Marine Aircraft Group 15

  March 1942 to December 1988

  United States of America

TYPE: US Navy unit

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: Camp Kearny, CA (1942-1944), Apamama, Gilbert Islands (1944-1945), MCAS Ewa, HI (1945-1949)

FORMER NAME: Nil

SUBSEQUENT NAME: Nil

MAG-15 was commissioned on 1 March 1942 at Camp Kearny near San Diego, CA. For the next two years, the group remained there as the transportation, observation and photo reconnaissance training group. They trained pilots and crews to serve in the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command. From its commission in 1942 until 1944, MAG-15 trained and dispatched the following unit for overseas deployment: VMJ-152, VMJ-153, VMJ-353, VMJ-952, and VMJ-953.

MAG-15 shipped out from Camp Kearny to the South Pacific on 2 March 1944. They arrived in Apamama, Gilbert Islands on 1 April and operated from there as part of the Transport Air Group until October 1944. In October they were ordered to establish the Air Transport Group (ATG) in order to provide transportation services to units in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. The ATG was redesignated the Troop Carrier Group (TCG) in November 1944.

MAG-15 was sent to MCAS Ewa, HI in April 1945 and was quickly joined by VMR-953 and VMR-352. They stayed there through the end of the war, becoming part of the TAG again and controlling the transportation units for the Marines throughout the Pacific.

In January 1947 the group became dual roled when they also had fighter squadrons attach and in May 1947 they became all fighter squadrons.

December 1944 to December 1947*

• Curtiss R5C-1 Commando: 39493, 39495, 39526, 39528, 39531, 39535, 39534, 39540, 39541 (probable), 39544, 39549, 39550, 39552, 39559, 39563, 39564, 39566, 39572, 39581, 39587, 39588, 39603, 50694, 50707, 50708, 50709, 50710, 50715