Nicknamed “Gregory's Gorilla's”, it saw limited action during World War II due to being assigned to fly anti-submarine patrols from Midway Atoll during its only deployed tour.

After the war, the squadron later took part in the occupation of Northern China then returned to the United States to be decommissioned on June 10, 1946.

[4] On October 27 the squadron's Curtiss SB2C Helldivers began the 1,100 mile flight to Midway Atoll stopping to refuel at French Frigate Shoals en route.

On December 8, Marine Aircraft Group 32 was tasked to fly an aerial show of strength over the Shantung Peninsula on the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Six of the squadron's twelve aircraft got caught in a blinding snowstorm flying beneath the clouds on the return to Tsingtao and crashed near Pingdu.