Red Cliff, NF

The mission of this squadron during this period remained basically the same as during the previous months, i.e. ADCC, Air Surveillance, Navigational Aid, and aid to Air Sea Rescue. Inasmuch as no fighter aircraft have been made available for intercept purposes, emphasis was placed on Air Surveillance.

Operations Section:

Air Surveillance – The number of tracks detected has fallen off sharply due to long periods of poor flying weather. Detection capability with primary radar has remained excellent although operational time for search radar has decreased due to no operational back-up search radar. A detection capability record has been put into effect which provides examples of station detection capability. To date, effective detection had been from 54% to above 100%. Electronic equipment was peaked and poor detection record was due to weather attenuation and scope operator skill. Two PPI scopes are always manned yet some targets are not detected due to heavy weather return on scopes. MTI has not always aided in detection through weather.

Movements & Identification – The percentage of unknown tracks as compared to total tracks has remained constant. No flight plans are received on New York Oceanic flights which always remain unknown.

Interceptor Action – Scrambles on unknown tracks percent-wise is very low because of the poor flying weather which has closed all recovery bases and sometimes the primary or home base for long periods of time. In addition, the scramble minimums have been raised. Many targets continue to be out of range as well as the control center not scrambling in an effort to conserve aircraft. Director skill and capability has increased considerably during the last two months because new Directors are gaining skill and confidence.

Personnel – Critical personnel shortages in skill as well as numbers exist both in Radar Maintenance and Operations. At present, Radar Maintenance personnel are working twelve hour shifts. One Operations team does not have a Non-Commissioned Officer. Many skilled AC&W operators are due for rotation in the next two or three months.

Radar Maintenance – The Early Warning radar has been out of commission most of the time since acceptance. Numerous troubles have been encountered. With a shortage of personnel existing in Radar Maintenance, the requirement to operate or maintain the L-Site has greatly interfered with maintenance and efficiency on equipment at the P-Site. For the past month and a half, no electronic equipment at the L-Site has been operational. The back-up height is in the process of being turned in.

Communications – VHF and UHF Air to Ground communications have been excellent except for one eighteen hour period when the transmitters were off because of a power failure. On site back-up UHF and VHF proved to be an important factor in maintaining 24 hour Air to Ground communications. Point to point communications are excellent except for the non-existence of a landline to the adjacent ADDC.

Communications:

Wire Maintenance – During the reporting period, several extensions of internal communications within the Operations room were made. The B scan scopes numbers 1, 2, and 3, located in the target simulator room have been patched in directly to scopes 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Control unit for AN/TRC-11A was installed to facilitate ease of operation by the Controller in channel selection. The Controller can now operate by the radio link back-up to the tail cable between the receiver and three keying lines from the transmitter site. These are controlled from scopes number 7 and 8. One line to the transmitter site will eventually be tied into ADCC for radio teletype for the purpose of passing plots directly to ADCC. Other minor adjustments and repairs, and relocations of telephone equipment has been accomplished during this period. Loudspeaker system AN/TPW-3 has been reinstalled. There are four speakers in the Squadron area. The control panel and amplifier are located in the switchboard room. This will be used primarily as a fire alarm system.

Radio Maintenance – On 30 November 1954, Mast AD 175 collapsed due to high winds and heavy ice. This tower supported one UHF and one VHF antenna. On 8 December 1954, a fifty foot pole was erected and one UHF antenna mounted. Since our radio mechanics are TDY to 64^th Air Division (Defense), our back-up radio consisting of one AN/FRT-502 VHF set and one AN/GRC-27 UHF is maintained by ADCC communications section. Primary air to ground radio communications operated for this site for the communications section ADCC has been satisfactory.

Radio Operations – Sound proofing of the radio monitor room with acoustic tile was completed early in December. This has noticeably sharpened the re-vibrations within the room. On 15 November 1954, Net 54 consisting of Harmon (ADCC), Crystal and Examine was called operational. The net is used to back-up landline communications. This net is also used as the primary scramble line from Examine to Enrage and for passing plots. This net is monitored on a twenty-four hour basis. Connections at this site enable the Controller, ID Section, plotters and air to ground radio operators to also use this net. Net 60, a lot frequency net between Examine and Grandpa was tested on 27 December 1954. Results of this test were satisfactory, however, this net is not to be used until directed by higher headquarters.

Message Center Operations – On 12 November 1954, the crypto system was installed in the message center. The message center, therefore, has become a restricted area, and the door is locked at all times. On 12 October, a facsimile machine was installed in the message center. At this time the station receives weather maps daily from Torbay and from Combat Operations Center forecast center. One weather machine was moved into the Operations room. This circuit has the delivery time of all weather reports. Teletype weather circuits between Examine, Torbay and Crystal became operational on 23 December. Hourly weather sequence will be transmitted by Examine to Crystal.

Cryptograhic Operations – On 30 November 1954 the crypto account was changed to a special account. The balance of this detail was not legible enough to be added to this report.

Radar Maintenance:

Personnel – This detail was not legible enough to be added to this report.

Maintenance "L" Site – The first three paragraphs of the L Site maintenance detail were not legible enough to be added to this report.

On 30 November, the pulse transformer heated up and caught fire but was put out quickly. Damage to the transformer was serious. Parts were not available to repair this unit and as a result, the net was inoperative for the month of December.

The AN/MPS-4 height radar has been inoperative during this period because of bad waveguides, rotary couplings, and slip rings. Because of the installation of a new height set, replacement parts were not installed.

Maintenance "P" Site – On 9 October, this section was confronted with the problem of changing the azimuth drive assembly because of the main bearing. This task was accomplished in approximately seven (7) days. This project could not have been accomplished with such ease without the assistance of the Marconi Technical representative, Mr. Jack Lewis.

The EW kit was installed at this site starting on 5 November and was completed on 27 November.

On 9, 10, and 11 November, the oil seal on the azimuth drive assembly was changed because of excessive leakage. During this time, it was noted that the bearing needle on the 9.5 RPM clutch was broken and it was replaced with a new needle.

On 1 December the EW kit was placed on breakdown because of excessive icing. Since that time, the EW kit has been on breakdown for numerous reasons. The following is a list of trouble since that time:

All of the above troubles were eliminated but EW is still not operational.

Antenna rotational trouble was again encountered on 4 December. There was no rotation and it was found that the amplitude exciter was over lubricated. After disassembling the exciter and cleaning it thoroughly, it was reassembled and operation was attempted. The antenna still did not rotate. It was continued with the needed assistance of Mr. Bill Lees, Marconi Technical Representative, that there was no residual magnetism in the Armature of the exciter. After replenishing the supply of residual magnetism, it was still necessary to replace T-1705. Antenna rotation was normal until 22 December when it was unserviceable to stop the arcing on the brushes of the amplidyne due to the poorly fitted armature. The amplidyne was changed at this time and also a speed control tachometer because it was saturated with oil.

On 7 November the AN/TPS-502 was installed. Up to this date, there was no major difficulty encountered.

Since the installation of the AN/TPS-502, it has been necessary to make a change in the emergency power for the radomes. This was necessary because the PU-32 that was previously used could not take the load of both radome pressurizing systems. Buda diesel was installed, in place of the PU-32. There has been no major difficulty with either pressuring system during this period.

The balance of this report (approximately three and a half pages) is not available – due to poor quality reproduction of the detail.