Hawaii AA defenses - May 1942

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mescal
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Hawaii AA defenses - May 1942

#1

Post by mescal » 05 Nov 2010, 16:40

Hello,

I'm looking for info on the AA defenses of Hawaii by the time of Midway, and I've trouble finding relevant data.
That's perhaps there were both Army and Navy units, or because all the focus on that period deals with the carrier battle...

All I found was the organization of Army unit, but as of December 1941
Hawaii
53 Coastal Artillery Brigade (Antiaircraft) including
211 Coastal Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft)
98 Coastal Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft)
97 Coastal Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft)
64 Coastal Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft)
But then I do not know whether these units were still there 6 months later or what was their actual strength.

Does anyone know the answer - or a reference where I could find it ?

Thank you.
Olivier

JamesL
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Re: Hawaii AA defenses - May 1942

#2

Post by JamesL » 05 Nov 2010, 18:45

53rd Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade – 11 Jul 41 activated in Hawaii as the 53rd Coast Artillery Brigade (AA) where redesignated AAA Brigade 12 Dec 43: provided staff cadre for formation of the Hawaiian Antiaircraft Artillery Command 16 Mar 42: assigned to Tenth Army 31 Jan 45 and left Hawaii 15 Mar 45: landed on Okinawa 17 Apr 45 where inactivated 30 Jan 46.

64th Coastal Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft) (Semimobile) – stationed in Ft. Shafter, Hawaii where HHB redesignated 136th AAA Croup 12 Dec 43: 1st-3rd Bns redesignated 64th AAA Gun, 750th AAA Gun, and 864th AAA Auto-Wpns Battalions, respectively. 64th AAA Gun Guam 10 Sept 44 where inactivated 26 May 46.

97th Coastal Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft) – 9 Oct 41 activated Ft Kamehameha Hawaii where redesignated HHB as HHB 87th AAA Group 12 Dec 43: 1st-3rd Bns redesignated 97th AAA Gun, 754th AAA Gun, and 868th AAA Auto-Wpns Battalions, respectively. 97th AAA Gun Hawaii.

98th Coastal Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft) – 9 Oct 41 activated at Schofield Barracks Hawaii where HHB redesignated as HHB 98th AAA Group 12 Dec 43: 1st-3rd Bns redesignated 98th AAA Gun, 755th AAA Gun, and 869th AAA Auto-Wpns Battalions, respectively. 98th AAA Gun Kwajalein 4 Feb 44: Hawaii 5 Aug 44: Okinawa 3 Jun 45. Inactivated Los Angeles, Calif 20 Jan 46.

211th Coastal Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft) Massachusetts National Guard – 16 Sep 40 inducted into federal service at Boston Mass. Relocated to Cp Hulen Tex 25 Oct 40: transferred to Vallejo Calif 14 Dec 41; there HHB redesignatged as HHB 211th AAA Group 10 Sep 43; 1st-3rd Bns redesignated 772nd AAA Gun, 747th AAA Auto-Wpns, and 324th AAA Searchlight Battalions, respectively.

CA regiments averaged 2,304 men depending on operational requirements. CA regiments were broken up by 1943 and transformed into AAA battalions.

SOURCE: Order of Battle U.S. Army World War II by Shelby Stanton.


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Takao
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Re: Hawaii AA defenses - May 1942

#3

Post by Takao » 05 Nov 2010, 19:04

53rd Coastal Artillery Brigade: December 7th, 1941

64th CA (AA)
97th CA (AA) less batteries B, C, D, E, and the 3rd Bn.
98th CA (AA) less Battery E and 3rd Bn.
251st CA (AA) less one gun Battalion.

In addition there were two antiiaircraft detachments with both the 15th CA(HD) and the 55th CA (155-mm).

(5) The antiaircraft defenses of the Hawaiian Islands were strengthened in early Jan by the arrival of the 95th CA (AA) (less one Bn.), and by the 96th CA (AA) in Mar, and the 93rd CA (AA) in May. Eventually Hawaii became a training area for many antiaircraft units en route to the Pacific war.

pgs. 17-19
http://www.scribd.com/doc/35808164/Anti ... c-War-1946
or
http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/cdm4/document.p ... 997&REC=14


You could also track down a copy of Shelby L. Stanton's "World War II Order of Battle"
http://www.amazon.com/World-War-II-Orde ... 0883657759
P.S. JamesL beat me to Stanton's book

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mescal
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Re: Hawaii AA defenses - May 1942

#4

Post by mescal » 08 Nov 2010, 17:11

Thank you, gentlemen.
Olivier

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LWD
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Re: Hawaii AA defenses - May 1942

#5

Post by LWD » 08 Nov 2010, 19:20

Marine defence battalions also apparently had some presence in the Hawaiian Islands. Not sure how transitory it was. Here's a wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_defense_battalions
googling it turned up a book which is on line. Condition Red: Marine Defense Battalions in World War II

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Re: Hawaii AA defenses - May 1942

#6

Post by tbenaway » 23 Apr 2020, 08:48

http://ibiblio.org/pha/congress/Joint%2 ... %20005.pdf.

This is the battle report showing all unit placement and strength on Dec 7th.

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