The Role Of The Air Defense Artillery In The Korean War

Throughout the history of Air Defense Artillery (ADA), innovative steps were made for the technological advance in weaponry to defend our skies and ground forces. The diverse history and continuous research and development of air defense systems played a vital role in the safety of ground troops and foreign civilians during the Persian Gulf crisis. Though not always in the forefront of battle, ADA had its own vital roles that it played from the time of its birth, and it was no different during Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield when necessity helped to bring about the evolution of the PAC-II Patriot missile.

Our nation has been in conflict with the Middle East for over two and a half decades. Air Defense Artillery has made a huge impact in Middle East conflicts. The threats that make Air Defense Artillery a necessity for these conflicts include a number of aircraft, such as planes, jets and helicopters as well as launched munitions like scud missiles and mortars. Air Defense Artillery is an ever evolving force and has been there for protection of American forces against these threats. Air Defense Artillery is a group of weapons that divide the airspace into two different sectors. Short Range Air Defense, also known as SHORAD, defends against low altitude, short range aircraft and munitions. High to Medium Altitude Air Defense, also known

and Heartbreak Ridge (894, 931, and 851). During this time, artillery played a key role in

Antiaircraft in the early twentieth century comes out of a rich pedigree of coastal defense and to a lesser degree field artillery. To trace air defense artillery’s

Air Defense Artillery (ADA) got its origins in the Coastal Artillery Corps. During World War I (WWI), planners saw a need for antiaircraft artillery to protect ground forces from the newly emerging aerial threat (Reference

Field Artillery “The King of Battle” dates back as far as the birth of the United States Army itself. The Battle at Bunker

Washington was aware that he and the militia’s needed the artillery to be successful. Many people thought the 300 mile journey was impossible and that the crew and leader would surely die. Washington decided to choose one of his own, Major General Henry Knox, to do the job. Knox and his crew “...traveled 300 miles in the dead of winter to transport over 120,000 pounds of artillery including 59 mortars and cannons, a large supply of gunpowder, and numerous weapons…“ (Strum, 33) that would help the militia defeat the British. So Knox was assigned to move artillery when the funny thing is that Knox actually focused on artillery, “...with a focus on artillery.” (American Revolution: Major General Knox). Knox once said on his journey, “... It is not easy [to] conceive the difficulties we have had in getting them [the artillery] over the lake owing to the advanced season of the year and contrary winds,

“At the time of our entry into World War I America was ill prepared for large scale warfare with large movements of whole Armies. The U.S. Army was not prepared with its Artillery and had no heavy artillery guns to speak of” (Hartwell, 2017). During World War I, the Coast Artillery Corps was subject to rapid changes and unit realignments. This signified the beginning of a seamless transition to what would eventually give birth to Air Defense Artillery. The French and British had provided the United States Army with its initial Artillery weapons resulting in no American Artillery brought to the front. Production quickly started on American versions of their foreign Artillery counterparts currently used in action. The American 8

The deployment of Field Artillery has been the deciding factor in almost every major conflict since the inception of Field Artillery. The Battle of Pea Ridge is no different. This conflict serves as a perfect example of how the proper use of terrain and well-placed artillery can alter the course of battle. Despite overwhelming opposition, the Union Army was not only able to stop the advancement of enemy troops but forced their retreat.

The Union army, unlike the Confederates, had multiple companies that provided simple, yet devastating weapons. One of these weapons was the .52 caliber breech-loading Billinghurst-Requa battery; it was produced only 50 times. This weapon consisted of 25 rifled barrels side by side that, when primed, were set off by a lanyard to inflict massive damage over a small range of territory.7

The Battle of Gettysburg has been known to many as the decisive turning point of the Civil War. The battle itself was a Union victory that forced the Confederacy into a defensive posture which ended General Lee’s most ambitious attempt to invade Union Territory (Gettysburg Foundation, 2017). The Battle of Gettysburg alone consisted of 67 Battery’s in which totaled 362 guns making it the largest artillery attack in United States history. This battle was a historical landmark for the field artillery, as it established the field artillery as an effective firing weapon system and paved the way for more accurate fires (Herhily, 1931).

Robert Anderson led the force of U.S. soldiers at Ft. Sumter. Anderson couldn’t use his powerful cannons to fire back at the Confederate attack. The cannons were in open space above the fort, where lots of the gunners had no

The American Civil War was a turning point in American history. Not only for the United States government and shifts into more progressive values, but also the advancement of military weaponry used in the armed forces. Perhaps the most progressed branch during this time was the field artillery. The field artillery of the well-funded Union army was not accomplishing the extensive damage that was expected of it but under the faith of Union Captain Quincy A. Gillmore (Lane, 2001), the 30 pound Parrot Rifled Cannon was deployed specifically for use against the impenetrable walls of Fort Pulaski. For the Union army, the capture of Fort Pulaski was an important battle that utilized the technological advancements of rifling of field artillery cannons in order to render the stone walls of the fort indefensible.

In today’s digital age, development of new technology and weapons are at an alarming rate, hence arises the need to stay ahead of advancements in order to properly defend the nation, as well as coalition forces and allies. In this period of warfare, the number one threat comes in the form of air breathing and ballistic missiles. During World War II, this threat was present, but was not thought to be prevalent.

One of the largest casualty producing battles in American history was the Battle of Gettysburg, and it was largely attributed to the artillery. Due to effective leadership, advanced tactics superior fires, the Union Army was able to influence the tide of the battle. The Artillery used during the Battle of Gettysburg was essential to the Union forces’ victory.