' s ▁forward ▁firing ▁ 5 0 - cal iber ▁guns ▁from ▁two ▁to ▁five . ▁Six ▁of ▁the ▁aircraft ▁were ▁also ▁fitted ▁with ▁ro cket ▁launch ers . ▁Training ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁rad ar ▁bomb ing ▁through ▁over cast , ▁m ast head ▁bomb ing ▁and ▁section ▁tact ics . ▁The ▁first ▁phase ▁of ▁training ▁was ▁completed ▁on ▁ 1 ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁and ▁all ▁hands ▁were ▁given ▁ 3 0 ▁days ▁re h abil itation ▁leave . ▁The ▁training ▁sy ll ab us ▁was ▁res umed ▁on ▁ 4 ▁June . ▁ 8 ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 4 : ▁V P B - 1 3 1 ▁depart ed ▁NAS ▁Wh id bey ▁Island ▁for ▁NAS ▁Att u , ▁Al aska , ▁under ▁the ▁oper ational ▁control ▁of ▁FA W - 4 , ▁as ▁the ▁relief ▁squad ron ▁for ▁V P B - 1 3 5 . ▁The ▁squad ron ▁arrived ▁at ▁Att u ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁and ▁began ▁ant ish ipping ▁searches , ▁f ighter ▁de co y ▁and ▁task ▁force ▁coverage ▁throughout ▁the ▁Kur ile ▁Islands . ▁These ▁miss ions ▁were ▁continued ▁through ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁December , ▁with ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁attacks ▁being ▁made ▁using ▁only ▁the ▁five ▁bow ▁guns . ▁Despite ▁the ▁emphas is ▁in ▁training ▁on ▁m ast head ▁bomb ing ▁attacks , ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁squad ron ▁aircraft ▁ever ▁carried ▁a ▁bomb . ▁ 4 ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 4 : ▁Lieutenant ▁Robert ▁A . ▁Ell ing