Marine Defense Battalions were United States Marine Corps battalions charged with coastal and air defense of advanced naval bases during World War II. They maintained large anti-ship guns, anti-aircraft guns, searchlights, and small arms to repel landing forces.
155 mm Long Tom gun "Scorpion" of the 4th Marine Defense Battalion at Barakoma Airfield on Vella Lavella in the South Pacific.
Japanese Imperial Army Captain Sakee Oba surrenders his Samurai sword to Lieutenant Colonel Howard G. Kurgis, USMC, at Saipan, Mariana Islands on Saturday morning, December 1, 1945.
3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control and air defense unit that is optimized for operations in the first island chain. The battalion is based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii and falls under the command of the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment and the 3rd Marine Division.
An MIM-23 Hawk missile is fired by the 3rd Light Anti-aircraft Missile Battalion during a training exercise at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina