The 8th 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 United States Army, which garrisoned 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 ...

(HD Portland), Maine 1924–1944, and the

Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth The Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth was a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command. It coordinated the coast defenses of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and the nearby Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine from 1900 to 1950, ...

, New Hampshire 1924–1940.

History

The 8th Coast Artillery was constituted 27 February 1924 and organized 1 July 1924 as 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 ...

component of the

(HD Portland), Maine through early 1944; the 240th Coast Artillery was the

Maine National Guard The Maine Department of Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management (DVEM) is a government agency of Maine. It comprises the two components of the Maine National Guard, the Maine Army National Guard and the Maine Air National Guard, the Bureau of V ...

component of those defenses. In early 1944 most of the 8th Coast Artillery's personnel were transferred to HD Portland and the regiment was soon disbanded. The 8th CA also garrisoned the

, New Hampshire at

caretaker Caretaker may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''The Caretaker'' (film), a 1963 adaptation of the play ''The Caretaker'' * '' The Caretakers'', a 1963 American film set in a mental hospital * Caretaker, a character in the 1974 film '' ...

strength from 1924 through early 1940. At that time the 22nd Coast Artillery was activated from personnel of the HD Portsmouth caretaker detachment, relieving the 8th Coast Artillery of that duty.Gaines, pp. 8, 15

Lineage

The

lineage Lineage may refer to: Science * Lineage (anthropology), a group that can demonstrate its common descent from an apical ancestor or a direct line of descent from an ancestor * Lineage (evolution), a temporal sequence of individuals, populat ...

of the 8th Coast Artillery is as follows: Constituted 27 February 1924 as the 8th Coast Artillery (HD) Regiment, and organized at Fort Preble 1 July 1924 by redesignating the 123rd, 154th, 155th, 171st, 196th, 156th, 246th, and 251st companies of Coast Artillery Corps. Only regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB) and Battery E activated as caretaker units; HHB for HD Portland, Battery E for HD Portsmouth. * Battery A activated at Fort Preble 1 July 1939. * Battery E inactivated at Fort Constitution 1 September 1939, caretaker duties transferred to a detachment of HHB until relieved by 22nd CA in February. * Battery B activated at Fort Preble 29 July 1940. * 1st Battalion Headquarters and Battery C activated 10 February 1941 at Fort Preble. * 2nd Battalion Headquarters and Batteries D, E, and F activated at Fort McKinley 10 February 1941. * Battery G (Searchlight) activated at Fort Preble 1 June 1941. * Battery D garrisoned

Fort Baldwin Fort Baldwin is a former coastal defense fortification near the mouth of the Kennebec River in Phippsburg, Maine, United States, preserved as the Fort Baldwin State Historic Site. It was named after Jeduthan Baldwin, an engineer for the Contine ...

at the mouth of the Kennebec River with a battery of four towed 155 mm guns 1942–1944.Fort Baldwin at FortWiki.com
/ref> On 11 September 1943 a third battalion was authorized. * Battery G redesignated as Battery K, remained the searchlight battery, * 4th Battalion 241st Coast Artillery transferred from HD Boston to Portland and redesignated as 3rd Battalion 8th Coast Artillery, * Batteries K and M 241st Coast Artillery redesignated Batteries G and H 8th CA, * Battery D 243rd Coast Artillery transferred from HD Narragansett Bay to Portland and redesignated Battery I 8th CA. * Battery E 10th Coast Artillery transferred from HD Narragansett Bay to Portland (less personnel and equipment) and redesignated Battery L 8th CA 26 July 1943. The 8th Coast Artillery was ordered to

Camp Shelby Camp Shelby is a military post whose North Gate is located at the southern boundary of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on United States Highway 49. It is the largest state-owned training site in the nation. During wartime, the camp's mission is to s ...

, Mississippi 25 February 1944 (less Battery B), released 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 ...

, and assigned to

IX Corps 9 Corps, 9th Corps, Ninth Corps, or IX Corps may refer to: France * 9th Army Corps (France) * IX Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * IX Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German ...

, Second Army. * Battery B ordered to Fort Jackson, South Carolina. * 8th Coast Artillery Regiment disbanded 31 May 1944.

Distinctive unit insignia

* Description A Gold metal and enamel device 1 1/8 (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Per fess Gules and Argent, in chief a mullet of the last, in base a pine tree Proper. * Symbolism The 8th Regiment was organized under General Orders No. 8, 27 February 1924, on 30 June 1924, from the companies which comprised the garrison of the Coast Defenses of Portland and

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most d ...

. The design is taken from the coat of arms of the old Coast Defenses of Portland. The star has a dual significance. Its five points represent the five forts in the Coast Defenses of Portland; in addition it represents the Pole Star, those being the most northerly defenses in the country. It is set on a field of artillery red. The pine tree is the emblem of Maine, and is on a white field symbolic of the snows among which this particular pine (Pinus Rigidus) grows. * Background The

distinctive unit insignia A distinctive unit insignia (DUI) is a metallic heraldic badge or device worn by soldiers in the United States Army. The DUI design is derived from the coat of arms authorized for a unit. DUIs may also be called "distinctive insignia" (DI) or, imp ...

was originally approved for the 8th Coast Artillery Regiment on 24 March 1924. It was amended to add the method of wear on 10 November 1924. The insignia was redesignated for the 27th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion on 14 January 1952.

Coat of arms

Blazon

Shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of ...

Per fess Gules and Argent, in chief a mullet of the last, in base a pine tree Proper. * Crest On a wreath of the colors Argent and Gules a phoenix Purpure aileroned Or rising from flames Proper. Motto: TERRAE PORTAM DEFENDAMUS (We Defend The Land Gate).

Symbolism

* Shield The 8th Regiment was organized under General Orders No. 8, 27 February 1924, on 30 June 1924, from the companies which composed the garrison of the Coast Defenses of Portland and Portsmouth. The coat of arms is that of the old Coast Defenses of Portland. The star has a dual significance. Its five points represent the five forts in the Coast Defenses; in addition it represents the Pole Star, those being the most northerly defenses in the country. It is set on a field of artillery red. The pine tree is the emblem of Maine, and is on a white field symbolic of the snows among which this particular pine (Pinus Rigidus) grows. The motto translates to "We Defend the Land Gate." "Terrae Portam" is also the Latin equivalent for Portland and "Defendamus" is the motto of the Coast Artillery Corps. * Crest The crest is taken from the arms of the city of Portland which was thrice destroyed in war by burning, by the Indians in 1676, by the French in 1690 and by the English fleet in 1775, but each time it has risen phoenix-like from its ashes.

Background

The coat of arms was originally approved for the 8th Coast Artillery Regiment on 13 March 1924. It was amended to correct the translation of the motto on 31 March 1928. The insignia was redesignated for the 27th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion on 14 January 1952.

References

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

Coats of Arms and Badges of the Coast Artillery Corps, ''Coast Artillery Journal'', August 1923, vol. 59 no. 2, pp. 123-142
*

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:008 Military units and formations in Maine Military units and formations in New Hampshire 008 History of Portland, Maine Military units and formations established in 1924 Military units and formations disestablished in 1944