1st Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group
1st Provisional AAA Group | |
---|---|
Active | |
Country | United States of America |
Branch | United States Marine Corps |
Type | Anti-aircraft warfare |
Size | ~5400 personnel |
Engagements | Battle of Okinawa |
Commanders | |
Current commander | N/A |
Notable commanders | Henry R. Paige Kenneth W. Benner |
The 1st Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group was a provisional unit that served as the headquarters for all United States Marine Corps antiaircraft battalions that participated in the Battle of Okinawa. The group was formed on Kauai, Territory of Hawaii in November 1944 under the command of the III Marine Amphibious Corps. For the Battle of Okinawa, the group was under the command of the 53d Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade of the Tenth United States Army and was responsible for air defense of the area surrounding Yontan & Kadena Airfields. Following the end of the war, the group returned to the United States and was decommissioned on December 5, 1945.[2] To date, no other Marine Corps unit has carried the group's lineage and honors
History
Organization
The 1st Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group was commissioned on November 1, 1944, in
Training, embarkation, and movement west
Prior to the group forming, the
On January 17, 1945, the group headquarters boarded the
Battle of Okinawa
For the Battle of Okinawa the 1st Provisional Antiaircraft Group was tasked with providing antiaircraft defenses for Yontan Airfield and the III Marine Amphibious Corps beaches in the Yontan Area, Southern Okinawa.[9]
On D-Day, April 1, the assault echelons of the Group Headquarters and the 2d and 16th Antiaircraft Battalions were loaded onto seven
Some of the heaviest air raids of the battle occurred on the evening of 24-25 May during the Giretsu Kuteitai raid on Yontan Airfield. That evening, five Imperial Japanese Army Mitsubishi Ki-21 (Allied reporting name "Sally") bombers headed for the Yontan-Kadena area. Four of these planes were shot down by the guns of the 1st Provisional AAA Group. One of the Japanese planes crash landed on Yontan Airfield and 10-12 Japanese commandos escaped. Before they were all killed, the commandoes were able to destroy or damage thirty eight aircraft.[13]
From April to July 1945 the Group was credited with destroying 31.5 Japanese aircraft, probably destroying 6 more and damaging 23.[14]
Post war and decommissioning
On October 1, the 1st Provisional AAA Group was transferred under the command of the Commanding General, Service, Command, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific.[15] On October 4, the group received FMFPac Special Order 334-5 authorizing the group and its subordinate battalions to return to the United States. On October 9, Typhoon Louise struck Okinawa causing extensive damage to deployed American Forces. There were three Marines from the Group that sustained minor injuries while the group and its battalions lost 50-75% of tents and buildings.[15]
The Group Headquarters began embarking on the USS Meriwether (APA-203) on October 22 and set sail the next day for the United States. The Group arrived in San Diego on November 8, 1945, and reported to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.[16] The 1st Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group as officially decommissioned on December 5, 1945, by the authority of Area Special Order Number 354-45.[2]
Commanding Officers
The following officers served as Commanding Officer of the 1st Provisional Antiaircraft Group:
- Colonel Henry R. Paige (November 1, 1944 - December 6, 1944)[1][17]
- Colonel Kenneth W. Benner (December 7, 1944 - August 30, 1945)[17][18]
- Lieutenant Colonel Charles T. Tingle (August 31, 1945 - October 21, 1945)[18] [15]
- Major Walter L. Eddy Jr. (October 22, 1945 - December 5 1945) [15][2]
Notable members
- William J. Van Ryzin - Group Executive Officer (November 22, 1944 - March 16, 1945)[1][7]
Unit awards
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 1st Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group has been presented with the following awards:
Streamer | Award | Year(s) | Additional Info |
---|---|---|---|
Presidential Unit Citation Streamer | 1945 | Okinawa | |
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer
|
Okinawa | ||
World War II Victory Streamer
|
1941–1945 | Pacific War |
See also
- Marine Defense Battalions
- List of United States Marine Corps aviation support units
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g War Diary, 1 - 30 November 1944 (PDF) (Report). First Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group. December 1, 1944.
- ^ a b c d War Diary, 1 - 5 December 1945 (PDF) (Report). First Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group. December 5, 1945.
- ^ Rottman 2002, pp. 206.
- ^ a b c LtCol Hincke, John I (August 1949). "Activities of the Tenth Army AAA" (PDF). Antiaircraft Journal. 92 (4). Archived (PDF) from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ a b War Diary, 1 - 31 January 1945 (PDF) (Report). First Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group. February 1, 1945.
- ^ War Diary, 1 - 28 February 1945 (PDF) (Report). First Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group. March 1, 1945.
- ^ a b War Diary, 1 - 31 March 1945 (PDF) (Report). First Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group. April 1, 1945.
- ^ Rottman 2002, pp. 360.
- ^ a b c d e War Diary, 1 - 30 April 1945 (PDF) (Report). First Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group. May 9, 1945.
- ^ 1st Provisional AAA Group Operations Order 1-45 (Report). First Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group. February 24, 1945.
- ^ Melson 1996, pp. 27.
- ^ War Diary, 1 - 31 May1945 (PDF) (Report). First Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group. June 10, 1945.
- ^ Nichols Jr., Charles S.; Shaw Jr., Henry I. (1955). "Okinawa:Victory in the Pacific". Washington D.C.: United States Marine Corps. p. 200.
- ^ War Diary, 1 - 31 July 1945 (PDF) (Report). First Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group. August 8, 1945.
- ^ a b c d War Diary, 1 - 31 October 1945 (PDF) (Report). First Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group. November 10, 1945.
- ^ War Diary, 1 - 30 November 1945 (PDF) (Report). First Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group. December 1, 1945.
- ^ a b War Diary, 1 - 31 December 1944 (PDF) (Report). First Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group. January 3, 1945.
- ^ a b War Diary, 1 - 31 August 1945 (PDF) (Report). First Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group. September 13, 1945.
References
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. ISBN 0-313-31906-5.
Web
- Melson, Charles D. (1996). Condition Red: Marine Defense Battalions in World War II (PDF). Marines in World War II Commemorative Series. Washington, D.C.: Marine Corps Historical Center. OCLC 34920984. Retrieved 2020-07-19. Part 2