14th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion

United States Marine Corps WWII antiaircraft unit 14th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion 15 Jan 1943Rottman 2002 212 – 30 Jun 1945Rottman 2002 217 United States of America Flag_of_the_United_States_Marine_Corps.svg United States Marine Corps Air Defense/Coastal Defense ~1100 men N/A Five:Fourteenh Rottman 2002 216 World War II Guadalcanal Campaign Battle of Guam The 14th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (14th AAA Bn) was an anti-aircraft unit in the United States Marine Corps that served during World War II. The battalion was originally formed in 1943 as the 14th Defense Battalion. Its mission was to provide air and coastal defense for advanced naval bases. During the war the battalion took part in combat operations in the Solomon Islands and on Guam. The battalion was decommissioned on June 30, 1945. Since then no other unit has carried the lineage and honors of the 14th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion. History Organization right right 30% 14th Defense Battalion Table of Organization (1943):Rottman 2002 211 Headquarters and Service Battery Light tank platoon Searchlight Batteries Seacoast Artillery Group Group Headquarters 2 x 155mm Gun Batteries AAA Group Group Headquarters 3 x 90mm Gun batteries Special Weapons Group Group Headquarters 40mm Battery (w/ 12 guns) 20mm Anti-aircraft Gun Battery .50cal Anti-aircraft Machine Gun Battery The 14th Defense Battalion was commissioned on January 15, 1943 in the field on Tulagi in the Solomon Islands. Personnel for the battalion were sourced from two batteries from the 5th Defense Battalion and a 5"/51 caliber gun 5-inch battery from the 9th Defense Battalion that were remaining behind on Guadalcanal and Tulagi. Because a majority of the battalion's original personnel were from the 5th Defense Battalion the 14th took on the nickname "Five:Fourteenth."Melson 1996 32 Nouméa & the Bismarck Archipelago The battalion remained in the Solomons until September 1943 when its headquarters was relieved by United States Army units and departed for Noumea, New Caledonia on September 16, 1943. Arriving four days later it disembarked and established its command post near TonTouta. The rest of the battalion was relieved within the next month and the entire battalion was present on Nouméa by October 22 responsible for air and coastal defense of the area. On March 7, 1944, most of the battalion loaded gear onto seven different ships and departed Nouméa. The convoy arrived on Guadalcanal on March 12. Prior to departing the island, a composite anti-aircraft battery from the 14th was assembled as part of a small Marine task force to support the United States Army during its assault on the St Matthias Islands. The battery landed on the southeast corner of Emirau in support of the 4th Marine Regiment.Rottman 2002 318 There was no opposition on the island and the Seabees set out building an airfield immediately.Melson 1996 19 Another detachment from the battalion supported the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing's occupation of Green Island. Seizure of both of these islands within the Bismarck Archipelago were critical in the effort to bypass the main Japanese airfield at Rabaul.Melson 1996 19 Guam In May 1944 the Marine Corps organized a unit of 51 Marines called the 1st Provisional Smoke Screen Unit. Its mission was to utilize smoke generators during enemy bombing raids with the purpose of obscuring friendly targets. This unit was attached to the 14th to be tested during its next operation.Rottman 2002 217 During the first week of June 1944 the battalion was divided into three echelons to be part of the Southern Attack Force for the upcoming assault to recapture Guam. The first two echelons departed Guadalcanal in a different convoy however they eventually linked up at Eniwetok on June 28. The third echelon remained until mid-July when they also embarked upon naval shipping. The first two echelons departed Eniwetok on July 17. On the morning of July 21, 1944 an advanced party from the 14th Defense Battalion went ashore on Guam from the USS President Monroe (AP-104). The rest of the battalion came ashore a few hours after the initial assault waves stormed the beach. By night of the first day all of the battalion's anti-aircraft batteries were emplaced ashore with some also providing direct fire support for Marines of the 3rd Marine Regiment.O'Brien 1994 6 On July 23, the battalion received orders to occupy Cabras Island in Apra Harbor. From Cabras Island the battalion was able to continue its mission of providing air defense for Orote Field and provide flanking artillery fire for Marines on the Orote Peninsula and in the Northern part of the island.O'Brien 1994 27 The battalion's command post moved from Cabras to the Orote Peninsula on August 5. The smokescreen unit that had been attached to the battalion prior to the battle was disbanded in July 1944 because the concept did not prove feasible.Rottman 2002 217 During the battle the battalion served under the command of the 12th Marine Regiment.Rottman 2004 44 As the war progressed, the Marine Corps removed coastal artillery from the defense battalions in order to form additional heavy artillery units for the Fleet Marine Force.Rottman 2002 216 Because of the divestiture of the coastal defense mission, the battalion was re-designated as the 14th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion on September 1, 1944.Rottman 2002 216 The battalion spent the remainder of their time as part of the garrison force on Guam and was decommissioned there on June 30, 1945 before the end of the war.Rottman 2002 217 Commanding Officers The following officers served as Commanding Officers of the battalion:Melson 1996 32 Col Galen M. Sturgis (15 Jan 1943 - June 1943) LtCol Jessie L Perkins (June 1943 - March 1944) LtCol William F. Parks (March 1944 - 30 June 1945) 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 14th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion has been presented with the following awards:Updegraph 1972 98 Streamer Award Year(s) Additional Info200pxAsiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer1943, 1944Solomon Islands, Guam200pxWorld War II Victory Streamer1941–1945Pacific War See also Marine Defense Battalions List of United States Marine Corps aviation support units References Citations Bibliography U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle: Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939–1945 Rottman Gordon L. 2002 Greenwood Press 0-313-31906-5 US Marine Corps Pacific Theater of Operations 1944-45 Rottman Gordon L. 2004 Osprey Press Web Melson Charles D. Condition Red: Marine Defense Battalions in World War II Marines in World War II Commemorative Series Marine Corps Historical Center Washington, D.C. 1996 https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/Condition%20Red%20Marine%20Defense%20Battalions%20in%20World%20War%20II%20%20PCN%2019000313300_2.pdf 34920984 96174419 2020-05-25 Part 2 O'Brien Cyril J. 1994 Liberation: Marines in the Recapture of Guam https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/Liberation-Marines%20in%20the%20Recapture%20of%20GUAM%20PCN%2019000312600.pdf Washington D.C. Marine Corps Historical Center Updegraph George Special Marine Corps Units of World War II Marine Corps Historical Center Washington, D.C. 1972 https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/Special%20Marine%20Corps%20Units%20of%20World%20War%20II%20%20PCN%2019000413200.pdf 2020-05-25 AAA14 Category:Military units and formations established in 1943 AAA 14