The 23rd Coast Artillery Regiment was a

Coast Artillery Corps The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an administrative corps responsible for coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft defense of the United States and its possessions between 1901 and 1950. The CAC also operated heavy and railway artillery ...

regiment in the

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. It was the garrison of the Harbor Defenses of New Bedford,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

(HD New Bedford) in World War II, as a battalion in February 1940 through expansion to a regiment in September 1943, then reduced to a battalion in February 1944 until inactivated in October 1944.Gaines, p. 15

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Constituted in the

Organized Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 2020 ...

(OR) 1 July 1924 as the 616th Coast Artillery Battalion and allotted to HD New Bedford, Massachusetts. Organized December 1924 with personnel of the 575th, 576th, and 577th CA companies, OR (formed 21 April). Expanded and redesignated 616th CA Regiment 19 March 1926 and assigned to the Harbor Defenses of Narragansett Bay as well as HD New Bedford. On 1 September 1935 was withdrawn from the OR and allotted to the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a standin ...

as the 616th CA Battalion. Redesignated as the 22nd Coast Artillery Battalion (Harbor Defense) (HD) and HHB activated 1 February 1940 at

Fort Rodman Fort Taber District or the Fort at Clark's Point is a historic American Civil War-era military fort on Wharf Road within the former Fort Rodman Military Reservation in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The fort is now part of Fort Taber Park, a 47- ...

, Massachusetts by reorganizing

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detachment of HHB 10th Coast Artillery. * Battery A activated 1 August 1940 to garrison Battery Milliken ( 12-inch guns). * One source states the battalion was redesignated as a regiment on 27 December 1940, but reduced to a battalion on 21 August 1941.Stanton, p. 484 * Batteries B and C activated 15 January 1941 to man mine defenses and harbor defense searchlights. * Battery D activated 1 June 1941. * Four Anti- Motor Torpedo Boat (AMTB) batteries with 90 mm guns were constructed by July 1943 at Barneys Joy Point, Cuttyhunk and Nashawena Islands, and Butler Point, defending the approaches to southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape Cod Canal. On 13 September 1943 the 23rd CA was expanded to a regiment to garrison these batteries. HHB 3rd Battalion and Batteries G, H, and I of the 242nd Coast Artillery were transferred from HD Long Island Sound and redesignated 2nd Battalion and Batteries D, E, and F of the 23rd CA. Batteries A, D, E, and F manned the AMTB batteries. * On 4 February 1944 the 23rd CA was reduced to a battalion. 1st Battalion HHB and Batteries C, D, E, and F were inactivated. Some of their personnel were reassigned within the battalion, others were transferred to

Army Ground Forces The Army Ground Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Service Forces. Throughout their existence, Army Ground Forces were the large ...

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, Texas, probably for reassignment as replacements for overseas units. On 6 March 1944 the inactive elements of the 23rd CA were disbanded. HHB and Batteries A and B were redesignated as the same elements of HD New Bedford, it is unclear on what date but may be 7 October 1944. Remaining elements of the 23rd CA were inactivated 7 October 1944 (redesignated as Battery C (searchlight), HD New Bedford). * Another source states the regiment was reduced to a battalion on 6 March 1944, with 1st and 2nd Battalions (probably only their HHBs) inactivated by 12 April 1944.

References

Bibliography

*
Gaines, William C., Coast Artillery Organizational History, 1917-1950, ''Coast Defense Journal'', vol. 23, issue 2
*

External links

*

Harbor Defenses of New Bedford at the Coast Defense Study Group website

FortWiki, lists most CONUS and Canadian forts

American Forts Network, lists forts in the US, former US territories, Canada, and Central America
{{DEFAULTSORT:023 023 Military units and formations in Massachusetts Military units and formations established in 1924 Military units and formations disestablished in 1944

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