The 241st Coast Artillery Regiment was a
Coast Artillery Corps
The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an Corps#Administrative corps, administrative corps responsible for coastal defence and fortification, coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft Seacoast defense in the United States, defense of the United S ...
regiment in the
Massachusetts National Guard
The Massachusetts National Guard is the National Guard component for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded as the Massachusetts Bay Colonial Militia on December 13, 1636, it contains the oldest units in the United States Army. What is toda ...
. It garrisoned the
Harbor Defenses of Boston
The Harbor Defenses of Boston was a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command. It coordinated the coast defenses of Boston, Massachusetts from 1895 to 1950, beginning with the Endicott program. These included both coa ...
(HD Boston), Massachusetts 1924–1944.
[
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History
The 241st Coast Artillery regiment, Massachusetts National Guard was organized on 13 December 1636 as the South Regiment. By 1861 it was designated as the 1st Regiment of Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. After serving in the Civil War as the 1st, it was redesignated and reorganized as the 1st Regiment of Heavy Artillery; the first coast artillery regiment in the National Guard. The 1st was mobilized for service in 1898 as the garrison for Fort Warren. As the 1st Coast Defense Command, the unit was mobilized for World War I service and provided batteries for the harbor defenses of Boston and for the 55th Artillery which served in France. The organization was reorganized as the 241st Coast Artillery regiment in 1923. The 241st was mobilized on 16 September 1940 prior to Pearl Harbor for duty as part of the harbor defenses of Boston. The regiment was broken up in 1944 as separate battalions. Its lineage passed to the 704th Antiaircraft Battalion in 1948. In 1959, the 241st Artillery (later the 241st Air Defense Artillery) was reorganized as a Nike unit with two battalions. In 1974, the 241st was redesignated as the 241st Field Artillery. It consolidated with the 101st Field Artillery regiment in 1975. The 101st carries the lineage of the 241st.
Lineage
The regiment's lineage originated with the 1st Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts National Guard (MANG), organized in 1878. Redesignated the 1st Regiment Heavy Artillery, MANG on 15 June 1897. Redesignated the 1st Heavy Artillery, Massachusetts Volunteers 9 May 1898, stationed at various forts in Massachusetts, and mustered out 14 November 1898. Reorganized and redesignated Coast Artillery Corps, MANG in 1905. Following the American entry into World War I
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry
...
in April 1917, called into federal service 25 July 1917 and redesignated 16th through 27th companies, Coast Defenses of Boston
The Harbor Defenses of Boston was a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command. It coordinated the coast defenses of Boston, Massachusetts from 1895 to 1950, beginning with the Endicott program. These included both coa ...
. Elements served with the 55th Artillery (Coast Artillery Corps) in France. Reorganized in 1920 as the 1st Coast Defense Command, CAC MANG.[101st Field Artillery Regiment lineage and honors certificate at history.army.mil, 18 April 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2020]
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Organized 30 April 1924 by redesignating the 241st Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps (previously the 1st Coast Defense Command), Massachusetts National Guard.[
On 16 September 1940 the regiment was inducted into federal service and moved to ]Fort Andrews
Fort Andrews was created in 1897 as part of the Coast Defenses of Boston, Coast (later Harbor) Defenses of Boston, Massachusetts. Construction began in 1898 and the fort was substantially complete by 1904. The fort was named after Major G ...
23 September 1940. On 12 December 1941 the HQ moved to Fort Dawes
Fort Dawes was a World War II Coast Artillery fort located on Deer Island in Winthrop/Boston, Massachusetts. It was part of the Harbor Defenses of Boston.
History
The site's military history began in 1906 as the Deer Island Military Reservati ...
; moved to Fort Heath
Fort Heath was a US seacoast military installation for defense of the Boston and Winthrop Harbors with an early 20th-century Coast Artillery fort, a 1930s USCG radio station, prewar naval research facilities, World War II batteries, and a C ...
in November 1943.[Stanton, pp. 470, 489, 492]
In September 1943 the 4th Battalion of the 241st transferred to the Harbor Defenses of Portland
The Harbor Defenses of Portland was a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command. It coordinated the coast defenses of Portland, Maine, the mouth of the Kennebec River, and surrounding areas from 1895 to 1950, beginni ...
, Maine and was redesignated as the 3rd Battalion, 8th Coast Artillery, with Batteries K and M of the 241st becoming Batteries G and H of the 8th.[Gaines Regular Army, p. 8]
The regimental HQ moved to Fort Banks in March 1944.[
On 7 October 1944 the regiment was broken up into the 187th and 241st Coast Artillery Battalions (at ]Fort Ruckman
Fort Ruckman was a U.S. Coast Artillery fort located in Nahant, Massachusetts. Originally called the Nahant Military Reservation, the fort was laid out in 1904-1907 and covered an area of about 45 acres just northwest of Bass Point, on the southw ...
and Fort Warren, respectively), which were deactivated 1 April 1945.[
]
See also
* Seacoast defense in the United States
Seacoast defense was a major concern for the United States from its independence until World War II. Before Military aviation, airplanes, many of America's enemies could only reach it from the sea, making coastal forts an economical alternative t ...
* United States Army 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 d ...
* Harbor Defense Command A Harbor Defense Command was a military organization of the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps designated in 1925 from predecessor organizations dating from circa 1895. It consisted of the forts, controlled underwater minefields, and other c ...
References
Gaines, William C., Historical Sketches Coast Artillery Regiments 1917-1950, National Guard Army Regiments 197-265
Gaines, William C., Coast Artillery Organizational History, 1917-1950, ''Coast Defense Journal'', vol. 23, issue 2 (Regular Army regiments)
Insignia of the Coast Artillery Corps at the Coast Defense Study Group
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Further reading
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External links
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{{Artillery Regiments (United States)
Military units and formations in Massachusetts
241
Year 241 ( CCXLI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gordianus and Pompeianus by the Romans (or, less frequently, year ...
History of Boston
Military in Boston
Military units and formations established in 1924
Military units and formations disestablished in 1944