1st Battalion, 11th Marines (1/11) is an

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

battalion comprising five firing batteries and a Headquarters battery. The battalion is stationed at the

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...

in California. Its primary weapon system is the

M142 The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS ) is a light multiple rocket launcher developed in the late 1990s for the United States Army and mounted on a standard U.S. Army Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) M1140 truck fram ...

HIMARS rocket artillery launcher and the

M777 The M777 howitzer is a British towed artillery, towed 155 mm artillery piece in the howitzer class. It is used by the Australian Army, ground forces of Australia, Canadian Army, Canada, Colombia, Indian Army, India, Saudi Arabian Army, Saudi Ar ...

lightweight howitzer. The battalion is under the command of the

11th Marine Regiment The 11th Marine Regiment is an artillery regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Known as the "Cannon Cockers", the regiment falls under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I M ...

, part of the

1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...

Mission

The Marines and Sailors of 1st Battalion, 11th Marines prepare mentally, physically, and operationally for the rigors of combat to provide 24/7 all-weather continuous artillery fires and achieve accurate first round fire for effect in support of maneuver elements.

Subordinate units

Headquarters Battery In United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company (HHC) is a company-sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. Considered one unit, a Headquarters and Headquarters Company is essentially two elements within ...

Battery Battery or batterie most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source * Battery indicator, a device whic ...

A (Alpha Battery) * Battery B (Bravo Battery) * Battery C (Charlie Battery) * Battery D (Delta Battery) * Battery I (India Battery) (attached from

3rd Battalion, 12th Marines 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines (3/12) is an artillery battalion comprising four firing batteries and a Headquarters Battery. The firing batteries are not permanently assigned to the battalion- they are all on 6-month rotations in Okinawa from the ...

)

History

Early years

The 1st Battalion, 11th Marines, was activated together with rest of the regiment on 20 August 1917 at the

Marine Corps Base Quantico Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southe ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. The battalion underwent intensive infantry training until September 1918, when it was attached to the 5th Marine Brigade and ordered to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The 1st Battalion arrived on 13 October to Brest, but too late to see combat. The battalion was stationed in the area around the town of

Tours Tours ( ; ) is the largest city in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabita ...

until July 1919. when it was ordered stateside and deactivated at

Norfolk Navy Yard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a United States Navy, U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest ...

on 11 August 1919. The 1st Battalion was reactivated on 3 December 1923 at the

, as the 1st Battalion, 10th Regiment. It participated in mail guard duty in the mid-western United States from October 1926 to February 1927. The battalion deployed during April to June 1927 to

Tientsin Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the 2020 Chinese census. Its metropoli ...

in China and was assigned to the

3rd Marine Brigade The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade is a United States Marine Corps unit that is the "middleweight" crises response force of choice in the Pacific Area of Operation. It is the Marine Corps’ only permanently forward-deployed Brigade sized Marin ...

. The unit returned during September 1928 to MCB Quantico and was detached from the 3rd Marine Brigade during December 1928. It were re-designated on 10 July 1930 to the

1st Battalion, 10th Marines 1st Battalion, 10th Marines (1/10) is an artillery battalion composed of five firing batteries and a headquarters battery. The battalion is stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and falls under the command of 10th Marine Regiment, part of 2 ...

. The battalion was assigned to the 1st Marine Brigade during September 1935. It was re-designated on 1 September 1940 as the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines. During October 1940, it was deployed to Guantanamo Bay in

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

. On 1 February 1941, the 1st Marine Brigade was re-designated as the

. The battalion relocated to New River,

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

during April 1941.

World War II

1st Battalion, 11th Marines was reassigned during March 1942 to the 3rd Marine Brigade. It was deployed during March 1942 to

Western Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabit ...

. The battalion was again reassigned to the 1st Marine Division in September 1942. The battalion participated in the

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...

and

New Britain New Britain () is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi Island, Umboi the Dampie ...

campaigns; it also carried out operations on Finschhafen,

Peleliu Peleliu (or Beliliou) is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu, along with two small islands to its northeast, forms one of the sixteen states of Palau. The island is notable as the location of the Battle of Peleliu in World War II. ...

and

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

. After the war the battalion was redeployed in September 1945 to Tientsin, China. It participated in the occupation of North China from September 1945 to January 1947. It was then redeployed during January 1947 to

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

, and detached from the 1st Marine Division. While in Guam, the unit constructed Camp Witek, the 1st Marine Brigade base. The battalion was reassigned during June 1947 to the 1st Marine Brigade. It was deactivated on 1 October 1947.

Korean War

The battalion was reactivated on 1 October 1949 at Camp Pendleton and assigned to the 1st Marine Division. It was then reassigned during July 1950 to the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade. The battalion was then deployed in July and August 1950 to

Pusan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southe ...

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

. The battalion participated in the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, from August 1950 to July 1953, taking part in the actions at the

Battle of the Pusan Perimeter The Battle of the Pusan Perimeter, known in Korean as the Battle of the Naktong River Defense Line (), was a large-scale battle between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces lasting from August 4 to September 18, 1950. It was one ...

, at

Inchon Incheon is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. As of February 2020, ...

and the

Chosin Reservoir The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Battle of Lake Changjin (), was an important battle in the Korean War. The name "Chosin" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation "''Chōshin'', instead of th ...

. Personnel also saw action on the East-Central and Western Fronts, (such as the

Battle of the Punchbowl The Battle of the Punchbowl (), was one of the last battles of the movement phase of the Korean War. Following the breakdown of armistice negotiations in August 1951, the United Nations Command (UN) decided to launch a limited offensive in the la ...

). 1st Battalion, 11th Marines participated in the occupation of the

Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone () is a heavily militarized strip of land running across the Korea, Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in half. It wa ...

from August 1953 to March 1955. It returned to Camp Pendleton in April 1955.

Vietnam War

The battalion deployed during August 1965 to

Camp Hansen Camp Hansen is a United States Marine Corps base located in Okinawa, Japan. The camp is situated in the town of Kin, near the northern shore of Kin Bay, and is the second-northernmost major installation on Okinawa, with Camp Schwab to the nor ...

and redeployed during January 1966 to

Chu Lai Chu Lai is a seaport, urban and industrial area in Núi Thành District, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam. The city is served by Chu Lai International Airport. It is also the site of the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (Vietnamese: ''Khu Kinh Tế M� ...

, in the

Republic of Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the French Union, with it ...

. It was reassigned to the

3rd Marine Division The 3rd Marine Division is a division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry division ...

. During March 1966, the unit was reassigned to the 1st Marine Division. The battalion operated from Chu Lai,

Da Nang Da Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons (, ) is the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the Western Pacific Ocean of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is one of Vietnam's most important p ...

, Quang Tri, Phu Bai,

Con Thien Con Thien (Vietnamese: Cồn Tiên, meaning the "Hill of Angels") was a military base that started out as a U.S. Army Special Forces camp before transitioning to a United States Marine Corps combat base. It was located near the Vietnamese De ...

, Ca Lu,

Khe Sanh Khe Sanh () is the district capital of Hướng Hoá District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, located 63 km west of Đông Hà. During the Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict ...

, Cua Viet,

Dong Ha Dong or DONG may refer to: Places * Dong Lake, or East Lake, a lake in China * Dong, Arunachal Pradesh, a village in India * Dong (administrative division) (동 or 洞), a neighborhood division in Korea Person names Surnames * Dǒng (surnam ...

and Quang Nam from January 1966 to March 1971. It was reassigned during 1971 to the 3rd Marine Amphibious Brigade; it returned during March 1971 to Camp Pendleton and reassigned to the 1st Marine Division. Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 11th Marines was known as Alpha North in early 1966. On the night of 18 April 1966 Alpha North was overrun. It suffered 5 Marines killed and 28 wounded. All of the howitzers received damage. The battery moved to the 1-1 compound at Hoi An.

Gulf War and the 1990s

1st Battalion, 11th Marines participated in

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

from September 1990 to March 1991. Elements participated in

Operation Sea Angel Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

from May to June 1991. Elements also participated in

Operation Restore Hope The Unified Task Force (UNITAF), also known as Operation Restore Hope, was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational military force deployed to Somalia from 5 December 1992 to 4 May 1993. It was established to replace United ...

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

from December 1992 to March 1993.

Global War on Terror

In January 2003 the battalion deployed in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...

. After participating in the

invasion of Iraq An invasion is a military offensive of combatants of one geopolitical entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory controlled by another similar entity, often involving acts of aggression. Generally, invasions have objectives ...

it returned to Camp Pendleton in July 2003. Individual firing Batteries have continued to support the MEU cycle in the war on terror since 2003. The battalion HQ deployed to Anbar Province, Iraq with Battery A, Battery C, and Battery K as a provisional infantry battalion in June 2007. The unit returned to Camp Pendleton in late April 2008. In April 2010 the battalion deployed to Helmand Province, in Afghanistan, in support of

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...

10.1. The battalion was attached to the 1st Marine Division (Forward) Task Force Leatherneck. The battalion was reinforced, comprising three gun batteries (Bravo, India 3/12, and Lima 3/12) and a HiMARS rocket Battery (Tango 5/11, later Sierra 5/11). 1/11 was assigned an artillery tactical mission of General Support to Task Force Leatherneck. The battalion returned from Afghanistan in November 2010 and began fielding the Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS). In 2023, the battalion became a combined rocket and cannon artillery battalion as a component of force design 2030. With the deactivation of 5th Battalion, 11th Marines, the HIMARS batteries were transferred to 1/11. Currently, the HIMARS batteries support the unit deployment program and Battery C (M777) supports the WESTPAC MEU cycle.

Notes

References

: ;Bibliography ;Web
1/11's official website
{{1stMarDiv Artillery battalions of the United States Marine Corps 1st Marine Division (United States) Articles containing video clips