16th Coast Artillery (United States)

Last updated

16th Coast Artillery Regiment
16th AAA Bn coa.jpeg
Coat of arms
Active1924–1944
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
BranchArmy
Type Coast artillery
RoleHarbor defense
SizeRegiment
Part of Harbor Defenses of Honolulu
Garrison/HQ Fort Ruger
Motto(s)KAPU (Keep out)
Mascot(s) Oozlefinch
Engagements Pearl Harbor

The 16th Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery regiment in the United States Army, along with the 15th Coast Artillery, it manned the Harbor Defenses of Honolulu and other fortified sites on Oahu, Hawaii from 1924 until broken up into battalions in August 1944 as part of an Army-wide reorganization. [1] The regiment manned many gun batteries at locations all over Oahu. [2] Most of the forts where they were assigned were originally built 1899–1910, and had been in caretaker status for more than 30 years. On the morning of 7 December 1941, the soldiers of the 16th Coast Artillery manned their anti-aircraft guns, bringing down six of the attacking Japanese aircraft.

Contents

Forts and Batteries manned by the 16th Coast Artillery

Fort Ruger

Fort Ruger was located in and around Diamond Head. [2] [3] The interior of the volcanic cone was accessible through two tunnels large enough for trucks. The administrative buildings were on the north side of the cone. The batteries included mortars placed when the fort was built, dating to 1910. Battery Ruger, like all of the 155mm batteries, were temporary emplacements using four "Panama mounts", a circular track surrounding a center pivot where a 155mm GPF gun was mounted. Battery Granger Adams was a typical pre-World War II coast defense emplacement, with the magazine in a protected bunker and the guns behind parapets in open mounts. It was built 1933–1935, with two 8-inch guns.

Fort DeRussy

Fort DeRussy was located adjacent to Honolulu, on a portion of Waikiki Beach. [2] [3] The large caliber guns are mounted to disappearing carriages that use the recoil to lower the gun from the parapet to the loading platform. The allows the reloading crew a work area protected from shells fired by off-shore ships. The Anti Motor Torpedo Boat (ATMB) battery protected the close-in area around the fort from attack by high-speed motor torpedo boats.

Fort Armstrong

Fort Armstrong was located at Kaakaukukui Reef, located at the east side of the entrance to Pearl Harbor. [2] [3]

Fort Hase

In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson designated 322 acres (1.30 km2) of land on Mokapu Peninsula, naming it Kuwaahoe Military Reservation. In 1939, the Navy constructed a small seaplane base there, designated as Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay. The Naval Air Station's role was expanded to include the administration of the Kaneohe Bay Naval Defense Sea Area. A part of the 16th Coast Artillery moved onto the reservation in 1941. In 1942 the portion of the reservation that was occupied by the Coast Artillery was designated Fort Hase. [2]

Lineage

Constituted 27 February 1924 in the Regular Army as 16th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) (HD), and organized 1 July 1924 at Fort Armstrong from the following companies- 104th, 90th, 99th, 105th, 111th, 159th, and 186th. [4]

1st and 2nd Battalions HHB, and Battery B were activated 6 August 1942 (Battery D was inactivated through detachments). [4]

The regiment was broken up 29 May 1944 and personnel were transferred to the 15th Coast Artillery. The Regiment was then transferred (less personnel and equipment) to HD Kaneohe Bay and reactivated with personnel from the inactivated 41st Coast Artillery. [4] [5]

Distinctive unit insignia

A Gold color metal and enamel device 1+3⁄16 inches (3.0 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Or two spears in saltire Gules, within a bordure embattled barry of eight Argent, of the second and Azure, repeated.[ citation needed ]

The shield is essentially Hawaiian. The crossed spears are taken from Hawaiian history, they were formerly placed at the King's tent, and are shown conventionally in the Hawaiian arms by a saltire cross placed on an inescutcheon.[ citation needed ]

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the Coast Defense of Honolulu on 25 July 1922. It was amended to change the description on 6 December 1923. The insignia was redesignated for the 16th Coast Artillery Regiment on 27 February 1929. It was redesignated for the 16th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion on 11 September 1952.[ citation needed ]

Coat of arms

Blazon

Or two spears in saltire Gules, within a bordure embattled barry of eight Argent, of the second and Azure, repeated.

On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules a representation of Diamond Head Gules. Motto KAPU (Keep Out).

Symbolism

The shield is essentially Hawaiian. The crossed spears are taken from Hawaiian history, they were formerly placed at the King's tent, and are shown conventionally in the Hawaiian arms by a saltire cross placed on an inescutcheon. The motto, probably the best known Hawaiian word, is used extensively as a sign against trespassers.

The batteries at Diamond Head constitute the principal element of these defenses.

Background

The coat of arms was originally approved for the Coast Defenses of Honolulu on 27 January 1922. It was redesignated for the 16th Coast Artillery Regiment on 27 February 1929. The insignia was redesignated for the 16th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion on 11 September 1952.

Commanders

Commanders of the 16th Coast Artillery Regiment included: [8]

Campaign streamers

World War II

Decorations

unknown

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment</span> Military unit

The 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment was constituted 1 June 1821 in the Regular Army as the 4th Regiment of Artillery and organized from new and existing units with headquarters at Pensacola, Florida. As a result of the division of the Artillery Corps into Coast and Field Artillery units, the Regiment was broken up 13 February 1901, and its elements reorganized and redesignated as separate numbered companies and batteries of the Artillery Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment</span> Military unit

The 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense artillery regiment of the United States Army first organized in 1917 as a railway gun unit. It continued in that role unit 1943, when the regiment was broken in separate railway gun battalions, and in the following year the units were reorganized and redesignated as field artillery.

The 11th Coast Artillery was a coast artillery regiment in the United States Army, first constituted in the Regular Army on 27 February 1924. It primarily served as the Regular Army component of the Harbor Defenses of Long Island Sound, New York from 1924 through 1944, when it was relieved and disbanded as part of an Army-wide reorganization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment</span> Military unit

The 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense artillery regiment of the United States Army, first constituted in the Regular Army as the 7th Regiment of Artillery on 8 March 1898. The 6th and 7th U.S. Artillery Regiments were constituted on 8 March 1898, three weeks after the explosion of USS Maine in Havana, Cuba on 15 February 1898, as the United States' declaration of war on Spain and commencement of the Spanish–American War seemed imminent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment</span> Military unit

The 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment was an Air Defense Artillery regiment of the United States Army that was first constituted in 1917 in the Regular Army. It was previously the 55th Artillery, U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps. (CAC)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6th Air Defense Artillery Regiment</span> Military unit

The 6th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense artillery regiment in the United States Army, first formed in 1898 as the 6th Regiment of Artillery. The 6th and 7th U.S. Artillery Regiments were constituted on 8 March 1898, three weeks after the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana, Cuba on 15 February 1898, as the United States' declaration of war on Spain and commencement of the Spanish–American War seemed imminent.

The 9th Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery regiment in the United States Army.

The 13th Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery regiment in the United States Army. Elements of the regiment served during World War II in the Harbor Defenses of Pensacola, HD Key West, HD Galveston, HD Charleston, Temporary HD of New Orleans, and in Bora Bora in the South Pacific. The regiment was broken up and its elements redesignated on 31 August 1944 as part of an Army-wide reorganization.

The 14th Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery regiment in the United States Army. It served as the Regular Army component of the Harbor Defenses (HD) of Puget Sound, Washington state from 1924 through October 1944, when it was broken up and disbanded as part of an Army-wide reorganization. The 248th Coast Artillery Regiment was the Washington National Guard component of those defenses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">15th Coast Artillery (United States)</span> Military unit

The 15th Coast Artillery was a Coast Artillery Corps regiment in the United States Army. Along with the 16th Coast Artillery, it manned the Harbor Defenses of Pearl Harbor and other fortified sites on Oahu, Hawaii from 1924 until broken up into battalions in August 1944 as part of an Army-wide reorganization.

The 61st Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense artillery regiment in the United States Army. The lineages of some of the units that initially made up the 61st Artillery (CAC) give the regiment's 1st Battalion campaign credit for the War of 1812.

The 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an Air Defense Artillery regiment in the United States Army. The lineages of some of the units that have been part of the 62nd Air Defense Artillery and its predecessors give the regiment campaign credit for the War of 1812.

The 64th Coast Artillery was a Coast Artillery regiment in the United States Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment</span> Military unit

The 265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense artillery regiment in the Florida Army National Guard. The unit was formed 19 October 1923 in the Florida National Guard as the 1st Separate Battalion, Coast Artillery Corps. It was reorganized and redesignated as the 265th Coast Artillery Regiment (CA) (HD) in 1929. The 265th was activated for World War II and served in the harbor defenses of Galveston, Texas, Los Angeles, California, Key West, Florida, Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and Alaska until broken up into battalions in July 1944. The unit lineage was carried by two antiaircraft battalions organized in 1946, one of which was federalized in Florida during the Korean War. Consolidated with other units in 1959 as the 265th Artillery; reorganized in 1987 as the 265th Air Defense Artillery.

The 19th Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery regiment in the United States Army. It was the garrison of the Harbor Defenses of San Diego, replacing the 3rd Coast Artillery there. The regiment was active from 1940 until broken up into battalions and partially inactivated in October 1944 as part of an Army-wide reorganization.

The 21st Coast Artillery Regiment was a regiment of the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps. It was the regular army component of the Harbor Defenses of the Delaware in World War II. The 21st CA (HD) Regiment was active from February 1940 until broken up in October 1944 as part of an Army-wide reorganization.

The 22nd Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery regiment in the United States Army. It was the garrison of the Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth in World War II. The 22nd CA (HD) Regiment was active from February 1940 until broken up in March 1944 as part of an Army-wide reorganization.

The 23rd Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery Corps regiment in the United States Army. It was the garrison of the Harbor Defenses of New Bedford, Massachusetts in World War II, as a battalion in February 1940 through expansion to a regiment in September 1943, then reduced to a battalion in February 1944 until inactivated in October 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harbor Defenses of Argentia and St. John's</span>

The Harbor Defenses of Argentia and St. John's was a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command in World War II. It was part of Newfoundland Base Command, established as a result of the 1940 Destroyers for Bases Agreement with the United Kingdom. It coordinated the US Army coast defenses of Naval Station Argentia and the port of St. John's, Newfoundland from January 1941 to 8 September 1945. These included coast artillery at Fort McAndrew in Argentia and Fort Pepperrell in St. John's.

The 50th Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery Corps regiment in the Regular Army. It was mobilized in World War I and World War II.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Stanton, p. 457
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 List of American military reservations and concrete gun batteries in Hawaii, 1899–1945
  3. 1 2 3 "American Seacoast Defenses Forts, Military Reservations and Batteries 1794–1945: Oahu 1922" (PDF). Coast Defense Study Group (cdsg.org). Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Gaines, p. 12
  5. ↑ Stanton, p. 458
  6. ↑ Stanton, p. 437
  7. ↑ Stanton, p. 485
  8. ↑ Clay, Steven E. (2011). US Army Order of Battle, 1919-1941. Vol. 2. Ft. Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press. pp. 1072–1073. ISBN   978-1-5187-1109-1 – via Google Books.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.