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Air Defense Artillery Piece 1928


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Neat photo. my arms get tired just looking at those guys.

Thanks for posting it.

Do you know what it is? Looks like an anti-aircraft gun to me.

What do I know, I'm infantry!

BKW

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Great picture, GB. The unit designation and DI is shown on the lower front of the gun mount: Battery B, 63rd Coast Artillery (AA). In 1928, 63rd CA (AA) was stationed at Fort Winfield Scott, in San Francisco, and looks as though the 63rd was parading the streets of San Francisco in this picture. The following year, 63rd CA (AA) was transferred to the Harbor Defenses of Los Angeles and stationed at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro. Here is one of those same 3-inch guns setting up for action at Fort MacArthur Upper Reservation firing range in 1931.

 

post-1963-1255720643.jpg

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...that "crossed arms" pose by the gunners looks very weird. Never seen anything like that before...

That was a standard seated position for mounted troops on parade. Someone with a period drill manual probably can even put a name to it. It does not look like a great way to spend a sunny afternoon (and consider how much "rest" is actually involved in the more well known position of "Parade Rest"?) Here it is on display by another unit: 64th CA (AA) at a full Hawaiian Division Review at Schofield Barracks ca. 1930. Look carefully and see that even the soldiers seated up front with the drivers are striking the pose. Evidently only the drivers and the lucky guidon bearer are spared this contortion.

 

post-1963-1255726006.jpg

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I could be wrong, but I believe the gun is a M1918 3" Anti-Aircraft Gun. There is only one left in existence at the Air Defense Artillery Museum at Fort Bliss, TX and it is in rough shape. Their use was until early WWII.

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...the gun is a M1918 3" Anti-Aircraft Gun....

BINGO! Good work, Kearny.

 

post-1963-1255933362.jpg

Pretty much the same as the 63rd CA (AA) gun and carriage shown in Post #1, except for the spit and polish applied by Sgt. Clifford's gun section to make their equipment presentable on the streets of San Francisco.

Source: Handbook of Artillery Including Mobile, Anti-Aircraft and Trench Materiel, May 1920.

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The 64th CA Regt. stationed at Ft. Shafter was under the Hawaiian Dept. for years and had these 3" Guns on Carriages in the upper flats at the Gun Park. Here is a closer look at their guns and a neat art piece that represents the 64th CA Regt. Coat of Arms.

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post-1384-1255937700.jpg

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Salvage Sailor
That was a standard seated position for mounted troops on parade. Someone with a period drill manual probably can even put a name to it. It does not look like a great way to spend a sunny afternoon (and consider how much "rest" is actually involved in the more well known position of "Parade Rest"?) Here it is on display by another unit: 64th CA (AA) at a full Hawaiian Division Review at Schofield Barracks ca. 1930. Look carefully and see that even the soldiers seated up front with the drivers are striking the pose. Evidently only the drivers and the lucky guidon bearer are spared this contortion.

 

64th_CA__AA_.jpg

 

Here's one from my photos showing the parade pose, I think this is the 64th CA at Schofield with their 155MM pieces.

 

and here is a 3 inch 1918 AA gun carriage from the same parade

41st_CA_Schofield_1935_06b_155mm.jpg

41st_CA_Schofield_1935_08c_3in_AA_gun.jpg

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Here's one from my photos showing the parade pose, I think this is the 64th CA at Schofield with their 155MM pieces.

 

and here is a 3 inch 1918 AA gun carriage from the same parade

 

The tracks in foreground was used by the 55th CA Regt that had eight different Railway Coast Artillery Mounts of different calibers. I think my Dad (Wailuna) might have some images of them in one of our photo collections. The soldiers on these Railway Mounts were in the same sitting position as the original post.

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Here's one from my photos showing the parade pose, I think this is the 64th CA at Schofield with their 155MM pieces.

 

and here is a 3 inch 1918 AA gun carriage from the same parade

 

 

The 155's were Field Artillery pieces. I can't recall exactly which one of the three Regiments they where used by but I believe it was the 11th FA. Here's another photo of the guns some place over on Oahu.

post-1384-1255983065.jpg

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Thanks more good scenes from Wahiawa plain, Sailor and Kiaiokalewa.

 

Although both Coast Artillery and Field Artillery used the M1918 155-mm gun in Hawaii, the unit pictured in post Post #13 is most likely 11th Field Artillery, which was Hawaiian Division's general support regiment (the Division's other two Field Artillery regiments were the 8th and 13th, which were equipped with 75-mm guns). 55th Coast Artillery had these towed 155-mm guns in Hawaii, as well (Battery A, 55th CA, ca. 1925):

 

post-1963-1255994004.jpg

Link here to see another thread on these guns in Hawaii.

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  • 6 months later...
The tracks in foreground was used by the 55th CA Regt that had eight different Railway Coast Artillery Mounts of different calibers. I think my Dad (Wailuna) might have some images of them in one of our photo collections. The soldiers on these Railway Mounts were in the same sitting position as the original post.

 

Aloha kiaiokalewa,

 

The tracks in the foreground were temporarily laid down to accommodate the locomotive and 8-inch M1888 Railway guns of the 41st Coast Artillery on Sept. 2, 1935 in honor of members of the military subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. "An unusual feature of the review was the passing in review of three eight-inch guns of the 41st Coast Artillery Regiment mounted on railway trucks and operated over a temporary track." (Source: William C. Addelman, Div. HQ Detachment, Hawaiian Division, "History of the United States Army in Hawaii 1849 to 1939," Schofield Barracks, T.H. (no date), page 56.

 

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The 41st Coast Artillery was originaly organized as the Hawaiian Railway Battalion on Jan. 1, 1922 at Fort Kamehameha, T.H. It was redesignated the 41st Artillery Bn (Railway) on June 1, 1922. On July 1, 1922 the battalion was expanded into a regiment. (Source: "41st Coast Artillery Soldiers Handbook: History of the 41st Coast Artillery," page vi.)

 

The 55th Coast Artilllery (Tractor-Drawn) Regiment was equipped with the 155 mm (6.1-inch) Grande Puissance Filloux (G.P.F.) WWI French designed gun, with units assigned to Forts DeRussy Kamehameha and Ruger. The G.P.F. was typically mounted atop concrete "Panama Mounts" which enabled the piece to be traversed 360 degrees, its normal traverse was 60 degrees, 30 degrees each side of center. G.P.Fs. were towed or "drawn" by 10 ton artillery tractors.

 

The gun was assigned to coast and field artillery batteries, the 11th Field Artillery (24th ID) manned two coast artillery batteries on Oahu from Dec. 7, 1941 (Batteries Ashley and Kawailoa) on the North Shore until being relieved in Jan. 1942 by units of the newly arrived 57th CA (Tractor-Drawn) Regiment moved to Oahu from the East Coast. (Source: John D. Bennett, "Ashley Military Reservation (155 mm Gun Battery," The Coast Defense Study Group Journal, Vol. No. 23, No. 2 (Aug. 2009) pages 55 - 64.)

 

-John :)

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  • 1 month later...
Strictly GI

Actually that ridiculous, uncomfortable, position WAS "Parade Rest" for a period of time in the 20's & 30's.

Standing or sitting, the arms were crossed over in the manner shown. When standing the left foot was forward and the weight of the body was on the right leg and hip.

Can't imagine how that bright idea ever caught on.

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  • 1 year later...
Cobrahistorian
I could be wrong, but I believe the gun is a M1918 3" Anti-Aircraft Gun. There is only one left in existence at the Air Defense Artillery Museum at Fort Bliss, TX and it is in rough shape. Their use was until early WWII.

 

I'm pulling this thread up a couple years later, but the sole surviving M1918 3" AA gun is no longer at Ft. Bliss. It is now at the Air Defense Artillery Museum at Ft. Sill, OK and its restoration is one of my highest priorities as the new Supervisory Museum Curator there.

 

I was just looking at it today and while in rough shape, it is stable and indoors. I'm getting estimates from a few restoration firms to see exactly how bad it really is and what we'll need to do to get it in shape again.

 

Jon

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Camp_Kearny

That is great to hear. When I saw it at Fort Bliss, it was in rough shape. I am glad to hear it will be restored. One of these days, I will have to get to Fort Sill, I really enjoyed the ADA museum when it was at Fort Bliss. Thank you for making this a priority. Any chance it can be marked to the 261 Coast Artillery, California National Guard? One of the first to see combat in WWII at Pearl Harbor and the 1st Battalion from San Diego was armed with M1918 AA guns.

 

Ian

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Cobrahistorian

Ian,

 

I haven't thought that far ahead just yet, but I will certainly keep it in mind. If we can trace it's original users then it'll go in those markings, but if not, CA NG is certainly a viable option. I do think we're going to focus on the earlier interwar usage of the M1918, since I've got big plans for our M3 3" gun for our December 1941 exhibit!

 

If you all are on facebook, check out the museum's page. We've got some great pics up there and we do keep it very up to date.

 

Jon

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Cobrahistorian is this not a M3 3" antiaircraft gun?

 

 

 

Great picture, GB. The unit designation and DI is shown on the lower front of the gun mount: Battery B, 63rd Coast Artillery (AA). In 1928, 63rd CA (AA) was stationed at Fort Winfield Scott, in San Francisco, and looks as though the 63rd was parading the streets of San Francisco in this picture. The following year, 63rd CA (AA) was transferred to the Harbor Defenses of Los Angeles and stationed at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro. Here is one of those same 3-inch guns setting up for action at Fort MacArthur Upper Reservation firing range in 1931.

 

post-1963-1255720643.jpg

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Cobrahistorian
Cobrahistorian is this not a M3 3" antiaircraft gun?

 

Whoops! I see which pic you're referring to, yes the 63rd CA set up to fire is an M3 gun, not an M1918.

 

The M3 was developed in the late 20s to improve performance over the M1918. By 1930 it was becoming the standard AA piece for the Coast Artillery. There's a good writeup of it here: http://www.antiaircraft.org/3inch.htm

 

Our M1918 is intact, but it's suffered damage over the years. I'm in the process of getting estimates for the full restoration and we'll see how it goes from there.

 

Jon

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  • 6 months later...
  • 6 months later...
1SG_1st_Cav

Jon: We'll stop in to see you next year when we have our 30th FA Regiment Reunion there. As you know, the Hard Chargers of the 1-30th FA is our unit. And our man at the FA Museum is COL ® Frank Siltman. He commanded the Hard Chargers of the 3-30th FA before it was Inactivated. Heck, we may even take you out to Meers and buy you a World Famous "Meers Burger" and a plate of their fries!!!! BTW, I also served with the 2-11th FA at Ft Campbell in 1961-63, and we were 155mm Towed, and we supported the 101st with Medium Artillery. Their Medium Artillery Bn was taken away and replaced with a Little John unit. We Rail Loaded or Air Loaded each month, or whenever the 101st went on Alert Status. We go to the point we could almost do it blindfolded. Those skills came in handy in October 1962 when we combat loaded along the 101st for movement to Cuba. Dan Gillotti, Historian, 30th FA & 82nd FA Regiments.

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  • 2 months later...
Cobrahistorian

Jon: We'll stop in to see you next year when we have our 30th FA Regiment Reunion there. As you know, the Hard Chargers of the 1-30th FA is our unit. And our man at the FA Museum is COL ® Frank Siltman. He commanded the Hard Chargers of the 3-30th FA before it was Inactivated. Heck, we may even take you out to Meers and buy you a World Famous "Meers Burger" and a plate of their fries!!!! BTW, I also served with the 2-11th FA at Ft Campbell in 1961-63, and we were 155mm Towed, and we supported the 101st with Medium Artillery. Their Medium Artillery Bn was taken away and replaced with a Little John unit. We Rail Loaded or Air Loaded each month, or whenever the 101st went on Alert Status. We go to the point we could almost do it blindfolded. Those skills came in handy in October 1962 when we combat loaded along the 101st for movement to Cuba. Dan Gillotti, Historian, 30th FA & 82nd FA Regiments.

 

Dan,

 

I don't know how I missed this reply!

 

Frank is the Director of Museums here at Ft. Sill now (and my boss!) and has been absolutely awesome to work for. Let me know when you're headed this way. I'll definitely take you up on that Meers Burger. We're headed there this weekend for Father's Day!

 

The M1918 restoration is coming along amazingly well and we're anticipating its return to Ft. Sill in September. There were some significant corrosion issues on the frame, but the experts at American Aero were able to save it and have really done some phenomenal work.

 

Jon

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  • 4 weeks later...
Cobrahistorian

Well Gents, I got the word today that the M1918 restoration is complete!

Since this thread helped with some of the research and I didn't have any provenance information on it, our M1918 is now in the markings of B Battery 63rd Coast Artillery (AA) just like Gunbarrel's photo. Thanks for helping get this old warrior back to its original appearance, and a BIG thanks to American Aero that did a superb restoration job on this one of a kind piece of ADA history!

Jon

PS: Dan, we hit Meers on Sunday night, mmmmmm!

post-5470-0-50772200-1373380614.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

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