▁V P B - 1 3 1 ▁ceased ▁combat ▁operation ▁briefly ▁when ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁squad ron ▁aircraft ▁were ▁fitted ▁with ▁ro cket ▁hard ▁points ▁and ▁the ▁pil ots ▁were ▁given ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁training ▁on ▁ro cket ▁firing ▁techniques ▁by ▁six ▁of ▁the ▁squad ron ▁pil ots ▁who ▁had ▁received ▁the ▁training ▁at ▁NAS ▁Pas co , ▁Washington . ▁The ▁western ▁tip ▁of ▁Ag att u ▁Island , ▁Ale ut ians ▁chain , ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁firing ▁range ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁H VAR ▁rock ets . ▁The ▁squad ron ▁found ▁that ▁cold ▁weather ▁decre ased ▁the ▁effective ▁range ▁from ▁. ▁ 2 4 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 5 : ▁The ▁squad ron ▁conducted ▁its ▁first ▁ro cket ▁attacks ▁against ▁enemy ▁positions ▁at ▁K ok ut an ▁Z aki , ▁Sh im ush u , ▁Kur iles . ▁Further ▁attacks ▁were ▁conducted ▁against ▁military ▁targets ▁and ▁fish eries ▁at ▁Kur ab u ▁Z aki , ▁Param ush ir ; ▁K ok ut an ▁Z aki ▁and ▁Min ami ▁Z aki , ▁Sh im ush u ; ▁Mas ug awa , ▁Param ush ir ; ▁Hay ake ▁G awa , ▁Param ush ir ; ▁and ▁Tor ish ima ▁Ret to , ▁Param ush iro , ▁through ▁the ▁end ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁From ▁April ▁through ▁July , ▁the ▁combat ▁activity ▁decre ased ▁and ▁miss ions ▁were ▁assigned ▁that ▁usually ▁involved ▁only ▁daily ▁searches ▁from ▁Att u ▁for ▁enemy ▁presence . ▁ 2 0 ▁February ▁ 1 9 4