In June 1943 USN aircraft began wearing a new tricolor national insignia with a red surround as well as false gun ports painted on the wing leading edges. Between September 1943 and June 1944, VB-16 flew from USS Lexington. On September 18, 1943, VB-16 took part in the raids on the Gilbert Islands, raids on Tarawa and Wake in the fall. On December 4, 1943, VB-16 was part of a large raid on Kwajalein Atoll in an effort to soften the Japanese stronghold prior to the actual invasion in early 1944.

L – 12.4 in (315mm)
W – 15.75 in (400mm)
H – 4.8 in (122mm)
Weight – 1.98 lb (900g)