page_title: 17th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion
section_title: Nukefetau and Tarawa
hierarchical_section_title: 17th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion / History / Nukefetau and Tarawa
caption_attribution_description: English: 40mm antiaircraft gun from the United States Marine Corps' 2d Airdrome Battalion defending the LST offload at Nukufetau on August 28, 1943.
context_page_description: The 17th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion was an antiaircraft unit in the United States Marine Corps that served during World War II. The battalion was originally formed in 1942 as the 2d Airdrome Battalion and has the distinction of being the last defense battalion formed in the Marine Corps during the war. Its original mission was to provide air and coastal defense for advanced naval bases. During the war the battalion spent significant time defending Nukufetau and took part in combat operations at Tarawa and Tinian. The battalion was decommissioned on December 6, 1945.
context_section_description: After a short layover in Funafuti, the 2d Airdrome Battalion arrived at Nukufetau on August 25, 1943 along with the first elements of the Navy's 16th Naval Construction Battalion.  Nukufetau was a small atoll 75 miles northwest of the airfield that had been established on Funafuti.  The battalion was responsible for air defense of the area while the Seabees constructed Nukufetau Airfield.  The airfield was opened on October 6, 1943.
  Half of the 2d Airdrome Battalion was detached from duty on Nukufetau and sailed for Tarawa.  The detachment went ashore four days after the 2nd Marine Division assaulted the beaches.  The remainder of the battalion departed Nukufetau in March 1944 after being relieved by elements of the 51st Defense Battalion.  The 2d Airdrome Battalion sailed for Hawaii landing at Nawiliwili Harbor on March 21, 1944.
caption: 40mm antiaircraft gun from the 2d Airdrome Battalion on the beach at Nukufetau guarding the offload of an LST on August 28, 1943.
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