Units Stationed at Fort Tilden
Updated: November 7, 2000
Some of the 16-inch gun crew of Battery Harris.
NY National Guard 245th Coast Artillery, Battery H - 1941.
Photo: Robert Orman
Unit Designation
Type
Year
COAST ARTILLERY UNITS
"Irregular Detachments"
1923 - 1940
7th CA
1927 -
52nd CA
1931,1935
62nd CA
62nd CA Batt B (AA Guns)
62nd CA Batt C (AA Guns)
62nd CA Batt E (AA- Machine Gun)
62nd CA Batt F (AA-.50 Cal Machine Gun)
1925 - 1932
5th CA Batt D
(Ft Hamilton) @ Battery Fergusson
December 1941
7th CA 2nd Btn HHB
January 11, 1941 -
7th CA Batt C
Aug 13, 1940 - January 11, 1941
and
June 1, 1941-
7th CA Batt D
January 11, 1941 - Sept 20,1941
7th CA Batt D
December 12, 1941 -
7th CA Batt E
March 17, 1941 - April 10, 1942
7th CA Batt F (AA?)
March 17, 1941 -
7th CA Batt G
July 9, 1941-
1225th Service Unit
May 2, 1941-
245th CA 3rd Btn HHB
(NY National Guard)
Feb 24, 1941 - Sept 23, 1942
245th CA 3rd Btn Batt G
(Battery Harris)
Feb 24, 1941 - Sept 23, 1942
245th CA 3rd Btn Batt H
Feb 24, 1941 - Sept 23, 1942
245th CA 3rd Btn Batt I
Feb 24, 1941 - Sept 23, 1942
Some details about the 245th Coast Artillery Regiment
As of a report dated November 1, 1942, the 245th Coast Artillery Regiment was based at Fort Hancock (Sandy Hook, NJ) and composed of four battalions:
1st Bn - Batteries A, B, and C
2nd Bn - Batteries D, E, and F
3rd Bn - Batteries G, H, and I (Fort Tilden)
4th Bn - Batteries K, L, and M
Searchlight Battery (redesignated Battery N on May 17, 1943)
Medical Unit
Chaplains
Total strength approx 2,600 men
As of a report dated October 29, 1943, the 245th Coast Artillery Regiment was based at Fort Wadsworth (Staten Island, NY) and composed of four battalions:
1st Bn - Batteries A, B, and C
2nd Bn - Batteries D, E, and F
3rd Bn - Batteries G, H, I, K, L, and M
4th Bn - N (Slt), Medical Unit, and Chaplains
On October 1, 1944 the unit was reorganized into seperate battalions
7th CA 1st Btn HHB
Sept 23, 1942 - May 20, 1943
7th CA Batt A
Sept 23, 1942 - May 20, 1943
7th CA Batt B
Sept 23, 1942 - May 20, 1943
7th CA Batt C
Sept 23, 1942 - May 20, 1943
7th CA Med Det
Sept 23, 1942 - May 20, 1943
5th CA HHB
POST WW2 ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN UNITS
69th AAA Gun Bn (90mm), consisting of HQ & HQ Btry, and
four firing batteries, A, B, C, & D.
(Each firing battery had four towed 90mm guns M2, a trailer-mounted SCR-584 radar, and a trailer-mounted M9 fire control system, and other smaller pieces ofequipment.)
Dec 1950,1952
History of the 259th AAA Gun Battalion (120mm)
The 259th was called into Federal Service from the New York National Guard 23 January 1951 for a period for a period of 21 months. They went through basic training at Camp Edwards Massachusetts and then entered into their Basic Antiaircraft Artillery training. The battalion underwent its first service practice at Camp Wellfleet, Massachusetts in June. September 1951 saw the battalion back at Wellfleet for their record practice at which time they achieved a score of 82 in the firing phase of the Army Training Test. The overall score including firing, detection and Tactics was 92.1, reputed to be te highest score yet attained in an Army Field Forces Test for a 120mm outfit.
23 October 1951 the battalion moved down to New York and established its headquarters at Fort Tilden. With one battery occupying a tactical site, the battalion entered into the defense of the New York City area. During the winter of 1951-1952 the battalion trained its personnel and performed the assigned defense mission.
Between 21 January and 2 February 1952 the 259th moved out to Camp Hero, Montauk, Long Island for a service practice.
24 April 1952 all gun batteries were ordered to occupy their site positions. Working with very little support from normal supply channels, the batteries turned their site-homes from former garbagr dumps and sandlots to decent, military-looking encampments.
In June 1952 the battalion participated in the detection and tactical phase of the Army Field Forces Training Test at Brookhaven, Long Island.
During the month of August 1952 the 259th lost approximately 230 highly trained personnel in the reorganization of the 52nd AAA Brigade.
The battalion is at present preparing for the phase-out of the 259th back to the National Guard status and the activation of the 505th Gun Bn in its place.
(Date unknown, from the papers of Jay Sullivan)
According to letters of appreciation and orders of Jay Sullivan:
On 25 September 1952, the 259th was still at Fort Tilden.
By 12 November 1953, the 505th AAA Bn was Headquartered at Fort Tilden.
By 30 November 1954 the 505th AAA Bn had become the 505th AA Missile Bn, part of the 80th AAA Group based at Fort Wadsworth.
NIKE MISSILE UNITS
505th AAA Missile Btn HHB
-Sept 1, 1958
52nd Arty Bde HQ
(Air Defense)
1958
503rd Signal Det
(Radar Maint-Type E)
1958
51st ADA Batt B
(Nike Hercules)
1964
51st Arty/3rd Btn HQ
(505th AAA Missile Btn)
Sept 1, 1958-
51st Arty/3rd Btn Batt A
(Nike Hercules)
1963
51st Arty/3rd Btn Batt B
(Nike Hercules)
Sept 1, 1958 - Sept 13,1972
7th Arty/5th Btn (737th AAA Missile Btn) HQ
7th Arty/5th Btn (737th AAA Missile Btn) Batt A
7th Arty/5th Btn (737th AAA Missile Btn) Batt B
(Nike Hercules)
1964-1968
51st Arty/3rd Btn HQ
51st Arty/3rd Btn Batt C (Nike Hercules)
1968-
43rd Arty/3rd Btn Batt D
(Nike Hercules)
Sept 13, 1972 - April 1, 1974
411th ENGINEER BRIGADE HQ & HQ Co.
Jan 31, 1968 - Jan 3, 1978
Please contact us if you were stationed at Fort Tilden.
Information from veterans stationed at Fort Tilden is a very valuable source of information to us.
Coast Artillery Veterans Associations
13th, 59th, 245th CA Vet's
Mr Harry Lubin
48 Haseco Ave
Port Chester NY 10573-3925
914/939-6871
Bulletin
Air Defense Arty Assn
Col Milrton A Whitey Jr USA Ret
PO Box 6101
El Paso, TX 79906-0101
915/562-0665
First to Fire
Arty Vet's of NY
LTC Arnold Albert USAR Ret
643 Park Ave
NewYork, NY 10021-6198
212/978-6455
Coast Arty Assn (prior to Jun'50)
Mr. Amos H Anderson
17525 Gay St
Hagerstown, MD 21740-7767
301-582-2045