Marine Aircraft Group 53 (MAG-53) was a United States Marine Corps night fighter training group that was commissioned during World War II. It was the first night-fighter group in the Marine Corps.[1] During the course of the war the group trained eight night fighting squadrons and sent seven of them into combat.[2] The group was decommissioned after the war during the post-war drawdown of forces.
| Marine Aircraft Group 53 | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 April 1943 - 31 May 1947[1] |
| Country |  United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Marine Corps |
| Role | Training |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Frank Schwable Marion M. Magruder |
History
editMarine Night Fighting Group 53 (MAG(N)-53) was formed on 1 April 1943, at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.[3][4] It was the first night fighter group in the Marine Corps and was responsible for the training of all VMF(N) squadrons.[2] The group trained in Vero Beach, Florida in the spring and summer of 1944 and moved to Marine Corps Air Station Eagle Mountain Lake, Texas in November 1944.[5] MAG(N)-53 was re-designated Marine Night Fighter Group 53 (MNFG 53) in April 1945. The group remained in Texas until the end of the war.[citation needed]
The group moved back to MCAS Cherry Point in February 1946 [6] and changed its name again, this time to Marine Aircraft Group 53 (MAG-53) in November of that year. The group was decommissioned on 31 May 1947.[1]
See also
editNotes
edit- This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.
- ^ a b c Wygant, William C. (13 June 1947). "MAG-53 Dies After Four Years Varied Service" (PDF). The Windsock. Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ^ a b Sherrod 1952, pp. 447.
- ^ Porter & Hammel 1985, pp. 183.
- ^ 3d MAW General Order 36-1943 - Commissioning MAG-53, VMSB-344, AWS-6 & AWS(AT)-10
- ^ Rottman 2002, pp. 437.
- ^ 9th MAW Special Order 8-1946 directing MAG-53 Movement to MCAS Cherry Point, NC.
References
edit- Bibliography
- Porter, R. Bruce; Hammel, Eric (1985). Ace! - A Marine Night-Fighter Pilot in World War II. Pacifica, California: Pacifica Press.
- Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle: Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939-1945. Greenwood. p. 449. ISBN 9780313319068.
- Sherrod, Robert (1952). History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II. Washington, D.C.: Combat Forces Press.