Scouting Squadron 33 (VS-33) was a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations ar ...

squadron in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

World War II

As part of

Eastern Sea Frontier The Eastern Sea Frontier (EASTSEAFRON) was a United States Navy operational command during World War II, that was responsible for the Sea Frontier along coastal waters from Canada to Jacksonville, Florida, extending out for a nominal distance of ...

Force Headquarters Air Group operation plan 1-43, the squadron flew anti-submarine patrols while temporarily based at

Naval Air Station Quonset Point A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations ...

, Rhode Island, and a detachment at Naval Auxiliary Air Station Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.VS-33. "War Diary December 1 to 31, 1943", dated 1 January 1944, page 1 (accessed from '' Fold3 website''). During this operation, the higher headquarters was Fleet Air Wing 9 of the Atlantic Fleet Air Force for administration and Headquarters Air Group of Eastern Sea Frontier for operations. Weather permitting, the squadron maintained a routine of two sets of two-plane patrols per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, originating from both Quonset Point and Martha's Vineyard. In this squadron, the OS2U-3 airplanes were radio equipped, and were armed with one fixed .30 caliber machine gun with 500 rounds of ammunition, as well as two Mark 17, 325 pound depth bombs.VS-33. "War Diary March 1 to 31, 1944", dated 1 April 1944, page 1 (accessed from ''Fold3 website''). The SBD-5 airplanes were radio and radar equipped, and were armed with two fixed

M2 Browning The M2 machine gun or Browning .50-caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed near the end of World War I by John Browning. While similar to Browning's M1919 Browning machine gun, which was chambered ...

.50 caliber machine guns each with 180 rounds of ammunition, as well as two Mark 47, 350 pound depth bombs.

References

{{reflist American Theater of World War II Military units and formations of the United States Navy in World War II Sea control squadrons of the United States Navy Submarine warfare in World War II