World War I: The Role Of Coastal Artillery In Naval Warfare

For A long time it was a known factor that one shore-based gun equaled three naval guns of the same caliber, due to the steadiness of the coastal gun which allowed for significantly higher accuracy than those on naval ships due to them being. Land-based guns also benefited in most cases from the additional protection of walls or earth mounds. Coastal artillery is an age old force that has survived and evolved to this present day. Coastal artillery is the use of weapons and maneuvers to defend the coast. This has been a very important use in combat for centuries. The role of coastal Artillery in defending nations against naval attacks and Air attacks decreased drastically due to the uses of guided missiles and Jet aircraft however the use of surface to ship missiles provided to an adequate upgrade in protecting coastlines. But the use of jets in a way made Coastal artilleries obsolete. Up until War II era the only way an attack could hit a nation was by way of ship.

However looking further back, one of the first known uses of coastal artillery was noted during the war between Ferdinand I of Portugal and Henry II of Castile Portuguese troops used cannons to defend the coast Lisbon against the Castilian navy.

Coastal artillery has played a vital part in defending against naval invasions in about every war fought since the Middle Ages. In the United States Army the Coastal Artillery Corps came alive during World War I when in 1901 the US Army Artillery was created and divided into two divisions, 126 Companies of Heavy Artillery and 30 Companies of Light Field Artillery. It was used to protect foreign coastal lines and our own. A large number of the deaths in world war one were attributed the weapons used in the battles on the coast. Nearly 80 percent of soldiers lost their lives from the use of Coastal

Artillery.
The United States has a rich history of uses of Coastal artillery When the United States in 1783, the Coast Artillery defense fortifications were in poor condition. Concerned by the outbreak of war in Europe in Congress constructed a unit of Artillerists and Engineers to design, build, and garrison forts. Congress designated a group of scholars to study coast defense needs, and issued funds to create a number of Coastal Artillery fortifications that would become known as the First System. There would be two more additions to the system leading up to the great civil war which was a war heavily fought up and down the east coast. Despite all the research and money funded into the systems to protect the coast during the civil war several forts were still destroyed by cannon fire. Coastal Artillery over time has always had to be an evolving force as technology and weapons evolve the defense systems also have to get stronger. The uses of coastal artillery continued to flourish. The technological ever changing has caused the Coastal artillery to continue to evolve. The Air Defense Artillery is a major branch of the United States army in not only defending coast but key assets from air and missile attacks. The principles and weaponry of coastal artillery has in my mind no doubt paved the way for new weapon systems and tactics that are used in the branch I currently serve in, known as the Air Defense Artillery.