Marine Aircraft Group 11

  August 1941 to present

  United States of America

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TYPE: US Navy unit

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: MCAS Quantico, VA (1941), Camp Kearny, CA (1941-1942), Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides (1942-?), Peleliu, Palau (?-1946), MCAS Cherry Point, NC (1946-1953)

FORMER NAME: Nil

SUBSEQUENT NAME: Nil

MAG-11 was commissioned at MCAS Quantico, VA on 1 August 1941 as the Marine Corps' first aircraft group, based on elements of the Marine Aircraft Squadron, East Coast Expeditionary Force. The group was composed of six tactical squadrons. During the summer and fall of 1941, the group engaged in maneuvers with the 1^st Marine Division in the vicinity of Onslow Beach, NC. They departed for the West Coast in December 1941. Upon arrival, MAG-11 became the Air Defense Group for the San Diego, CA area based at Camp Kearny, CA. During this interim pre-deployment period, MAG-11 served as the nucleus of four new air groups destined for combat action in the Pacific.

MAG-11 embarked for the South Pacific on 15 October 1942 on SS Lurline. They left with no planes and were expected to fly what they found in the Pacific. Squadrons from MAG-11, such as VMSB-132 and VMF-112 landed on Guadalcanal in early November and were among the first to relieve the tired original aviators of the Cactus Air Force. Arriving at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, the group launched offensive actions against enemy strongholds, air power, and shipping in the Solomon Islands. During World War II, MAG-11 participated in combat action in the Solomon Islands, New Britain, Palau, Central Pacific Areas, and the Philippines. At the close of World War II, MAG-11 was based on the island of Peleliu, Palau where it remained until January 1946.

Upon its return to the United States, MAG 11 was temporarily assigned to the San Diego area. It joined the 2^nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW-2) at MCAS Cherry Point, NC in March 1946 and remained organic to that wing until August 1953, when it relocated to NAF Atsugi, Japan. In Japan, elements of MAG-11 actively participated in air operations against North Korean and Chinese Communist forces. From August 1958 until January 1959, MAG-11 deployed to Taiwan in support of the Nationalist Chinese air defenses, returning again in 1961 and 1963 in support of maneuvers in that area.

May 1947* to June 1948*

• Curtiss R5C-1 Commando: 39522, 39521, 39540, 39541, 39548, 39570, 39594, 39600, 39604, 50703, 50719, 50721