Hopedale, Labrador

923^rd AC&W Squadron, Hopedale
APO 677, NY. NY

Joseph E Leadingham, Major, USAF

AN/FPS-3C; AN/TPS-502; AN/FPS-502; AN/FPS-14.

With the opening of the year 1959, operationally the 923^rd AC&W Squadron was functioning smoothly. Three operational crews were responsible to individual crew directors, each charged with the training and efficiency of the respective crews. Sector Control Station 200 of the Mid-Canada line had its own separate crew of four persons supervised by a director. The need for increased manpower allocation, however, was still outstanding as evidenced by a requirement letter submitted to 4732^nd Air Defense Group during the last quarter of the year 1958.

In the C&E Maintenance field, the primary search radar seemed to function well but the presence of numerous minor problems required more than normal preventative maintenance. For instance Radar Maintenance personnel were continually plagued by the malfunction of ATR tubes, 1B27’s, recommended by B.02 were substituted for BL25’s but their average life was only 36 hours, considerably less than expected. 6322 ruggedized BL25 were employed during the month of January to further explore the abnormal usage of ATR’s. The problem was contributed to a defect batch of BL25 tubes.

On 14 January, Detachment One’s FPS-14 was off the air 3 hours and 21 minutes before the set was returned to normal. This condition was traceable to the lack of an FPS-14 Mixer Stage on order through Supply at Goose AB since March 1958. FPS-14 operation was continued with Xtal Mixer discontinued, leaving only one channel operating at peak performance. The 1958 order for the needed part was cancelled and reordered under a 1959 control number.

During January maximum effort resulted in repairing of broken cables to the receiver site. The wire maintenance section, however, still lacked an outside wireman, although one was programmed for March.

January’s severe weather condition for the first half of the month rendered site roads virtually impassable to transmitter, receiver and docksite locations. This serious transportation problem caused a lack of water at some locations for more than a week.

On the brighter side, snow removal efforts during the last two weeks of January opened all roads. A series of twenty foot snow banks were removed allowing for a more pleasant and better efficiency prospect for ensuing severe weather conditions.

As the 923^rd moved through the month of February, more problems were encountered. In the field of C&E maintenance, the antenna control unit proved faulty from 10 February through 16 February. Impetus for antenna rotation could be accomplished only by manual manipulation. This trouble was traced to a faulty spring in the antenna control box. With the replacement of the spring the problem of faulty operation was resolved.

Radio maintenance experienced approximately 43 hours of down time on various channels, all caused by electronic and mechanical difficulties. Thirty-eight hours of this time was spent in emergency maintenance. In turn, 25 hours of emergency time was devoted to relays K-1404 and 1405, and power transformer in MD-129. An intermittent short seemed to be the root of the trouble and this was difficult to track down. Replacement of the power transformer with a substitute from Unit Supply and shorting of bias relay K-1405 resulted in making the unit operational. Correct replacement transformer has been ordered through Supply.

Additional trouble in February was encountered by rough running, and battery failure of the emergency power unit. Defects were repaired and the power unit shed housing altered to buffet blowing snow. Continual high winds, however, still drove snow into the enclosure. Ground power personnel, therefore, were instructed to visit the site for run-ups and equipment checks. The power unit then gave satisfactory service but an overhaul is in order.

During the month of February, lock type window view boxes were installed in the mail room, contributing to speed-up and general efficiency of mail delivery, in addition to supplying mail check any time of the day particularly for shift personnel. The old type mail boxes were installed at the RX site for tube and spare parts storage until more suitable racks could be installed contingent of material availability.

A February innovation in teletype operations resulted in saved time, man hours and better utilization of personnel. Under a previous procedure, an operations operator using head phones, transcribed plots from the telling position to plastic cards. These cards were handed to the teletype operator who cut the message tape for each plot. The procedure now in effect eliminates the middle man. Now the teletype operator wears the head phones with a "mike" connected to the operations teller. The result is a considerable saving of the time and effort plus the relief of a radar operator to other duties.

As time marched into March it became more evident that, while the 923^rd was near authorized strength, operationally the 923^rd was nevertheless handicapped. Only 3 operations crews could be manned. The situation was complicated by the fact that Mid-Canada Line operations, although manned by the 923^rd, was not provided for in the Unit Manning Document. A 25 February message to the 64^th Air Division requested a change in the UMD. Meanwhile, the three operations crews worked a daily shift of eight hours per day per man, seven days a week.

Such crew strength has not enabled crews to be maximum manned for STM’s or live exercises without augmentation from other crews – crews just coming off duty or crews shortly to go on duty. This arrangement provides 66 hours duty per week which had a discernible effect on morale and a deleterious effect on morale.

To alleviate a harmful situation, a one-man-a-day-off plan was put into effect until all crew members had a day off. Then, the day off rotation was repeated. The plan was well received and noticeably improved morale. While this reflects on the positive side of the ledger, the solution to an ideal situation can be achieved only by a four crew schedule, since when a crew must augment, an additional man must be called.

Another operational handicap revolved around the operations room plan which does not even remotely resemble a standard operations plan. Mid-Canada operations precluded compliance with a standard operations room plan but it could be approached. Plans and requests were submitted for modifications and there have been some small local accomplishments to remedy a bad situation.

An important bad feature is the lack of a monitor position or the equipment to establish such. The 923^rd Squadron does not have the means to fashion a monitor position locally. Equipment was requested but at the close of the first quarter a highly unsatisfactory noise level existed in the operations room. The situation remained untenable and unsolveable.

Personnel-wise, the 923^rd operations activity went under a major change in March as Captain Paul Creasman, Operations Officer rotated to the ZI and was replaced by Major James R Larkins.

During the month of March for a ten day period, observers from the 64^th Air Division conducted an Operational Readiness Inspection. Crew directors were observed, evaluated and tested according to skill level, resulting in the upgrading of one director to the Skilled rating. The 923^rd participated in three division-wide exercises during the period, earning an above average rating for operational effectiveness and control capabilities.

An unfortunate occurrence took place during the period 22-25 March when the fuel line system froze during a visitation of extremely severe weather. Heavy snows prevented minute inspection, but the ingenuity of S/Sgt. George W Mowers solved the problem. The Sergeant devised a system of feeding live steam through discarded fire hoses along the pipeline, melting the snow at intervals along the route, thus enabling location of the trouble and its subsequent correction.

As the first quarter of 1959 drew to a close, personnel morale received a tremendous lift with the inauguration of a long distance collect telephone call system to the ZI. The plan, approved by the 64^th Air Division, provided for after duty hours phone calls of a personal nature through Goose AB. As an indication of general personnel acceptance 98 calls were logged.

Joseph E Leadingham, Major, USAF