What units were used in the defense of Washington DC during WWII?

[MinorInHistory]

Hello all,

 

I was wondering, what units were used in air and sea defense around Washington DC? I have seen many photos of sentries standing guard and manning machine gun nests and anti aircraft guns on top of buildings. My question is, who were these guys? I’ll attach some photos for reference.

 

Thanks!

 

MinorInHistory 

[patches]

There where several right as news of Pearl Harbor came over the wire, first up, the oldest, the Washington Provisional Brigade, formed in 1936, Ft Myer and had it in December 1941 the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, C Battery 55th Field Artillery and the 708th Military Police Battalion, the WPB is inactivated in May 1942, its main combat component, the 3rd Cav Regt going though a series of redesignations and reorganizations that I don't even want to touch on complicated as they are 

 

Then we have 176th Infantry Regiment, it was detached from the 29th Division from Ft Meade Maryland. The 176th Infantry was in due course relived from the 29th Division and became a separate Infantry Regiment, where it spends most of the war stateside in the DC area till its relocated to Fort Benning in April 1944 and Inactivated in July 1944 there, its people sent overseas as replacements, most to France we imagine.

 

Then there was the 3rd Service Command,  Units of this organization even though they consisted of Support units. those were stationed in the DC Northern Virginia area no doubt contributing to the defense of the capital after Pearl Harbor Day.

 

 Any non Divisional Units stationed in the DC Northern Virginia area like Ft Lee, Ft Monroe, Cp A.P. Hill etc could be called upon

 

Then last but not lest the Coast Artillery units of Harbor Defense of Chesapeake Bay and the 3rd Coast Artillery District.

 

The 3rd Service Command

The 3rd Coast Artillery District

[patches]

These soldiers you posted are of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry, see the unit crest on the helmet.

 

 

[patches]

These guys may be of the 71st Coast Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft) (Semimobile) in the summer of 1942, originally based at Ft Story Virginia.

[T Ambrosini]

In addition to the 71st Coast Artillery Regiment, the following also provided AA support in Washington at some point during the war (mostly early on):

 

89th Coast Artillery (AA) Regiment

212th Coast Artillery (AA) Regiment

558th Coast Artillery (AA) Regiment

 

Wear of M1 helmets would suggest mid-to-later war.

 

Tom

[MinorInHistory]

Thanks! This is really helpful information!

 

[patches]

All's Quiet Along the Potomac 

 

A Sentinel of an unidentified unit stands watch along the Potomac shortly after Pearl Harbor Day in December 1941.