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Marine defense battalions were United States Marine Corps battalions charged with coastal defense of various naval bases in the Pacific during World War II. They maintained large anti-ship guns, anti-aircraft guns, searchlights, and small arms to repel landing forces. ==Organization== Unlike the mobile Marine forces involved in offensive actions, defense battalions were detached to key outposts, in the Pacific and one in Iceland,〔Melson 1996, p. 5.〕 and remained at the station they defended.〔Melson 1996, p. 1.〕 Most varied greatly in size and equipment. The battalions often had several coastal gun batteries, several anti-aircraft batteries, a detection battery (searchlights and radar), and machine gun units. While a few had composite infantry companies attached, most defense battalions were responsible for providing their own riflemen. A 1939 table of organization and equipment (TOE) included:〔Bogart, Charles H., "Fifth Marine Defense Battalion in Iceland", ''Coast Defense Journal'', Vol. 29, Issue 3, August 2015, Coast Defense Study Group, Inc.〕 *HQ Company *Service battery * *Six platoons, each with a searchlight and aircraft sound locator *Coast Defense Group * *Three batteries, each with two Mark 15 5"/51 caliber guns *Antiaircraft Group * *Four AAA gun batteries, each with four mobile 3-inch M3 guns * *Two AAA machine gun companies, each with 24 Browning M2 water-cooled .50-caliber machine guns on AA mounts * *Two beach protection machine gun companies, each with 24 Browning M1917A1 water-cooled .30-caliber machine guns It is likely that the 5"/51 caliber guns were replaced by the 155 mm Long Tom and the 3-inch guns were replaced by the 90 mm Gun M1/M2/M3 by early 1943. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Marine defense battalions」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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