One topic that has not been addressed so far is that of Marine Aviation. From its prewar experience in Central America, the Corps was very much aware of the need for tactical air support. The Marine Corps had hoped to form a Marine Air Wing to operate with each Marine Division. to provide that support. The Air Wing for a D Series Division was to have the following: MARINE AIRCRAFT WING HEADQUARTERS SQUADRON AIR REGULATING SQUADRON OBERVATION-UTTLITY GROUP, with Headquarters Squadron Observation Squadron 2 Utility Squadrons 2 SCOUT BOMBING GROUPS, each with Headquarters Squadron Service Squadron 4 Scout Bombing Squadrons 2 FIGHTER GROUPS, each with Headquarters Squadron Service Squadron 4 Fighter Squadrons The Marine Corps hope that one Marine Air Wing would operate with every division never came about, for the same reason that the Marine Divisions lost their Amtrac and Seabee(Naval Construction) Battalions. Marine Aviation was prized so highly that it could not afford to be left out of action for any length of time. By the end of the war, Marine aviators were flying from carriers as well as from airstrips, and were supporting not only Marine elements on the final drive to Japan, but also Army elements in areas where no other Marines were serving. (For his drive on Manila, MacArthur used the services of no less than seven Marine Corps Dive Bomber Squadrons to provide tactical air support.) By the middle of 1944, the Marine Corps mustered some 146 squadrons, up substantially from the 13 squadrons that existed on December 7th, 1941. Though squadrons were to have on paper from 12 to 24 aircraft, depending on type, all too often (especially in 1942/43) Marine Squadrons consisted of what was available at the time. In late 1944, the Air assets of the Corps were re-organized into Groups of three squadrons, with squadron strength set at 24 aircraft each for shore based squadrons. Four escort carriers were turned over to the Marine Corps to help provide tactical air support for future landings, with each escort carrier operating a squadron of 18 Marine Corsair Fighters (F4U), and 12 Marine Avenger Torpedo Bombers (TBF). By the end of the war, the Marine Corps operated the following squadrons: 6 OBSERVATION SQUADRONS - (OY-1) 5 TRANSPORT SQUADRONS (R4D, R5C, R5D) 2 UTILITY SQUADRONS 43 FIGHTER SQUADRONS (F4U) 6 NIGHTFIGHTER SQUADRONS (PV-1, F4U, F6F) 14 TORPEDO BOMBING SQUADRONS (TBF, TBM) 19 DIVE BOMBER SQUADRONS (SBD, SB2C) 7 BOMBING SQUADRONS (PBJ) 4 AIRIAL PHOTOGRAPHY SQUARDRONS (PB4Y) Back to Table of Contents -- Command Post USMC Supplement To Command Post Quarterly List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1992 by Greg Novak. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com