as part of post-Cold War force reductions.[1] The squadron bore the nicknames Tarsiers from 1948 to 1958 and again from 1961 to 1981, Astronauts from 1958 to 1961, and Starfighters from 1981 to 1993, reflecting its evolving mission and aircraft.[2] Initially equipped with the Vought F4U-4 Corsair, VF-33 transitioned through a series of jet fighters including the Grumman F9F Cougar, North American FJ-3 Fury, Grumman F11F Tiger, Vought F-8 Crusader, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, and finally the Grumman F-14A Tomcat, participating in over 30 carrier deployments aboard ships such as USS Leyte, Enterprise, America, and Independence.[3] During the Korean War, the squadron earned the Navy Unit Commendation for combat operations, while in Vietnam it logged over 4,000 combat hours, dropped more than 3 million pounds of ordnance, and achieved the first East Coast Navy MiG-21 kill on 10 July 1968.[2] VF-33 also supported Operations El Dorado Canyon in 1986 with air cover for Libya strikes and Desert Storm in 1991 with missions over the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.[3] The squadron distinguished itself with multiple safety and operational accolades, including the Chief of Naval Operations Aviation Safety Awards in 1969 and 1970, the Golden Tailhook Award for the 1975–1976 cruise, and an Atlantic Fleet record in 1985 for 50 consecutive missile firings without failure; it was additionally the first F-14 squadron deactivated amid 1990s Navy drawdowns.[2][3]
Establishment and Lineage
Formation in 1948
Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33) was established on 12 October 1948 at Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island, as part of the U.S. Navy's postwar expansion of carrier-based aviation units.[1][4] The squadron's formation occurred amid the Navy's efforts to rebuild and modernize its fighter forces following World War II demobilization, with an initial focus on maintaining proficiency in air-to-air combat and fleet defense roles using propeller-driven aircraft.[2] Equipped from inception with the Vought F4U-4 Corsair, a single-engine fighter renowned for its speed, range, and versatility in both ground attack and interception missions, VF-33 was assigned to Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3) for integration into carrier operations.[2][3] The F4U-4 variant featured a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine producing 2,450 horsepower, enabling a top speed of approximately 425 miles per hour and an operational ceiling exceeding 40,000 feet, which suited it for training and early Cold War readiness exercises. The squadron adopted the nickname "Tarsiers," drawing from the primate's acute vision to emphasize alertness and precision in aerial warfare.[2] Initial operations emphasized pilot transition to carrier landings and formation tactics, conducted at Quonset Point before deployment preparations with CVG-3 aboard carriers such as USS Leyte.[3] This establishment marked VF-33 as a dedicated fighter unit within the Atlantic Fleet, contributing to the Navy's numerical buildup from roughly 12 active carrier air groups in 1948 to support strategic deterrence against emerging Soviet naval threats.[1]Connection to World War II Predecessor
The designation VF-33 was previously used by a U.S. Navy fighter squadron during World War II, which traced its origins to Escort Scouting Squadron 16 (VGS-16), established on August 6, 1942, at Naval Air Station Norfolk.[5] This unit transitioned to Composite Squadron 16 (VC-16) in March 1943 before receiving its VF-33 designation on August 15, 1943, and adopting the Grumman F6F Hellcat as its primary aircraft.[3] Operating mainly from forward land bases in the Solomon Islands and other Pacific theaters, VF-33 became the first Navy squadron to deploy the Hellcat against Japanese forces, conducting combat patrols and achieving 74.5 confirmed aerial victories while suffering minimal losses.[6] The squadron, nicknamed the "Tarsiers," supported Allied offensives through V-J Day but was disestablished on July 24, 1946, as postwar drawdowns eliminated the need for its land-based role.[3] The 1948 VF-33, formed as a carrier-based unit at Naval Air Station Quonset Point with F4U-4 Corsair aircraft, represented a distinct entity rather than a direct successor, reusing the numeric designation in line with Navy administrative practices for reallocating vacated squadron numbers to new formations.[3] No evidence indicates transfer of personnel, equipment, or operational traditions from the wartime VF-33, which had focused on shore-based escort and fighter operations; the postwar squadron developed its own identity, eventually earning the "Starfighters" moniker during the jet era.[5] This reuse honored the numerical legacy without implying unbroken lineage, a common postwar pattern amid the expansion of carrier air wings.[2]Operational History
Korean War Deployments
Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33), equipped with F4U-4 Corsair aircraft, conducted its primary combat deployment during the Korean War aboard the aircraft carrier USS Leyte (CV-32) from September 1950 to February 1951.[2] The squadron operated as part of Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3), launching fighter and ground attack missions in support of United Nations forces against North Korean and Chinese positions. VF-33 aircraft flew sorties over Korean targets, contributing to naval air operations that included close air support, interdiction, and armed reconnaissance amid challenging conditions such as adverse weather and intense anti-aircraft fire.[2] For its performance during this deployment, VF-33 was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation, recognizing the squadron's effectiveness in combat operations.[2] The unit's F4U-4 Corsairs, known for their robust piston-engine design and versatility in both air-to-air and air-to-ground roles, proved reliable in the theater despite the emerging threat of jet-powered MiG-15 fighters. Following the deployment's conclusion in February 1951, VF-33 returned to the United States East Coast, marking the end of its Korean War involvement.[2] No additional major combat cruises for the squadron in the Korean theater are recorded during the conflict's remaining duration.[2]Jet Transition and Cold War Buildup
Following the Korean War deployments with piston-engine F4U-4 Corsairs, VF-33 transitioned to jet aircraft upon returning to the U.S. East Coast in 1954, receiving the Grumman F9F-6 Cougar, a swept-wing variant of the Panther optimized for carrier operations.[2] The squadron, assigned to Carrier Air Group 6 (CVG-6), conducted its first jet deployment aboard USS Midway (CVA-41) from January to August 1954, focusing on carrier qualifications and tactical exercises amid escalating Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union.[2] In 1955, VF-33 upgraded to the North American FJ-3 Fury, a day fighter capable of supersonic speeds in level flight, enhancing its role in air superiority and interdiction missions.[2] On 27 January 1955, Lieutenant Commander William J. Manby Jr. of VF-33 set an unofficial climb record in an FJ-3, reaching 10,000 feet in under 74 seconds from a standing start at Naval Air Station Oceana, demonstrating the aircraft's performance potential.[7] The squadron deployed with the FJ-3 aboard USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) from October 1955 to April 1956 and USS Intrepid (CVA-11) from July to October 1957, participating in NATO's Operation Strikeback, a large-scale exercise involving over 200 warships and 650 aircraft to counter Soviet naval threats in the Atlantic.[2] By 1958, VF-33 transitioned to the supersonic Grumman F11F-1 Tiger, adopting the nickname "Astronauts" to reflect the aircraft's advanced capabilities, and deployed aboard USS Intrepid from February to August 1959 for Mediterranean operations that bolstered U.S. naval presence amid global deterrence efforts.[2] In early 1961, the squadron shifted to the Vought F8U-1E Crusader (later F-8B), reverting to "Tarsiers," and conducted a deployment aboard USS Intrepid from June 1961 to March 1962.[2] Upgrading to the more capable F-8E variant by 1962, VF-33 joined Carrier Air Group 6 on USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) for deployments including June to October 1962—during which it was recalled for the Cuban Missile Crisis—and subsequent cruises in 1963 and 1964's Operation Sea Orbit, a around-the-world non-stop transit showcasing U.S. naval power projection.[2] These transitions and deployments underscored VF-33's adaptation to high-speed jet warfare, emphasizing readiness for potential conflicts with Soviet air forces through intensive training at sites like Wheelus Air Base in Libya.Vietnam War Engagements
VF-33's most significant Vietnam War engagements occurred during its deployment aboard USS America (CVA-66) from April to December 1968 as part of Carrier Air Wing 6, operating F-4J Phantom II aircraft.[2] The squadron logged over 4,000 combat hours and expended more than 3 million pounds of ordnance across approximately five months of intensive operations, including close air support and interdiction strikes against North Vietnamese targets.[2][3] A notable event was the squadron's sole confirmed aerial victory on 10 July 1968, when Lieutenant Roy Cash Jr., with radar intercept officer Lieutenant (junior grade) Joseph E. Kain Jr., downed a MiG-21 using an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile about 17 miles northwest of Hanoi.[8] This engagement represented the first air-to-air kill achieved by an F-4J Phantom and by any Atlantic Fleet fighter squadron over North Vietnam.[8][9] The squadron had earlier participated in Southeast Asia operations aboard USS America in 1965–1967 using F-4B Phantoms, though these preceded the peak escalation of bombing campaigns like Operation Rolling Thunder's final phases.[2] Prior to the Phantom transition, VF-33 flew F-8E Crusaders during a 1964 cruise on USS Enterprise (CVAN-65), aligning with initial U.S. naval responses to the Gulf of Tonkin incident, but no MiG engagements or major strike statistics are attributed to the squadron in that configuration.[2]Middle East and Mediterranean Crises
During the tenure of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, VF-33 conducted multiple deployments to the Mediterranean Sea aboard USS Independence (CVA-62) as part of Carrier Air Wing 6 (CVW-6), spanning from 1969 to 1981, during which the squadron maintained combat air patrol and strike readiness amid regional instabilities.[2] In October 1973, as Arab states launched a coordinated assault on Israel in the Yom Kippur War, USS Independence—with VF-33's F-4Js embarked—positioned in the eastern Mediterranean to deter Soviet intervention and provide potential air cover for U.S.-led resupply convoys to Israel, which faced heavy aerial losses early in the conflict; the squadron flew alert sorties in support of this heightened deterrence posture.[10] Similarly, in July 1974, following Turkey's invasion of Cyprus amid intercommunal violence, the carrier surged to the region on July 19, where VF-33 contributed fighter escorts and reconnaissance missions to monitor the escalation involving Greek and Turkish forces.[11] These operations underscored VF-33's role in NATO-aligned contingency responses, including joint exercises with allies such as the Royal Navy; for instance, in 1975, squadron F-4Js operated from HMS Ark Royal during a Mediterranean cruise, enhancing interoperability for potential crisis scenarios.[2] Transitioning to the Grumman F-14A Tomcat in the early 1980s, VF-33 continued Mediterranean focus with deployments aboard USS America (CV-66). In March 1986, amid escalating tensions with Libya under Muammar Gaddafi, the squadron operated south of the so-called "Line of Death"—a unilateral Libyan territorial claim—flying combat air patrols to protect the carrier battle group from Libyan air and naval threats.[12] Following the April 5 La Belle discothèque bombing in West Berlin, attributed to Libyan-directed agents and killing two U.S. servicemembers, VF-33 provided top-cover intercepts for U.S. Navy A-6 Intruders, A-7 Corsairs, and F/A-18 Hornets, as well as U.S. Air Force F-111Fs, during strikes on April 15 targeting Gaddafi's Tripoli barracks and Benghazi airfield; no squadron losses occurred, and VF-33 achieved a record 895 consecutive sorties without abort, demonstrating F-14 reliability in contested airspace.[3][12] These actions formed part of broader U.S. efforts to counter state-sponsored terrorism, with VF-33's intercepts deterring Libyan Su-22 and MiG-23 incursions.[3]Gulf of Sidra Incidents
In March 1986, VF-33, operating F-14A Tomcats from USS America (CV-66) as part of Carrier Air Wing 1, participated in Operation Prairie Fire, a U.S. Navy freedom of navigation exercise challenging Libya's territorial claims over the Gulf of Sidra.[2] The squadron conducted combat air patrols amid heightened tensions, as Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had declared a "Line of Death" across the gulf in 1986, asserting sovereignty beyond internationally recognized limits.[2] On multiple occasions during the operation, VF-33 F-14s intercepted Libyan MiG-25 Foxbat fighters launched in response to U.S. carrier presence. In one engagement, an E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft vectored two VF-33 Tomcats to intercept approaching MiG-25s before they could close on the carrier group; the F-14s outmaneuvered the faster Libyan jets, achieving firing positions astern, but rules of engagement precluded weapons release absent direct threat.[2] Libyan SA-5 Gammon surface-to-air missiles were fired at U.S. aircraft, including those from VF-33, but caused no damage due to effective electronic countermeasures and evasive maneuvers.[13] U.S. forces retaliated by suppressing Libyan radar sites and sinking two Nanuchka-class corvettes and damaging others with Harpoon and Standard missiles from accompanying ships and aircraft.[2] VF-33 maintained high operational tempo, logging 895 continuous sorties without abort during the 1986 Mediterranean deployment, demonstrating F-14A reliability in contested airspace.[2] On April 15, 1986, following Libya's implicated role in the La Belle discothèque bombing in West Berlin that killed two U.S. servicemembers, VF-33 provided fighter cover for U.S. Navy A-6 Intruders and A-7 Corsairs launching from America and USS Coral Sea (CV-43) in support of Operation El Dorado Canyon, the broader airstrike campaign targeting Libyan military infrastructure in Tripoli and Benghazi.[2] No VF-33 aircraft suffered losses, and the squadron's intercepts contributed to deterring further Libyan aerial aggression without escalating to confirmed shootdowns.[2] These actions underscored U.S. commitment to international navigation rights while exposing limitations in Libyan air defenses against advanced U.S. carrier-based tactics.[14]Persian Gulf War Operations
Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33), known as the "Starfighters," deployed as part of Carrier Air Wing 1 (CVW-1) aboard the aircraft carrier USS America (CV-66) from December 28, 1990, to April 18, 1991, in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.[15] Equipped with Grumman F-14A Tomcat fighters, the squadron transitioned from buildup phases under Desert Shield to active combat operations following the onset of Desert Storm on January 17, 1991.[2] VF-33 conducted combat missions primarily focused on combat air patrols (CAP) and fleet air defense, providing protective cover for U.S. Navy and coalition aircraft operating over Iraqi airspace.[2] Alongside sister squadron VF-102, VF-33 was one of only two F-14 Tomcat units to execute sorties from both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf theaters during the conflict, enabling flexible positioning to counter potential Iraqi air threats from varied naval task force locations including those of USS John F. Kennedy, USS Saratoga, USS Midway, USS Ranger, and USS Theodore Roosevelt.[2] This dual-theater capability leveraged the F-14's long-range radar and Phoenix missile armament for intercept roles, though no aerial victories were credited to VF-33 in official records.[2] The squadron's operations emphasized interception of Iraqi aircraft attempting incursions and support for strike packages, contributing to the overall coalition air superiority that limited Iraqi Air Force activity to minimal sorties.[2] VF-33 maintained high readiness, drawing on prior experience with sustained sortie generation, though specific sortie counts for Desert Storm remain undocumented in primary Navy summaries; the unit returned stateside post-ceasefire on February 28, 1991, without reported aircraft losses to enemy action.[2]Aircraft and Technological Evolution
Piston-Engine Fighters
Upon its establishment on 11 October 1948 at Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island, VF-33 was equipped with the Vought F4U-4 Corsair, a single-engine, propeller-driven fighter renowned for its speed, payload capacity, and ruggedness in carrier operations.[2] The F4U-4 featured a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine producing 2,450 horsepower, enabling a top speed of approximately 425 miles per hour and armament including six .50-caliber machine guns or rockets and bombs for ground attack roles.[2] Assigned to Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3), the squadron conducted initial shakedown and training cruises before its first deployment in April 1949 aboard USS Leyte (CV-32) to the Mediterranean Sea, focusing on fleet defense and tactical exercises.[2] VF-33's piston-engine operations peaked during the Korean War, with a combat deployment from September 1950 to February 1951 aboard USS Leyte, where the squadron flew missions in support of United Nations forces, including combat air patrols, armed reconnaissance, and close air support strikes against North Korean targets.[2] For its contributions during this period, VF-33 earned the Navy Unit Commendation, highlighting the Corsair's effectiveness in the conflict's early phases despite the emerging dominance of jet aircraft.[2] Subsequent Mediterranean deployments in 1951 and 1952 aboard the same carrier maintained operational readiness, involving routine carrier qualifications and exercises amid the ongoing transition to jet propulsion in naval aviation.[2] The squadron operated the F4U-4 until 1953, after which it began re-equipping with jet fighters, marking the end of its piston-engine era as technological advancements prioritized supersonic capabilities for Cold War threats.[2] This shift reflected broader U.S. Navy efforts to phase out propeller-driven fighters, with VF-33's Corsair service demonstrating the aircraft's adaptability from World War II veterans to interim Cold War assets.[2]