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53rd Coast Artillery Regiment
Coat of arms
Active1917-1944
Country United States
BranchArmy
TypeCoast artillery
RoleRailway
SizeRegiment
Motto(s)"Je Frappe" (I Strike)
Mascot(s)Oozlefinch
EngagementsWorld War I
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Colonel George T. Perkins

The 53rd Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery regiment in the United States Army. In World War I it was a railway artillery regiment in France. In World War II it was reactivated with mobile 155 mm guns.[1]

History

Lineage

Constituted in July 1917, under the designation of the 8th Provisional Regiment, Coast Artillery Corps at Fort Adams from the following companies:[1][2][3][4]

Arrived in France 25 September 1917 and redesignated as the 53rd Artillery (Coast Artillery Corps) on 5 February 1918. (In August 1918 the Railway Artillery Reserve was reconstructed and Coast Artillery Regiments reorganized to conform to standardized Field Artillery configurations)

Arrived from France at Newport News, Virginia 11 March 1919 proceeded to Camp Stuart, Virginia then reassigned to Camp Eustis 17 and 18 March 1919.

Activated on 20 July 1942 with personnel from Batteries HHB and E of 13th Coast Artillery at Camp Pendleton, Virginia.[1]

On 16 October 1942 assigned to Eastern Defense Command.

Regiment deactivated and broken up on 27 May 1944 at Camp Pendleton as follows-

Coat of arms

Blazon

Or, on a pile Gules crusily fitchy of the field a fleur-de-lis of the like.

On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules, an oozlefinch Vert, beaked, capped and collared on legs Or, in front of an epie of the last. Motto JE FRAPPE (I Strike).

Symbolism

The regiment had its baptism of fire at Royammeix, France, near Commercy and was in St. Mihiel (also near Commercy) and the Meuse-Argonne operations near Verdun, all being in the province of Lorraine. The shield is gold as in the arms of Lorraine. The red pile is for artillery, scattered with cross crosslets fitchy from the arms of Commercy and charged with one gold fleur-de-lis from the arms of Verdun.

The oozlefinch and epie in the crest are both taken from the shoulder sleeve insignia worn by Railway Artillery Reserve, of which this regiment was a unit.

Background

The coat of arms was approved on 5 March 1929.

There was no distinctive unit insignia approved for this unit.

Campaign streamers

unknown

Decorations

unknown

References

  1. ^ a b c Gaines Regular Army, pp. 27–28
  2. ^ 6th, 7th, and 8th Provisional Artillery Regiments, CAC at Rootsweb.com
  3. ^ 53rd Artillery in WWI at Rootsweb.com
  4. ^ Rinaldi 2004, p. 163.

External links

Artillery formations of the United States
Categories