33d Flying Training Squadron emblem (approved 21 July 1988)[1]
Emblem of the World War II 33d Bomb Squadron emblem (approved 10 Apr 1941)[1]
The squadron was established as a medium bomber unit on Bolos, Marauders, and later B-25 Mitchells. It became a heavy bomber squadron in February 1944, and was later equipped with B-29s and B-47s before being inactivated in 1963. Just under thirty years later, it was reactivated as a flying training squadron.
After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the squadron was transferred to the West Coast, flying anti-submarine patrols from Muroc Army Air Field, California from December 1941 to the end of January 1942. It was then assigned to the new Fifth Air Force, originally based on the Philippines, leaving the B-18s at Muroc. By the time the squadron arrived in the theater the situation on the Philippines was desperate, and the squadron was based in Australia. From there it attacked Japanese targets on New Guinea and New Britain. In October 1943 the B-26 Marauders were joined by North American B-25 Mitchells, and for the rest of the year the group continued to operate in support of Allied troops on New Guinea.
In February 1944 the unit was redesignated as a heavy bomber squadron, and was assigned long range Consolidated B-24 Liberators, built by Ford and optimized for long range bombing missions in the Pacific. With its new heavy bombers the group attacked targets on Borneo, Ceram and Halmahera, among them the crucial oil fields of the Netherlands East Indies. In September 1944 the squadron moved its attention to the Philippines, attacking targets on Leyte. It moved onto Leyte on 15 November 1944. From then until August 1945 it flew against targets on Luzon, as well as supporting the campaign on Borneo and even ranging out as far as China. Finally, on 15 August 1945 the unit moved to Okinawa, from where it flew a number of armed reconnaissance missions over southern Japan to make sure the surrender terms were being obeyed. Most of the squadron's personnel were demobilized after the war; the squadron being reassigned to the Philippines where it's B-24s were sent to reclamation and it became a paper unit.
The squadron was redesignated as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress squadron on Okinawa in 1946, receiving former Eighth Air Force B-29s originally deployed from the United States for the planned Air Offensive as part of the Japanese Campaign. Became part of Twentieth Air Force, and flew training missions in and around Okinawa until being made non-operational in 1948.
Cold War bombardmentEdit
Assigned to Strategic Air Command in 1948, receiving B-29s and operating from Smoky Hill Air Force Base, Kansas; later from March Air Force Base, California. Took part in SAC deployments and exercises. In 1950 was part of the Fifteenth Air Force SAC contingent of non-nuclear-capable B-29 units deployed to Okinawa due to the breakout of the Korean War. Flew combat missions over North Korea during 1950, returning to the United States in October.
Upon return to the United States, trained with second-line B-29s for training and organization. Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new Boeing B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1953, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union. In the late 1950s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Began sending aircraft to other B-47 wings as replacements in late 1962; Inactivated in early 1963 when the last aircraft was retired.
Pilot trainingEdit
The squadron was reactivated under Air Training Command as a flying training unit in 1990. Inactivated in 1992; Reactivated in 1998 as part of Air Education and Training Command.
The 33 FTS currently flies the Beechcraft T-6A Texan II which has 1100 shaft horsepower and a maximum speed of 316 knots indicated airspeed. The 33 FTS mascot is the dragon and students use callsigns starting with "DRAGN" when on station and "Hook" when off station.
LineageEdit
Constituted as the 33d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 December 1939
Activated on 1 February 1940
Redesignated: 33d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 3 February 1944
Redesignated: 33d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 30 April 1946
Redesignated: 33d Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 July 1948
Discontinued and inactivated on 15 March 1963
Redesignated 33d Flying Training Squadron on 9 February 1990
Smoky Hill Air Force Base, Kansas, 18 May 1948 (deployed to RAF Lakenheath, England, c. 16 November 1948 – c. 14 February 1949)
March Air Force Base, California, 10 May 1949 – 15 March 1963 (deployed to RAF Lakenheath, England, 18 November 1949 – 16 February 1950; Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, 8 July – 29 October 1950; RAF Wyton, England, 5 September – 9 December 1951; RAF Upper Heyford, England, 9 December 1953 – 5 March 1954)
^Nearest aircraft is Consolidated B-24L-5-CO Liberator serial 44-41538. This plane was named "Round Trip Ticket". Consolidated B-24J Liberator serial 44-40366 was named "Gypsy" and later renamed "Slightly Dangerous".
Citations
^ abcdefghKane, Rober B. (16 March 2010). "Factsheet 33 Flying Training Squadron (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
BibliographyEdit
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Further readingEdit
Brosius Jr., J.W. (1944). The Marauder:A Book of the 22nd Bomb Group. Sydney, Australia: Halstead Press.
Schroeder, Frederick A. (1985). Ducimus "We Lead" 22nd Bomb Group. Daytona Beach, FL: Hall Publishing Co.
Watkins, Robert A. (2013). Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II. Vol. V, Pacific Theater of Operations. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing, Ltd. pp. 72–73. ISBN978-0-7643-4346-9. (Markings of unit B-24, B-25 and B-26 aircraft during World War II)
External linksEdit
33rd Flying Training Squadron
October 19, 2023
33rd, flying, training, squadron, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, december, 2012, learn, when, remove, this, t. This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations December 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message The 33rd Flying Training Squadron is a United States Air Force squadron based at Vance Air Force Base near Enid Oklahoma It is a part of the 71st Flying Training Wing 33d Flying Training SquadronFormation of T 6A Texan IIs from Vance AFBActive1940 1963 1990 1992 1998 presentCountry United StatesBranch United States Air ForceRolePilot TrainingPart ofAir Education and Training CommandGarrison HQVance Air Force BaseEngagementsSouthwest Pacific TheaterKorean War 1 DecorationsDistinguished Unit CitationAir Force Outstanding Unit AwardPhilippine Republic Presidential Unit CitationRepublic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation 1 Insignia33d Flying Training Squadron emblem approved 21 July 1988 1 Emblem of the World War II 33d Bomb Squadron emblem approved 10 Apr 1941 1 The squadron was established as a medium bomber unit on Bolos Marauders and later B 25 Mitchells It became a heavy bomber squadron in February 1944 and was later equipped with B 29s and B 47s before being inactivated in 1963 Just under thirty years later it was reactivated as a flying training squadron Contents 1 History 1 1 World War II 1 2 Cold War bombardment 1 3 Pilot training 2 Lineage 2 1 Assignments 2 2 Stations 2 3 Aircraft 3 See also 4 References 4 1 Notes 4 2 Bibliography 5 Further reading 6 External linksHistory EditWorld War II Edit nbsp B 24s from the 33d Bombartdment Squadron note 1 Established as a GHQ Air Force medium bomber squadron in 1940 as a result of the buildup of the Army Air Corps after the breakout of World War II in Europe It trained with a mix of Douglas B 18 Bolos and Martin B 26 Marauders After the Pearl Harbor Attack the squadron was transferred to the West Coast flying anti submarine patrols from Muroc Army Air Field California from December 1941 to the end of January 1942 It was then assigned to the new Fifth Air Force originally based on the Philippines leaving the B 18s at Muroc By the time the squadron arrived in the theater the situation on the Philippines was desperate and the squadron was based in Australia From there it attacked Japanese targets on New Guinea and New Britain In October 1943 the B 26 Marauders were joined by North American B 25 Mitchells and for the rest of the year the group continued to operate in support of Allied troops on New Guinea In February 1944 the unit was redesignated as a heavy bomber squadron and was assigned long range Consolidated B 24 Liberators built by Ford and optimized for long range bombing missions in the Pacific With its new heavy bombers the group attacked targets on Borneo Ceram and Halmahera among them the crucial oil fields of the Netherlands East Indies In September 1944 the squadron moved its attention to the Philippines attacking targets on Leyte It moved onto Leyte on 15 November 1944 From then until August 1945 it flew against targets on Luzon as well as supporting the campaign on Borneo and even ranging out as far as China Finally on 15 August 1945 the unit moved to Okinawa from where it flew a number of armed reconnaissance missions over southern Japan to make sure the surrender terms were being obeyed Most of the squadron s personnel were demobilized after the war the squadron being reassigned to the Philippines where it s B 24s were sent to reclamation and it became a paper unit The squadron was redesignated as a Boeing B 29 Superfortress squadron on Okinawa in 1946 receiving former Eighth Air Force B 29s originally deployed from the United States for the planned Air Offensive as part of the Japanese Campaign Became part of Twentieth Air Force and flew training missions in and around Okinawa until being made non operational in 1948 Cold War bombardment Edit Assigned to Strategic Air Command in 1948 receiving B 29s and operating from Smoky Hill Air Force Base Kansas later from March Air Force Base California Took part in SAC deployments and exercises In 1950 was part of the Fifteenth Air Force SAC contingent of non nuclear capable B 29 units deployed to Okinawa due to the breakout of the Korean War Flew combat missions over North Korea during 1950 returning to the United States in October Upon return to the United States trained with second line B 29s for training and organization Replaced the propeller driven B 29s with new Boeing B 47E Stratojet swept wing medium bombers in 1953 capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union In the late 1950s the B 47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence and was being phased out of SAC s strategic arsenal Began sending aircraft to other B 47 wings as replacements in late 1962 Inactivated in early 1963 when the last aircraft was retired Pilot training Edit The squadron was reactivated under Air Training Command as a flying training unit in 1990 Inactivated in 1992 Reactivated in 1998 as part of Air Education and Training Command As Vance AFB is a Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training JSUPT location United States Navy and United States Marine Corps aviators as well as Air Force and Air National Guard pilots train there The 33 FTS currently flies the Beechcraft T 6A Texan II which has 1100 shaft horsepower and a maximum speed of 316 knots indicated airspeed The 33 FTS mascot is the dragon and students use callsigns starting with DRAGN when on station and Hook when off station Lineage EditConstituted as the 33d Bombardment Squadron Medium on 22 December 1939Activated on 1 February 1940 Redesignated 33d Bombardment Squadron Heavy on 3 February 1944 Redesignated 33d Bombardment Squadron Very Heavy on 30 April 1946 Redesignated 33d Bombardment Squadron Medium on 28 July 1948 Discontinued and inactivated on 15 March 1963Redesignated 33d Flying Training Squadron on 9 February 1990Activated on 11 May 1990 Inactivated on 1 October 1992Activated on 1 October 1998 1 Assignments Edit 22d Bombardment Group 1 February 1940 attached to 22d Bombardment Wing after 10 February 1951 22d Bombardment Wing 16 June 1952 15 March 1963 64th Flying Training Wing 11 May 199064th Operations Group 15 December 1991 1 October 1992 71st Operations Group 1 October 1998 present 1 Stations Edit Patterson Field Ohio 1 February 1940 Langley Field Virginia 16 November 1940 Muroc Army Air Field California 9 December 1941 28 January 1942 Archerfield Airport Australia 25 February 1942 Amberley Field Australia 1 March 1942 Antil Plains Aerodrome Australia 7 April 1942 Woodstock Airfield Australia 20 July 1942 Iron Range Airfield Australia 29 September 1942 Woodstock Airfield Australia 4 February 1943 Dobodura Airfield New Guinea 15 October 1943 Nadzab Airfield New Guinea c 10 January 1944Air echelon at Charters Towers Airfield Australia 11 January 19 February 1944Owi Airfield Schouten Islands Netherlands East Indies 14 August 1944 Angaur Palau Islands 26 November 1944 Guiuan Airfield Samar Philippines 21 January 1945 Clark Field Luzon Philippines 12 March 1945 Motobu Airfield Okinawa 15 August 1945 Fort William McKinley Luzon Philippines 23 November 1945 Kadena Air Base Okinawa 15 June 1946 c 7 May 1948 Smoky Hill Air Force Base Kansas 18 May 1948 deployed to RAF Lakenheath England c 16 November 1948 c 14 February 1949 March Air Force Base California 10 May 1949 15 March 1963 deployed to RAF Lakenheath England 18 November 1949 16 February 1950 Kadena Air Base Okinawa 8 July 29 October 1950 RAF Wyton England 5 September 9 December 1951 RAF Upper Heyford England 9 December 1953 5 March 1954 Reese Air Force Base Texas 11 May 1990 1 October 1992 Vance Air Force Base Oklahoma 1 October 1998 Present 1 Aircraft Edit Douglas B 18 Bolo 1940 1941 Martin B 26 Marauder 1941 1943 North American B 25 Mitchell 1943 1944 Consolidated B 24 Liberator 1944 1945 Boeing B 29 Superfortress 1946 1952 Boeing B 47 Stratojet 1953 1963 Cessna T 37 Tweet 1990 1992 1998 2006 Beechcraft T 6A Texan II 2006 present 1 See also EditUnited States Army Air Forces in Australia World War II References EditNotes Edit Explanatory notes Nearest aircraft is Consolidated B 24L 5 CO Liberator serial 44 41538 This plane was named Round Trip Ticket Consolidated B 24J Liberator serial 44 40366 was named Gypsy and later renamed Slightly Dangerous Citations a b c d e f g h Kane Rober B 16 March 2010 Factsheet 33 Flying Training Squadron AETC Air Force Historical Research Agency Retrieved 4 February 2018 Bibliography Edit nbsp This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Maurer Maurer ed 1983 1961 Air Force Combat Units of World War II PDF reprint ed Washington DC Office of Air Force History ISBN 0 912799 02 1 LCCN 61060979 Retrieved 17 December 2016 Maurer Maurer ed 1982 1969 Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II PDF reprint ed Washington DC Office of Air Force History ISBN 0 405 12194 6 LCCN 70605402 OCLC 72556 Retrieved 17 December 2016 Ravenstein Charles A 1984 Air Force Combat Wings Lineage amp Honors Histories 1947 1977 Washington DC Office of Air Force History ISBN 0 912799 12 9 Retrieved 17 December 2016 Further reading EditBrosius Jr J W 1944 The Marauder A Book of the 22nd Bomb Group Sydney Australia Halstead Press Schroeder Frederick A 1985 Ducimus We Lead 22nd Bomb Group Daytona Beach FL Hall Publishing Co Watkins Robert A 2013 Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U S Army Air Force in World War II Vol V Pacific Theater of Operations Atglen PA Shiffer Publishing Ltd pp 72 73 ISBN 978 0 7643 4346 9 Markings of unit B 24 B 25 and B 26 aircraft during World War II External links Edit33rd Flying Training Squadron Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 33rd Flying Training Squadron amp oldid 1091500094, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
