Marine Aircraft Group 53 (MAG-53) was a
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
night fighter
A night fighter (also known as all-weather fighter or all-weather interceptor for a period of time after the Second World War) is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility. Night fighters began to be used i ...
training
group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...
that was commissioned during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. It was the first night-fighter group in the Marine Corps. During the course of the war the group trained eight night fighting squadrons and sent seven of them into combat. The group was decommissioned after the war during the post-war drawdown of forces.
History
Marine Night Fighting Group 53 (MAG(N)-53) was formed on April 1, 1943 at
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
. It was the first night fighter group in the Marine Corps and was responsible for the training of all
VMF(N) squadrons. The group trained in
Vero Beach
Vero Beach is a city in and the seat of Indian River County, Florida, United States. Vero Beach is the second most populous city in Indian River County. Abundant in beaches and wildlife, Vero Beach is located on Florida's Treasure Coast. It is thi ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
in the spring and summer of 1944 and moved to
Marine Corps Air Station Eagle Mountain Lake
Marine Corps Air Station Eagle Mountain Lake (MCAS Eagle Mountain Lake) was a United States Marine Corps air station that was located northwest of Fort Worth, Texas during World War II. Commissioned on December 1, 1942, the air station was ori ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
in November 1944. 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.
The group moved back to MCAS Cherry Point in February 1946
9th MAW Special Order 8-1946 directing MAG-53 Movement to MCAS Cherry Point, NC.
/ref> and changed its name again, this time to Marine Aircraft Group 53 (MAG-53) in November of that year. The group was decommissioned on May 31, 1947.
See also
* United States Marine Corps Aviation
United States Marine Corps Aviation (USMCA) is the aircraft arm of the United States Marine Corps. Aviation units within the Marine Corps are assigned to support the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, as the aviation combat element, by providing si ...
* List of United States Marine Corps aircraft groups
This is a list of United States Marine Corps Aviation Groups (MAG, MACG, MATSG). Inactive groups are listed by their designation at the time they were decommissioned.
Active Marine Aircraft Groups (MAG)
MAGs consist of a MAG headquarters, a Mar ...
Notes
:''This article incorporates text in the public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable. Because those rights have expired, ...
from the United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
.''
References
;Bibliography
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{{US Marine Corps navbox
United States Marine Corps aircraft groups