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11th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion

(Redirected from11th Defense Battalion)

The11th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion(11th AAA Bn) was aUnited States Marine Corpsantiaircraftunit that served duringWorld War II.Formed in 1942 as the11th Defense Battalion,its original mission was to provide air and coastal defense for advanced naval bases. During the war the battalion defended took part in combat operations in theSolomon Islands.The battalion's tank platoon also saw extensive action onNew GeorgiaandArundel Island.The battalion was decommissioned before the end of the war on December 15, 1944.

11th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion
Active
  • 15 Jun 1942[1]– 15 Dec 1944[2]
CountryUnited States of America
BranchUnited States Marine Corps
TypeAir Defense/Coastal Defense
Size~1100 men
EngagementsWorld War II
Commanders
Current
commander		N/A

History

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Organization

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The 11th Defense Battalion was commissioned on June 15, 1942 atMarine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island,South Carolina.[1]On August 26, 1942 the battalion was moved toMarine Corps Air Station New River,North Carolina.It departed New River via train on October 7, 1942 bound for the West Coast. After a month and a half inSan Diego,Californiathe battalion departed the United States on December 3, 1942.

Solomon Islands

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The 11th Defense Battalion arrived atEfatein theNew Hebrideson December 21, 1942. On January 14, 1943 the battalion sailed from Efate and landed atTulagion January 17. It was assigned air and coastal defense for thePurvis Bayarea of theFlorida Islands.An antiaircraft detachment from the 11th accompanied the43rd Infantry Regimentas it clearedBanikaon February 21, 1943.[3]The det was later relieved by a detachment from the10th Defense Battalion.[4]During July 1943,M3A1 Stuart Light Tanksof the 11th Defense Battalion were assigned to support the 43rd Infantry Division securingMunda PointonNew Georgia.[5]After Munda, the tank section was transported via landing craft toArundel Islandwhere they again provided fire support for the 43rd Infantry during their seizure of the island.[6]On July 13, 1943 another detachment was displaced when the90 mm gunsof Battery E were sent to support operations onNew Georgia.Battery E went ashore on August 9 at Enogai Inlet to provide air defense following theBattle of Enogai.[7]These 50 marines, with their40 mm antiaircraft gunsand.50 cal machine guns, were a welcome addition to the base's defense. That evening the Battery E Marines scored a "probable" shoot down on a Japanese aircraft.[8]On September 24, 1943 the battalion ceased operations at Purvis Bay and prepared for embarkation on naval shipping.

New Georgia

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The entire battalion arrived on New Georgia on September 26 and immediately began emplacing nearOndonga Airfield.On January 18, 1944 the battalion was notified that it would be soon relieved by incoming United States Army units. The battalion was officially relieved by the276th Coast Artilleryon February 10. During this time the battalion's Special Weapons Group was detached from the40th Infantry Divisionon Guadalcanal. On March 10, 1944 the 11th Defense Battalion loaded all personnel and equipment onto theUSSHyperion(AK-107).New orders arrived and the ship had to be unloaded and the battalion instead moved toArundel Island.

Reorganization, Hawaii and decommissioning

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Beginning in 1944 the Marine Corps removed coastal artillery from the defense battalions in order to form additional heavy artillery units for theFleet Marine Force.[9]On April 20, 1944 the battalion was divested of its seacoast artillery. These Marines and their equipment were transferred to Guadalcanal and used to form 155mm gun battalions. Because of the divestiture of the coastal defense mission, the battalion was re-designated as the 11th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion on May 16, 1944.[10][11]

June 1944 saw the battalion stage on Ondongo Island preparing to move. On June 21, 481.5short tonsof the battalion's gear departed on theUSSKopara(AK-62).After some delay, an additional 440.7 short tons departed on boardUSS LST-398on June 29.[12]All elements of the battalion had arrived at Guadalcanal by July 10. The battalion continued training until November 27 when word was received that the battalion was going to be disbanded. All officers and Marines with two years overseas were sent home and other personnel were transferred to other units. The 11th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion was decommissioned on December 15, 1944.[2]

Unit awards

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A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. The 11th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion has been presented with the following awards:[13]

Streamer Award Year(s) Additional Info
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer
Guadalcanal
World War II Victory Streamer 1941–1945 Pacific War

Notable former members

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See also

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Citations

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  1. ^abRottman 2002,pp. 212.
  2. ^abRottman 2002,pp. 217.
  3. ^Melson 1993,pp. 1.
  4. ^Rottman 2004,pp. 79.
  5. ^Updegraph 1972,pp. 73.
  6. ^Melson 1996a,pp. 15–16.
  7. ^Fredriksen 2011,pp. 136.
  8. ^Shaw & Kane 1963,pp. 144.
  9. ^Rottman 2002,pp. 216.
  10. ^Melson 1996b,pp. 32.
  11. ^Forty, George (2013).U.S. Marine Corps Handbook 1941-45.Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press.ISBN9780752495859.
  12. ^11th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion War Diary dated 1 July 1944
  13. ^Updegraph 1972,pp. 108.
  14. ^Melson 1996a,pp. 13.

References

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Bibliography
  • Rottman, Gordon L. (2002).U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle: Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939–1945.Greenwood Press.ISBN0-313-31906-5.
  • Rottman, Gordon L. (2004).U.S. Marine Corps Pacific Theater of Operations 1941-1943.Osprey Publishing.ISBN1-84176-518-X.
Web
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