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VMFA-533
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 533 (VMFA-533) is a United States Marine Corps F-35B squadron. Also known as the "Hawks", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW).
To conduct joint / combined aviation operations in order to support a Marine Air Ground Task Force commander's Command and Control, intelligence, fires, maneuver, and force protection warfighting functions.
On 1 October 1943, Marine Night Fighter Squadron 533 (VMF(N)-533) was commissioned at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. Originally known as "Black Mac's Killers", after their first commanding officer Major Marion M. Magruder, they were one of three night fighter squadrons to be activated in the Marine Corps and were outfitted with the Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, equipped with the APS-6 radar. The squadron left for the West Coast in early April and on 16 April, they embarked on board the USS Long Island headed for the South Pacific. In May 1944, the squadron conducted their final training on the F6F aboard Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii and then headed for Eniwetok. On 12 June they relieved VMF(N)-532 and assumed night defense responsibilities for the area. On 30 November they moved to Engebi and continued operations.
On 7 May 1945, with only two days notice, the squadron of 15 F6F Hellcat planes took off from Engebi with R5C escorts and flew to Saipan, a total of 1,004 nautical miles (1,859 km). This was the longest flight ever over water by a squadron in single engine military aircraft. Each plane had a 150-gallon belly tank, and the squadron had to travel at the speed of the slowest plane
The squadron moved to Yontan Airfield, Okinawa in May 1945 and finally settled on Ie Shima Airfield on 15 June 1945. Between 14 May – 29 June 533 would claim shooting down 30 Japanese planes - by radar, at night - without one operational loss. This was a night fighter record for enemy planes shot down by a single squadron. They also had the first night fighter ace, Captain Robert Baird. The first F7F-2N Tigercat for the squadron arrived on Okinawa the day before the end of the war so it did not see combat. In October 1945, the squadron moved to Nanyuan Airfield near Peiping, China for occupation duty and completed their transition to the new Tigercat. They moved to Hawaii before finally settling back in the U.S. at MCAS Cherry Point in January 1947. 533 would spend the Korean War there as well, training Tigercat aircrew for night combat overseas.
533 entered the jet age in May 1953 with its acquisition of the F2H-4 Banshee, and changed their nickname to Black Diamonds. They saw several carrier deployments in the ensuing years, followed by another transition to the F9F Cougar in 1957. Yet another change was soon to follow as the squadron received the A4D Skyhawk in 1959, and with it a redesignation to Marine Attack Squadron 533 (VMA-533). The squadron adopted the name, Hawks, in honor of their new aircraft. The next change was to come in 1965 when the Hawks received the A-6A Intruder, giving them an all-weather capability and the appropriate change in title, VMA(AW)-533.
Soon after transitioning to the A-6, VMA(AW)533 deployed to Chu Lai Air Base, Republic of Vietnam on April 1, 1967, to support combat operations. It was the first A-6A squadron in Marine Aircraft Group 12 and remained there from 1967 to 1969, then redeploying to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. All told, VMA(AW)-533 accumulated over 10,000 combat sorties in these busy years, garnering them the Commandant’s Aviation Efficiency Trophy. In one noted incident, on 25 October 1967, three A-6A Intruders from VMA(AW)-533 attacked the Phúc Yên Air Base outside of Hanoi and the action was so intense all three pilots were awarded the Navy Cross. These pilots were among the few aviators to receive Navy Crosses awarded to fixed wing pilots during the Vietnam War.
This would not be the last time that the Hawks would see combat over Southeast Asia. They returned to service over Vietnam in 1972, deploying for a year to Royal Thai Air Base Nam Phong, Thailand. They were soon flying mission over Cambodia and Laos, as well. They returned to MCAS Iwakuni in September 1973, and then to MCAS Cherry Point in November 1975, where they received their first A-6E the following year.
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VMFA-533
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 533 (VMFA-533) is a United States Marine Corps F-35B squadron. Also known as the "Hawks", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW).
To conduct joint / combined aviation operations in order to support a Marine Air Ground Task Force commander's Command and Control, intelligence, fires, maneuver, and force protection warfighting functions.
On 1 October 1943, Marine Night Fighter Squadron 533 (VMF(N)-533) was commissioned at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. Originally known as "Black Mac's Killers", after their first commanding officer Major Marion M. Magruder, they were one of three night fighter squadrons to be activated in the Marine Corps and were outfitted with the Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, equipped with the APS-6 radar. The squadron left for the West Coast in early April and on 16 April, they embarked on board the USS Long Island headed for the South Pacific. In May 1944, the squadron conducted their final training on the F6F aboard Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii and then headed for Eniwetok. On 12 June they relieved VMF(N)-532 and assumed night defense responsibilities for the area. On 30 November they moved to Engebi and continued operations.
On 7 May 1945, with only two days notice, the squadron of 15 F6F Hellcat planes took off from Engebi with R5C escorts and flew to Saipan, a total of 1,004 nautical miles (1,859 km). This was the longest flight ever over water by a squadron in single engine military aircraft. Each plane had a 150-gallon belly tank, and the squadron had to travel at the speed of the slowest plane
The squadron moved to Yontan Airfield, Okinawa in May 1945 and finally settled on Ie Shima Airfield on 15 June 1945. Between 14 May – 29 June 533 would claim shooting down 30 Japanese planes - by radar, at night - without one operational loss. This was a night fighter record for enemy planes shot down by a single squadron. They also had the first night fighter ace, Captain Robert Baird. The first F7F-2N Tigercat for the squadron arrived on Okinawa the day before the end of the war so it did not see combat. In October 1945, the squadron moved to Nanyuan Airfield near Peiping, China for occupation duty and completed their transition to the new Tigercat. They moved to Hawaii before finally settling back in the U.S. at MCAS Cherry Point in January 1947. 533 would spend the Korean War there as well, training Tigercat aircrew for night combat overseas.
533 entered the jet age in May 1953 with its acquisition of the F2H-4 Banshee, and changed their nickname to Black Diamonds. They saw several carrier deployments in the ensuing years, followed by another transition to the F9F Cougar in 1957. Yet another change was soon to follow as the squadron received the A4D Skyhawk in 1959, and with it a redesignation to Marine Attack Squadron 533 (VMA-533). The squadron adopted the name, Hawks, in honor of their new aircraft. The next change was to come in 1965 when the Hawks received the A-6A Intruder, giving them an all-weather capability and the appropriate change in title, VMA(AW)-533.
Soon after transitioning to the A-6, VMA(AW)533 deployed to Chu Lai Air Base, Republic of Vietnam on April 1, 1967, to support combat operations. It was the first A-6A squadron in Marine Aircraft Group 12 and remained there from 1967 to 1969, then redeploying to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. All told, VMA(AW)-533 accumulated over 10,000 combat sorties in these busy years, garnering them the Commandant’s Aviation Efficiency Trophy. In one noted incident, on 25 October 1967, three A-6A Intruders from VMA(AW)-533 attacked the Phúc Yên Air Base outside of Hanoi and the action was so intense all three pilots were awarded the Navy Cross. These pilots were among the few aviators to receive Navy Crosses awarded to fixed wing pilots during the Vietnam War.
This would not be the last time that the Hawks would see combat over Southeast Asia. They returned to service over Vietnam in 1972, deploying for a year to Royal Thai Air Base Nam Phong, Thailand. They were soon flying mission over Cambodia and Laos, as well. They returned to MCAS Iwakuni in September 1973, and then to MCAS Cherry Point in November 1975, where they received their first A-6E the following year.