page_title: Marine Aviation Training Support Group 21
section_title: World War II
hierarchical_section_title: Marine Aviation Training Support Group 21 / History / World War II
caption_attribution_description: Two Vought SB2U-3 Vindicator of Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 241 (VMSB-241) take off from Midway's Eastern Island on a training flight between 27 May and 4 June 1942. Plane No. 6 in the foreground (BuNo 2045) was flown on 4 June 1942 by 2nd Lt James H. Marmande with PFC Edby Colvin as gunner. This plane was flown in the morning attack against the Japanese and disappeared on the night of 4/5 June about 16 km (10 mi) from Midway while returning from another - this time futile - strike.
context_page_description: Marine Aviation and Training Support Group 21 is a United States Marine Corps aviation training group that was originally established in 1922 as the 2nd Aviation Group. During World War II the unit was known as Marine Aircraft Group 21. Squadrons from MAG-21 fought in many of the opening battles of the war to include the Battle of Wake Island, Battle of Midway and as part of the Cactus Air Force during the Battle of Guadalcanal The group was deactivated following the end of the war and was not reactivated until 2000 when the Marine Aviation Detachment at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida was renamed MATSG-21. The core of the MATSG personnel is derived from 175 officer instructors and 550 student naval aviators/naval flight officers.
context_section_description: MAG-21 suffered 17 casualties and all 21 of their aircraft were destroyed during the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.  Squadrons from MAG-21 fought at the Battle of Wake Island, Battle of Midway and as part of the Cactus Air Force during the Battle of Guadalcanal but the group itself remained at MCAS Ewa until February 1943 when they departed for Banika in the Russell Islands.  By June 1943, MAG-21's squadrons were fighting large scale operations against Japanese installations in the northern Solomon Islands.  The group moved to Efate in November 1943 and remained there until June 1944.  Their final destination during the war was on Guam where they were based from August 1944 until the end of the war.
  The squadron returned to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in March 1946 with follow on movement to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.  They were deactivated in April 1947.
caption: Two SB2U-3s of VMSB-241, MAG-21, take off from Eastern Island shortly before the Battle of Midway
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