VF-33
| Fighter Squadron 33 | |
|---|---|
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VF-33 insignia
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| Active | 6 August 1942 - 19 November 1945 12 October 1948 - 1 October 1993 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Type | Fighter |
| Nickname(s) | Tarsiers (1948-1958, 1961-1981) Astronauts (1958-1961) Starfighters (1981-1993) |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter |
F4U-4 Corsair F9F-6 Cougar FJ-3/-3M Fury F11F-1 Tiger F-8B/E Crusader F-4B/J Phantom II F-14A Tomcat |
Fighter Squadron 33 or 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 US Navy Squadron to be designated VF-33.
The squadron was originally equipped with the Chance-Vought F4U-4 Corsair. It was assigned to Carrier Air Group Three (CVG-3) and made two deployments on the aircraft carrier USS Leyte. The first was to the Mediterranean Sea in mid-1950 quickly followed by a combat deployment to Korea from September 1950 to February 1951. For its action in the Korean War VF-33 earned the Navy Unit Citation. The squadron called themselves the "Tarsiers", which was a fierce monkey. The squadron affectionately called their Tarsier "Minky".
Following its deployment to Korea VF-33 returned to the U.S. East Coast and transitioned to the F9F-6 Cougar. The squadron was assigned to Carrier Air Group Six (CVG-6) and deployed to the Mediterranean Sea aboard the USS Midway in 1954. After this tour the Tarsiers again transitioned to the FJ-3 Fury and made three deployments in 1956 and 1957 to the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, this time aboard the carriers USS Lake Champlain, USS Leyte, and USS Intrepid. Aboard Intrepid VF-33 took part in the NATO exercise Operation Strikeback.
In 1958 VF-33 transitioned to the supersonic F11F Tiger and was renamed Astronauts. As part of CVG-6 VF-33 made two tours to the Mediterranean Sea aboard the Intrepid.
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