World War II Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 133 (VMSB-133) was commissioned on May 1, 1943, at
Marine Corps Air Station El Toro,
California. After training over the summer the squadron departed for
Hawaii and arrived at
Marine Corps Air Station Ewa on September 9, 1943. From Ewa, the squadron was split into two sections with one heading to
Johnston Atoll and the other to
Palmyra Atoll for six months of
anti-submarine patrols. Following these tours, the squadron returned to MCAS Ewa only to leave again on June 25, 1944, bound for
Torokina on the island of
Bougainville. During October and November 1944, the squadron carried out strikes against targets on Bougainville and
New Britain. After two months of travelling, VMSB-133 arrived at
Lingayen Gulf in the
Philippines after the
invasion to recapture the area. It remained there until April 21, 1945, when it moved to
Mindanao to provide
close air support for the
United States Army's
24th and
31st Infantry Regiments as they cleared the island. Through June and July 1945, the squadron continued to attack targets in the vicinity of
Sarangani Bay in preparation for a planned invasion. , 1982. from VMA-133. The squadron was decommissioned on August 1, 1945, at
Malabang,
Mindanao.
Reserve years On 15 April 1958 the squadron was reactivated as part of the
Marine Air Reserve and was based out of
Naval Air Station Oakland,
California. In July 1961 they moved to
Naval Air Station Alameda, CA. In 1962 they gained their final designation of
Marine Attack Squadron 133 as they began to transition to the
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. The squadron was a part of
Marine Aircraft Group 42 and the
4th Marine Aircraft Wing however they were deactivated on 30 September 1992 as part of the post-
Cold War drawdown of the
U.S. Military. ==Aircraft losses==