COAST. I ARTILLERY JOURNAL, - Air Defense Artillery

PROFESSIONAL NOTES 475
The Sixth Coast Artillery (RD)
The Coat of Arms of the 6th Coast Artillery was approved by the War Department
on May 3, 1924, and its blazonry is-
Shield: Parti per paide argent (silver), azure (blue) and gules (red), in
chief a mullet of six points of the last (red) and in fess debased two fleurde-Iys
or (gold).
Crest: On a wreath of the colors (silver and red) a grizzly bear passant
sable (black) langued gules (red).
Motto: Certo Dirigo Ictu (I aim with a sure blow).
The 6th Regiment of Artillery was organized with headquarters at Fort
McHenry, Md", in March, 1898. As originally organized the regiment contained
twelve batteries lettered from A to M. Later in 1899 two additional batteries,
"N" and "0," were added. In 1924 all these batteries were consolidated in- the
6th Coast Artillery, except Batteries "D" and "G," which were transferred to the
Field Artillery in 1901 and are today C of the 1st and E of the 5th Field Artillery,
and N which is the Service Battery, 65th Coast Artillery.
In May, 1899, all the batteries arrived in Manila, Philippine Islands, with the
exception of Batteries I and K which were sent to Honolulu. A detachment of
Battery L, now Battery D, 6th Coast Artillery, was engaged with the Insurgents
at Lingayen on November 6, 1899, and in the vicinity of Marivelles on March 23,
1901; Battery A at Mt. Samat on :March 27, 1901; Battery E at Montalban on
December 27, 1899, near Binang on January 6, 1900, at Antigue on January 18,
1900, near San Pablo on January 21, 1900, at Patnongon and Caritan on February
15 and at Marivelles in April, 1901. The regiment returned to the United
States in October, 1901, and the batteries from Honolulu in 1904.
During the World War, Batteries Band K of the 6th Coast Artillery served
in France as Batteries C and B, 1st Antiaircraft Battalion, and were engaged in
the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne operations from September 12 to Novemb"er
11, 1918. Batteries A, I, and H were part of the 40th Artillery, C. 'A. C., which
did not serve overseas during this conflict.
The shield of the coat of arms consists of the flag of the Philippine Insurgents
(except the stars and sun of Katipunan which are omitted) and shows the
:first campaign of the regiment. In chief is a six-pointed mullet (rowel of a spur)
taken from the device omitted, to show the engagements of the several batteries;
it is red for war and also of the color of the artillery. The f1eur-de-Iys denote the
war history of the two organizations that saw service in France.
The crest is taken from that of the Coast Defenses of San Francisco, where
most of the units were stationed after 1901, and where the new 6th Coast Artillery
was organized and is stationed today. The motto--Certo Dirigo Ictu (I aim
",ith a sure blow) is indicative of the character of the bear.
The crest and motto on a red scroll in metal and enamel is worn by the
personnel of the organization as its distinctive regimental hadge.
The change of designation of the units of the 6th Coast Artillery is as follows:
Headquarters Battery: organized in 1899 as Battery 0, 6th Regiment of Artillery;
71st Company, Coast Artillery, in 1901; 1st Company, Fort Casey, Wash.,
in 1916; 9th Company, Coast Defenses of Puget Sound, in 1917; 71st Company,
Coast Artillery Corps, in 1922; and Headquarters Battery, 6th Coast Arttillery,
in 1924.
Battery A, 6th Coast Artillery; organized in 1898 as Battery A, 6th Regiment
of Artillery; 60th Company, Coast Artillery. in 1901; 2d Company, Fort Winfield