Note 1 - Information on MAG squadrons will be expanded as more information received. Note 2 - The following is courtesy Gordon Rottman and has been extracted from:
Korean War Order of Battle
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When the Korean War began, the U.S. Marine Corps, like all services, was under-strength and still equipped
with World War Two equipment so, when ordered to Korea, all that could be provided initially was a provisional
brigade, designated the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade. The Brigade was formed from assets of the 1st Marine
Division and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Camp Pendleton, CA. The Brigade was activated on 7 July 1950 and built
around two units, the 5th Marines as a regimental combat team and Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33). The air
component was consolidated under Forward Echelon, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing who's commander was double billeted
as the deputy brigade commander. Troops were hurriedly reassigned to the Brigade from 1st Marine Division units
as supplies and mothballed equipment were arriving. Some 6,800 troops were sent from the 2nd Marine Division at
Camp Lejeune, NC for both the Brigade and to begin the rebuilding of the 1st Marine Division. Much of the equipment
and vehicles came from Marine Supply Depot, Barstow, CA and were recovered from Pacific islands and refurbished
during Operation ROLL-UP in the late 1940s. Regardless, many units were still short men and equipment. The 5th
Marines' three battalions had only two rifle companies apiece. While third rifle platoons were hastily formed
for these six companies, they were still short some 50 men each. The three artillery batteries had only four 105mm
howitzers instead of the normal six and the regimental Antitank Company lacked its organic tank platoon.
Load out of Task Group 53.7 at San Diego began soon after the Brigade was activated. The 266 officers and
4,503 enlisted men of the ground component sailed between 12-14 July on three troop transports, two attack cargo
transports, and three landing ships dock. MAG-33 was embarked aboard two troop transports and an escort carrier.
A total of 6,534 Brigade troops departed for Japan. The Brigade Advance Party with the commander, deputy commander,
and part of their staffs departed by air on 16 July and arrived in Tokyo on the 19th. On 25 July, while en route
to Japan, the Brigade's ground component was ordered to sail directly to Korea due to the deteriorating situation
on the Pusan Perimeter. The Advance Party went on to Korea on the same day and situated itself at Taegu near the
center of the Pusan Perimeter.
A significant combat capability exists within the Marine Corps that was not possessed by the Army. Marine
ground combat units could have Marine aviation units placed in direct support to provide close air support,
re-supply, and medical evacuation. For the 1st Provisional Marine brigade this support was in the form of MAG-33.
MAG-33 arrived at Kobe, Japan on 31 July. Marine Tactical Air Control Squadron 2 (MTACS-2) and the ground echelon
of VMO-6 departed that same day by landing ship tank for Pusan arriving the next day.
The 70 aircraft of the three fighting squadrons launched from the CVE and landed at Itami where they prepared
for action. By 5 August VMF-214 and 323 were stationed aboard the USS Sicily (CVT-118) and USS Badoeng Strait
(CVF-116), respectively, and VMF(N)-513 was split between them. The Brigade's ground component arrived at Pusan
on 2 August and was attached to EUSAK, arriving just in time to blunt the North Korean offensive in the area along
and west of the Naktong River. Although suffering heavy casualties in the fighting, the Brigade continued to stop
North Korean attacks in its area until it was pulled from the Pusan Perimeter to join the 1st Marine Division at
the Inchon Landings. It was deactivated as an independent brigade on 13 September 1950.