251st Air Defense Artillery Regiment
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2012) |
251st Coast Artillery Regiment | |
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Active |
|
Country | Air defense |
Garrison/HQ | San Diego[1] |
Motto(s) | "We Aim to Hit" |
Engagements | |
Insignia | |
Distinctive Unit Insignia | |
9th Artillery District shoulder sleeve insignia |
The 251st Coast Artillery was a
Lineage
The regiment was constituted in the National Guard in 1924, allotted to the state of California, and assigned to the Harbor Defenses of San Diego. Batteries were formed by redesignating several batteries of the extant 250th Coast Artillery Regiment on 1 November 1924, and the regimental headquarters was organized and federally recognized on 7 November 1924 at San Diego
- Headquarters (new)
- Headquarters Battery from Battery G, 250th Coast Artillery
- Medical Detachment from Medical Detachment, 250th Coast Artillery
- Battery A from Battery E, 250th Coast Artillery
- Battery B from Battery F, 250th Coast Artillery
- Battery C from Battery H, 250th Coast Artillery
- Battery D from Battery I, 250th Coast Artillery
- Battery E from Battery K, 250th Coast Artillery
As a harbor defense unit, the 251st was the California National Guard's component of the
It was redesignated and reorganized as the 251st Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft) on 1 January 1930.The regiment was inducted into federal service 16 September 1940 at home stations,
The regiment departed Hawaii for
- HHB as HHB 251st Antiaircraft Artillery Group[6][5]
- 1st Battalion as 746th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion[5]
- 2nd battalion as 951st Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion[5]
- 3rd Battalion as 140th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (Gaines and Stanton list 3rd Battalion as disbanded 1 March 1944, Stanton lists 140th AAA Gun Battalion as existing stateside 10 July 1943 to 25 January 1945)[3][5]
The 746th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion moved to the Philippines on 9 January 1945, returned to San Francisco Port of Embarkation 13 January 1946, inactivated 15 January 1946 at Camp Stoneman, California.[7]
The 951st Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion moved to the Philippines on 9 January 1945, returned to San Francisco for inactivation 26 December 1945.[8]
The 251st Antiaircraft Artillery Group departed Bougainville on 11 December 1944, stopped at Lae, New Guinea and Manus, Admiralty Islands, arriving at Lingayen Gulf, Philippines on 9 January 1945. Moved to Manila 8 March 1945; returned to San Francisco 26 December 1945 and inactivated at Camp Stoneman 29 December 1945.[9]
Later the regiment became an air defense artillery regiment, and was equipped with the
The lineage of the regiments headquarters company continues on in the form of the headquarters company of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.[6]
Distinctive unit insignia
- Description
A Gold color metal and enamel device 1+1⁄8 inches (2.9 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Or, six pallets couped Gules, a ship of Cabrillo’s time Argent; on a canton Azure a fleur-de-lis encircled by a garland of laurel of the first. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Red scroll inscribed “WE AIM TO HIT” in Gold letters.
- Symbolism
The shield is red for Artillery. The six pallets couped produce a diminished bordure effect on the shield and represent the six batteries comprising the Regiment at the time of its organization. The ship is a representation of the ship of Don Juan Rodrigues Cabrillo, a Portuguese, who discovered San Diego Harbor. The charges on the canton, the fleur-de-lis encircled by a garland of laurel, are taken from the coat of arms of the 250th Coast Artillery, as Batter B of the 251st Coast Artillery, California National Guard, is a descendant of Batter F of the 250th Coast Artillery, California National Guard which served during World War I as B Battery of the 65th Coast Artillery (US).
- Background
The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 251st Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) on 9 January 1928. It was amended to add the motto on 16 June 1928. It was redesignated for the 746th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion on 7 January 1952. The insignia was redesignated for the 251st Artillery Regiment on 16 February 1961. It was redesignated for the 251st Air Defense Artillery Regiment on 10 July 1972.[11]
Awards
In 1936, the regiment was awarded the Coast Artillery Association Trophy.[12]
Campaign streamers
World War II
251st CA (AA): Central Pacific and Northern Solomons[5]
251st AAA Group: Luzon, Philippines[9]
See also
- List of Nike missile locations
References
- ^ "251st Coast Artillery Regiment (Anti-Aircraft)". California State Military Museums. California Military Department. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
Headquartered in San Diego with elements in Long Beach, San Diego and San Pedro.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4289-1644-9.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gaines National Guard, 251st Coast Artillery Regiment
- ^ Gaines regular army, pp. 5–6
- ^ a b c d e f g h Stanton, p. 417
- ^ a b Jeffrey J. Clarke (18 March 2011). "Headquarters, 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team". Center of Military History. United States Army. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- ^ Stanton, p. 506
- ^ Stanton, p. 510
- ^ a b Stanton, p. 452
- ^ S.E. Stokes; M.A. Berhow (2013). "The 47th Artillery Brigade at Fort MacArthur 1952-1969". Batter Osgood-Farley Historic Site. The Fort MacArthur Museum Association. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- ^ "251st Air Defense Artillery Regiment". Institute of Heraldry. United States Army. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- ^ McFarland, George C. (May–June 1936). "Vivisection of the 251st C. A." (PDF). Coastal Artillery Journal. Fort Monroe, Virginia: Coastal Artillery Training Center, United States Army. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- This article incorporates public domain material from 251st Air Defense Artillery Regiment. United States Army Institute of Heraldry.
- Gaines, William C., Historical Sketches Coast Artillery Regiments 1917-1950, National Guard Regiments 197-265
- Gaines, William C., Coast Artillery Organizational History, 1917-1950, Coast Defense Journal, vol. 23, issue 2
- Stanton, Shelby L. (1991). World War II Order of Battle. Galahad Books. ISBN 0-88365-775-9.
Further reading
- James A. Sawicki, Antiaircraft Artillery Battalions of the U.S. Army (Volumes 1,2) 1991, ISBN 0-9602404-7-0
External links
- Greg Hagg; Bolling Smith; Mark Berhow. "Insignia of the Coast Artillery Corps" (PDF). The Coast Defense Study Group, Inc. Retrieved 18 May 2018.