20th Coast Artillery (United States)


The 20th Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery regiment in the United States Army. It was the garrison of the Harbor Defenses of Galveston in World War II, with Battery C deployed to Tongatapu, Tonga March-August 1942. Until the 20th CA was fully activated in April 1942, HD Galveston was also garrisoned by the 265th Coast Artillery Regiment and elements of the 50th Coast Artillery Regiment. The 20th CA Regiment was active from August 1940 until broken up and partly deactivated in August 1944 as part of an Army-wide reorganization.

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Constituted and organized in October 1918 as the 20th Artillery at Fort Crockett, Texas, but demobilized in November 1918. This was one of a number of Coast Artillery regiments mobilized to operate heavy and railway artillery on the Western Front in World War I, but the Armistice resulted in the dissolution of the 20th.

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Constituted in the Regular Army 1 February 1940 as the 20th Coast Artillery , activated 1 August 1940 at Fort Crockett by reorganizing caretaker Battery G, 13th Coast Artillery as HHB, 20th Coast Artillery. Battery A also activated same date.