Activation of new aaa units - Air Defense Artillery

Coast ~rtillery Newsletters
197th ANTIAIRCRAFT ARTILLERY GROUP
NATIONAL GUARD OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
COLONEL ALBERT S. BAKER, Commanding
Excepting only participation in maneuvers in the arl~asof
Plattsburg and Pine Camp, New York just before \Vorld
\~7ar II, antiaircraft artillery units of the National Guard
of New Hampshire, attached to the 197th AAA Group, are
participating in field training this year outside the state
for the first time since 1922. The Group, with the 210th
AAA AW and the 744th AAA Gun Battalions attached, is
training with other antiaircraft artillery units of the First
Armv area at Fort Edvl.'ards, Massachusetts, on colorful
Cap~ Cod, 31 July to 14 August inclusive.
An advance detachment, consisting of one officer and
three enlisted men from each unit, preceded the Group to
the Fort Edwards reservation three days ahead of the movement
of the main body which left at midnight on 31 July.
An equipment and all personnel moved into the camp area
by motor convoy.
Because lack of armory facilities has prevented the organization
of two firing batteries in each of the attached
battalions, and due to the effect of the freezing of strength
with enactment of the Selective Service law, total New
Hampshire AAA personnel participating in field training
this year does not exceed 300. This represents, ho\vever,
one-quarter of all ground forces in the National Guard of
;\Iew Hampshire. Units of the 195th Regimental Combat
Team, are occupying Fort Edwards at the same time
and to some extent, training is being conducted jointly
in common subjects under the coordinating direction of
state headquarters.
315th COAST ARTILLERY {HDl (ORCI
BROOKLYN, N. Y.
lIEUTENAl\'T COLONEL LEONARD S. ALLEN, Commanding
The Officersand men of the 315th C. A. (HD) were extremely
fortunate in the past two months to obtain excelle,ntspeakers
in the persons of i\1r. James A. Farley, former
-"ational Chairman of the Democratic Par1\~and former
United States Postmaster General, and Lieut~nant Colonel
:\braham Littman, CA.-Res., Science Instructor at Brooklyn
College and the High School System of ~ew York.
:\Ir. Farley, \vho recently made a trip around the \vorld
dUring,,-hich he contacted the heads of many governments,
Full advantage is being taken of the presence of antiaircraft
artillery training teams from Fort Bliss and training
includes a large number of demonstrations conducted along
lines which proved so successful in the training of troops
during the period of World War II. Four full days will be
devoted to artillery training at the Wellfleet firing range
some fifty-fivemiles from Fort Edwards during the last \veek
of the training period. For this part of the \vork a bivouac
camp will be established at the firing point. In preparation
for this phase of field training, week-end schools in radar
operation were conducted during the months of June and
July.
Composite batteries will be organized within the two
battalions in order to equalize the officer instruction load
and take advantage of special skills.
Motor movements to and from Fort Edwards offer opportunity
for exceptional training in the movement of mobile
AAA units as the route covers a maximum distance of
more than 200 miles, over roads which, in Ne\v England,
are highly congested with week-end motor traffic during
the summer season.
The training progra~ does not call for record artillery
fire this year but it is expected that qualifying fire with
small arms will be conducted. Special schools are organized
for training in telephone and radio communications to include
installation of systems, operation of message centers,
and organization and operation of radio networks.
Demonstrations cover camouflage, field sanitation, close
combat, use of gas and chemicals, control of domestic disturbances,
grenades, and rockets.
, Governor Charles 1\1. Dale will visit ~he camp, and, if
feasible, review the participating troops, on one day of the
training period.
conducted a question and ans\yer period on International
and National Problems, \vhich did much to stimulate the
thinking of those present.
Lieutenant Colonel Littman delivered a lecture on
"Atomic Energy" 1.vhichproved to be one of the finest and
most easily understood discourses on a mo"t complex and important
subject.
The 315th G.A. (HD) has completed its plans for Summer
Camp during the first 1\\"0\veeks in August at Fort
Hancock, ~e"- Tersey.
The training prog;am is such that Technical and Tactical
subjects are co-ordinated to afford the maximum benefit to
the -organization.