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US Navy - Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 33 (CARAEWRON 33)
VAW-33 'Nighthawks'
 
vaw-33 nighthawks insignia crest patch badge carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy 02x vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy douglas ea-1 ad-5 skyraider uss cvw 02x
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STATUS:   VC-33 established on May 31, 1949
VC-33 redesignated VA(AW)-33 on July 2, 1956
VA(AW)-33 redesignated VAW-33 on June 30, 1959
VAW-33 redesignated VAQ-33 on February 1, 1968
 AIRCRAFT:   Douglas AD-5Q (EA-1F) Skyraider
Douglas AD-5W (EA-1E) Skyraider
Grumman TF-1Q (EC-1A) Electric Trader
 DEPLOYMENTS:   various detachment deployments, assigned to CVG, CVSG, CVW, aboard aircraft carriers
 
images

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy grumman ec-1a electric trader 04
Grumman EC-1A Electric Trader (VAW-33) - 1960’s

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy grumman ec-1a electric trader ea-1f skyraider 18
Grumman EC-1A Electric Trader with Douglas EA-1E and EA-1F aircraft (VAW-33) - 1960’s


vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy douglas ea-1f skyraider nas norfolk virginia 14
Douglas EA-1F Skyraider (VAW-33) at NAS Norfolk, Virginia - May 1967

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1f skyraider cvw-10 uss intrepid cvs-11 15
Douglas EA-1F Skyraider (VAW-33 / CVW-10) embarked on USS Intrepid (CVS 11) dumping fuel before landing - 1967

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy douglas ea-1e skyraider 22
Douglas EA-1E Skyraider (VAW-33) makes the last flight before retirement of the EA-1E's - circa 1967

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1f skyraider cvw-6 uss america cva-66 10
Douglas EA-1F Skyraider (VAW-33 / CVW-6) embarked on USS America (CVA 66) - 1966

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1f skyraider cvw-6 uss america cva-66 12
Douglas EA-1F Skyraider (VAW-33 / CVW-6) embarked on USS America (CVA 66) - 1965

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1f skyraider cvw-6 uss america cva-66 13
Douglas EA-1F Skyraider (VAW-33 / CVW-6) embarked on USS America (CVA 66) - 1965-66

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1f skyraider cvw-6 uss america cva-66 11
Douglas EA-1F Skyraider (VAW-33 / CVW-6) embarked on USS America (CVA 66) - 1965-66

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1f skyraider cvw-6 uss america cva-66 03
Douglas EA-1F Skyraider (VAW-33 / CVW-6) embarked on USS America (CVA 66) - mid 1960's

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1f skyraider cvw-6 uss america cva-66 03c
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vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1f skyraider cvw-6 uss america cva-66 03d
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vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1f skyraider cvw-6 uss america cva-66 03a
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vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1f skyraider cvw-6 uss america cva-66 03b
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vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1e skyraider cvsg-54 uss lake champlain cvs-39 09
Douglas EA-1E Skyraider (VAW-33 / CVSG-54) embarked on USS Lake Champlain (CVS 39) after a landing mishap - 1964

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1f skyraider cvg-7 uss independence cva-62 19
Douglas EA-1F Skyraider (VAW-33 / CVG-7) embarked on USS Independence (CVA 62) - 1963

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy douglas ea-1e ea-1f skyraider nas quonset point 06
Douglas EA-1E and EA-1F Skyraider (VAW-33) at NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island - July 1963

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1f skyraider nas quonset point rhode island 07
Douglas EA-1F Skyraider (VAW-33) at NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island - July 1963

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy ea-1f skyraider 08
Douglas EA-1F Skyraider (VAW-33) at NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island - July 1963

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy douglas ea-1f skyraider 05
Douglas EA-1F Skyraider (VAW-33) over NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island - February 1963

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy douglas ad-5q skyraider cvg-7 uss independence cva-62 21
Douglas AD-5Q Skyraider (VAW-33 / CVG-7) embarked on USS Independence (CVA 62) - early 1960's

vaw-33 nighthawks carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy douglas ad-5q skyraider cvg-7 uss independence cva-62 02
Douglas AD-5Q Skyraider (VAW-33 / CVG-7) embarked on USS Independence (CVA 62) - early 1960's



All-Weather Attack Squadron 33 (VA(AW)-33) - 1956-59

va(aw)-33 nighthawks all-weather attack squadron us navy douglas ad-5n skyraider cvg-10 uss forrestal cva-59 17
Douglas AD-5N Skyraider (VA(AW)-33 / CVG-10) embarked on USS Forrestal (CVA 59) - 1958-59

va(aw)-33 nighthawks all-weather attack squadron us navy ad-5n skyraider atg-181 uss intrepid cva-11 20
Douglas AD-5N Skyraider from All-Weather Attack Squadron 33 (VA(AW)-33) Det.33 "Night Hawks".
VA(AW)-33 Det.33 was assigned to Air Task Group 181 (ATG-181) aboard USS Intrepid (CVA 11) - 1958



Composite Squadron 33 (VC-33) - 1949-56
vc-33 avengers nighthawks composite squadron us navy ad-3q ad-4n ad-5n skyraider nas atlantic city new jersey 02
Three different types of Douglas AD Skyraider of VC-33 near Naval Air Station Atlantic City, New Jersey:
An AD-3Q electronic countermeasures aircraft, an AD-4N night attack aircraft, and a wide-body AD-5N (left to right) - 1955

vc-33 avengers nighthawks composite squadron us navy douglas ad-3q skyraider 03
Douglas AD-3Q Skyraider from Composite Squadron 33 (VC-33) Avengers taking off from an aircraft carrier in the early 1950's

vc-33 avengers nighthawks composite squadron us navy douglas ad-4 skyraider cvg-4 uss coral sea cvb-43 05
Douglas AD-4 Skyraider, SS-807 (VC-33 / CVG-4) embarked on USS Coral Sea (CVB 43) - 1952

vc-33 avengers nighthawks composite squadron us navy douglas f3d-2 skyknight 04
Douglas F3D-2 Skyknight from Composite Squadron VC-33 "Night Hawks" - 1952

vc-33 avengers nighthawks composite squadron us navy ad-3n skyraider cvg-3 uss leyte cv-32 06
Douglas AD-3N Skyraider (VC-33 / CVG-3) embarked on USS Leyte (CV 32) - 1950-51
 
 
The squadron was established in 1949 as Composite Squadron VC-33 at NAS Norfolk. It flew the TBM-3E/N/Q Avenger and a few SNB-5 Texans. Its mission was antisubmarine warfare (ASW). It moved to NAS Atlantic City in 1950, where its mission changed to night attack. It sent three detachments to the Korean War aboard carriers, where it distinguished itself in night attack and ECM missions.

In 1952, it adopted the nickname Nighthawks, and in 1956 was redesignated as an All-Weather Attack Squadron VA(AW)-33. In 1958, the squadron moved to NAS Quonset Point, and was soon redesignated Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron VAW-33. In 1961, it began providing ASW detachments to antisubmarine carriers in the Atlantic Fleet. In 1966, a VAW-33 detachment supported the recovery of the Gemini IX spacecraft. From 1967-1968, VAW-33 provided carrier-based ECM services in the Vietnam War zone.

Returning to NAS Norfolk in 1970, the squadron, now designated VAQ-33, adopted the Firebirds nickname, and came under operational control of the Fleet Electronic Warfare Support Group. Its new mission was to simulate electronic threats to units of the fleet.

source: wikipedia 
 
patches + more

vaw-33 nighthawks insignia crest patch badge carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy 02c
vaw-33 nighthawks insignia crest patch badge carrier airborne early warning squadron caraewron us navy 02p
  
 
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