Resolution Island, NWT

1958 – Historical Report – USAF Historical Division

A
History
of the
920^th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron
N-30

1 July 1958 - 30 September 1958

Prepared for the Historical Office
64^th Air Division (Defense)

Gary P Reese, 1st Lt., USAF, Historical Officer
Kenneth O Woodruff, Captain, USAF, Commander

Mission
of the
920^th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron

Primary Mission

The primary mission of the 920^th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron is to provide surveillance of assigned area of responsibility.

Secondary Mission

The secondary mission of the 920^th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron is to provide navigational assistance for friendly aircraft lost or in distress within the squadron’s radar communications coverage.

Chapter I
Personnel & Administration

Personnel and Administration

Personnel strength of the squadron remained almost static during the period 1 July through 30 September 1958. Officer gains and losses cancelled each other with eight (8) in each category. During this same period, twenty-seven (27) airmen were lost and fourteen (14) gained by the unit. The turnover of eight officers constituted over 70% of the officer strength and created a considerable administrative problem throughout all sections of the site. This was a result of there not being sufficient experienced personnel presently to adequately brief the incoming officers on procedures and SOP’s. This situation could be avoided in the future by staggering the rotation dates of key personnel to insure that an excessive number of them do not rotate at the same time.

The unit manning strength of the organization as of the first day of each month is shown in the table below:

	Officer Strength	Airmen Strength	Total
July	10	124	134
August	6	117	123
September	7	117	124

The following figures represent the officers and airmen present for duty as of the last day of each month of the reporting period.

	Officer Strength	Airmen Strength	Total
July	7	118	125
August	7	117	124
September	9	107	116

Thus, on an average overall basis for this reporting period, the squadron had an average of 7.7 officers and 116.6 airmen. The average total assigned personnel in the squadron was 124.3.

During the month of July the squadron support aircraft (a De Havilland Otter) was able to make frequent trips between Frobisher Bay and Resolution Island, and the materiel backlog was therefore kept at a low level. August, however, brought heavy fog with it, and the local area stayed below Visual Flight Rules minimums for almost the entire thirty-one days. As a result, only one flight was made during that time. weather conditions improved during September bringing the number of flights back to an acceptable level.

The following is a summary of the flights made during each of the three months and the payload carried:

	# of Flights	Payload In	Payload Out
July	14	15,040 lbs., 26 pax	6,254 lbs., 47 pax
August	1	600 lbs., 5 pax	588 lbs., 5 pax
September	15	17,653 lbs., 41 pax	5,102 lbs., 32 pax

Chapter II
Operations and Communications

A considerable change in personnel took place in Operations during this reporting period. Captain Melvin G West, 1^st Lt. Robert Laird and 1^st Lt. Jacob Gottfried rotated pending EDCSA, and 1^st Lt. Gary P Reese, 1^st Lt. John R Leyon, and 1^st Lt. William A Mossner joined the section. Operations is presently working on a three-crew, eight hour shift system with the shifts changing every month.

The 15-J-1C was operational for the entire three-month period, with the exception of the interval when it was overhauled by the team from the Canadian Marconi Company. During the period it was operational, it was used advantageously as a surveillance trainer. It was also used for forty-nine (49) synthetic intercepts which were run during this period.

During the month of July, four hundred and four (404) aircraft were directed by the surveillance section, three hundred and eighty-one (381) were directed in August, and three hundred and seventy (370) were directed in September, for a total of one thousand, one hundred and fifty-five (1,155) for the three month period.

Attention was shown to ECM training by utilization of the following procedures:

Month	Source	Type Training	Time
July	4713^th REV Sq., Griffis AFB, NY	Actual ECM	2 hours 15 min
August	D/F Jamming	Lecture	40 min
August	Electronic Warfare (film)	N/A	40 min
August	4713^th REV Sq., Griffis AFB, NY	Actual ECM	2 hours, 15 min
September	Exercise "Sneaky Pete" 42^nd Bomb Wg.	Actual ECM	2 hours, 29 min
September	NORADR 101-1 and 64^th ADD SUP-1	Lecture	10 min
September	Revised NORADM 55-1	Lecture	30 min

Communications

An AACS installation team arrived at Resolution Island in September to complete the installation of a one hundred (100) foot antenna for the low frequency homing beacon. The antenna was to be erected in ten-foot sections; however the lack of proper equipment for this undertaking severely hampered the implementation of this procedure. Several alternate methods of erection were attempted, and on the third attempt, with forty feet on antenna erected, the base section slipped, causing two of the other sections to buckle and thereby making it impossible to complete the job. A makeshift antenna is now being used for the homing beacon with adequate results.

Communications maintenance was of a routine nature. A project of modification checks has been initiated on radio equipment. Two AS-5003/U VHF antennas were repaired in July and the cable connections on the AS-5005/6R UHF antennas were checked and tightened. The HF Net 45 transmission line was also repaired at this time and several spreader insulators were replaced.

In the wire section, all outside [phone lines were checked during this quarter for routing and condition. Necessary repairs and rerouting were accomplished to insure proper operation during the winter months. All major components of the station’s wire plant and associated equipment were cleaned and overhauled by the Marconi overhaul team during September.

Personnel-wise, Captain Herbert Pank and M/Sgt. Roy L Baker rotated to the ZI. Captain Kenneth O Woodruff arrived in September to assume the duties of Communications and Electronics Officer.

Chapter III
Materiel, Maintenance and Supply

Maintenance activities were of a routine nature during this three-month reporting period. The most significant happening was the arrival of the Canadian Marconi overhaul team in the month of September. The three main pieces of radar gear, the AN/FPS-3, the AN/TPS-502, and the AN/FPS-502, were all completely overhauled by this team. This work was completed on 13 September. Some of their work was also devoted to overhaul of communications gear and to the erection of a temporary antenna for the station high frequency homing beacon. The radar antenna was also painted during August by the Marconi Company.

In the area of routine maintenance, seven hours and ten minutes of radar time was lost due to a defective magnetron in the lower beam transmitter. The magnetron was replaced and the malfunction rectified. The coupling pins to the antenna drive motor in the AN/FPS-502 sheared off twice during the month of August and had to be replaced. The AN/TPS-502 required thirty-three hours, 58 minutes of emergency maintenance because of transmitter and antenna trouble. The transmitter malfunction was caused by a faulty thermal switch and a defective magnetron.

In the IEO section, work progressed slowly on the Ric-Wil line due to delays in the arrival of needed repair material. However, no power outages were experienced, and water was pumped as required. The transformer control thermostat unit had been in critical condition, but necessary repairs on the unit have been completed.

The Colonial Construction Company commenced work on the caulking of the exterior of the site buildings during this period and also worked on storm doors and vestibules, roof repairs, and the installation of storm sashes.

Repairs to #1 POL Pump House were completed during the reporting period. Both pumps were raised and the manifolding adjusted to fit the new installation. Flexible pipe couplings will be installed between the pumps and the adjacent piping to absorb vibration.

In August, the Mobile Maintenance Team completed repairs and installations on the following projects:

1	Defrosting water drain pipe in deep freeze.
2	New POL line to the transmitter building completed.
3	New vehicle diesel fill stand completed.
4	Cleaning of the septic tank was accomplished.
5	Corridor panels were temporarily nailed.
6	Steam traps checked along sewer line.
7	Repairs done to beach warehouse.
8	Porch railings repaired.

IEO has had no carpenter for approximately three months as the civilian carpenter position was dropped from the latest Unit Manning Document.

In the Power Plant, two operator positions are vacant. The plant recently put a Le Roi compressor into operation. This diesel-powered unit had been contractor-abandoned at the lower camp.

The Motor Pool lists three construction equipment operator vacancies, but anticipates the arrival of the needed personnel in the near future. Three new weapons carriers, two Weasels, two 6x6 trucks, and two bulldozers have recently been received by this section.

Supply

Supply underwent a considerable personnel change during the month of August. 2^nd Lt. Robert G Stein replaced 2^nd Lt. Jon G Worms as Supply Officer, and M/Sgt. Ralph J Bolsinger assumed duties as NCOIC of the section. Several other personnel began duty in Supply at this time. The Inspector General’s Office, 64^th Air Division (Defense) had inspected the Supply Section from 9 July to 14 July and noted no major discrepancies. However, upon taking the supply account, Lt. Stein deemed it to be in unsatisfactory condition and instituted the following measures to remedy this situation:

1	Re-initiating accountability of arctic clothing.
2	Revamping the 1120 and 84B record cards.
3	Re-establishment of salvage procedures.
4	Review of the UAL, T/A, T/O, and ECL.
5	Establishment of the Unit Supply’s SOP’s.
6	Bringing publications up to date.
7	Establishment of reparable section of Unit Supply.

On July 16, Resolution received approximately 35% of the SUNEC supply requirements on the freighter Wang Pioneer supported by the LSD Lindenwald. On 26 July, the Chatahoochee off-loaded 17,000 barrels of diesel fuel. The USNS Magga Don off-loaded forty-three tons of perishables on 26 August. Mail, four hundred tons of contractor equipment, and several passengers were also received on this shipment. One hundred and twenty tons of equipment were received from the Rock Springs Victory on September 22, including BX supplies, general cargo, and subsistence. The arrival of this vessel provided the opportunity for the shipping out of seventy thousand (70,000) pounds of retrograde property, including:

1	One 2 ½ ton dump truck
2	One M29 Weasel
3	One Jeep
4	Two trucks, cargo, ¾ ton

Two tractors were received on 28 September on the Crain, but were in inoperative condition due to shortages of major components of the accessory train. These components have been put on emergency requisition.