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MURDER POINT

22 JUN 1949 - 10 JUL 1961

Station Information

Site Survey: 1947
 
Construction Date 07 MAR 1948 - 01 NOV 1948
Ground broken 07 NOV 1948
Construction completed 01 NOV 1948 - placed in caretaker status until until JUN 1949 upon completin of ADAK and CAPE SARICHEF sites.

Constructed by: Drake Puget Sound Co. under U.S. Navy contract NOY 13913*
*U.S. Navy Contract NOY 13913 was to construct the three loran stations. (Attu, Adak and Cape Sarichef)
 
Established:
Commissioned:


01 NOV 1948 - in caretaker status
 
Decommissioned:
Disestablished:
JUL 1961
10 JUL 1961
 
Operated by: USCG

Station code name:

Station Unit Identifier: 1948 - 13-565

Station mail address: 1948 - CG Loran Station Station, Murder Point, Attu, Alask
1960 - CG LTS, Box 46, Navy 230, Seattle, WA

Station AKA:

Personnel Allowance: NOV 1948 - 4 Enlisted - caretaker status
JUN 1949 - 1 Officer; 14 Enlisted
JAN 1953 - 1 Officer; 13 Enlisted

Mascot: 1949 - Miss Gilda
Station events:

01 JAN 1949 - NATS discontinued flights to Attu. The cause an impact of delivery of mail and freight.

1953 - A crew member died as a result of slipped on the ice and the station truck ran over him. Because of inclement weather the Navy could not respond (fly) in time.

1953 - CS2 on last Navy PBY to Attu. On the return trip back to Adak, the Navy PBY did not make it back.

1953 - CO departed island after 10 months without saying goodby or anything. Was angry that the CG sent him to such a place.

JUL 1953 - A Japanese ship arrived to exhume and cremate their war dead. It was a flawed idea from the start. They didn't take into account that the bodies buried on the mountain didn't have enough time to decompose.

DEC 1957 - USAF dropped two Christmas trees for the station - the dogs ate them before crew could retrieve them. Dave Riley

1957-58 Spring 1958 - Seabees secured Navy Town - Dave Riley

1957-58 - Russian MIG made low level pass on station on a couple Sundays - made folks down chain up-tight. Dave Riley
Commanding Officers /
 Officers in Charge
1948 - 1949 MoMM1/c Edward F. Clements (01 NOV - 23 JUN) caretaker
1949 - 1949 ENS David Jenkins (23 JUN - ?)
1949 - 1950 LTJG Alvin J. Boxwell (? – JUL 28)
1950 - 1951 LTJG Robert S. Hall (28 JUL – 22 JUL)
1951 - 1952 LTJG Stuart T. Scharfenstein 22 JUL – 1 AUG)
1952 - 1953 LTJG Richard J. Mayer (1 AUG – JUN)
1953 - 1954 LTJG Daniel L. Muir (JUN – 10 JUN)
1954 - 1955 LTJG Adrian L. Lonsdale (10 JUN – 31 MAY)
1955 - 1956 LTJG John F. Ellis (31 MAY – 31 MAY)
1956 - 1957 LTJG Gordon R.Campbell (31 MAY – 20 MAY)
1957 - 1958 LTJG William C. Boinest (20 MAY – 27 MAY)
1958 - 1959 LTJG Richard N. Abrahams (27 MAY – 27 MAY)
1959 - 1960 LTJG Robert J. Ketchel (27 MAY – 10 JUN)
1960 - 1961 LTJG Paul D. Henneberry (10 JUN - 10 JUL)
 

Change of Command:

28 JUL 1950 - LTJG Boxwell / ENS Hall - pdf

10 JUN 1960 - LT Ketchel / LTJG Henneberry - pdf

Station Operations

LORAN-A

52 48 29.369 N - 173 09 43.441 E (09 SEP 1948 Plot Plan)
52 48 29.37 N - 173 09 43.14 E (USCG Ltr 1951)
Google Earth: 52 48 29.369 N - 173 09 43.411 E

Chain: ALEUTIAN
 
Station Letter designation: 1L7 "L"
 
Radio Call Sign:
 
Declared Operational date: 22 JUN 1949
 
Operations Ceased: 101000Z JUL 1961
 
Station Operation: Single SLAVE (SS)
 

Station pair:
Loran Rate:
Coding Delay:
Baseline:

ATTU (S) - ADAK (M)
1L7
1000 us
Approx. 380 Nautical miles

On-air testing date:


On-Air: 1L7 - 222200Z JUN 1949
 
Off-Air 1L7 - 101000Z JUL 1961
 
Equipment: 1948 - UE-1 Timers s/n 30 & 31; TDP-1 Transmitters s/n 52 & 53; UM Switching Unit s/n 12; Coupler CG-47368
 
Antenna Type: Cage "T"

Awards:

U.S. Coast Guard Restricted Duty Ribbon

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Documets:

1948 - Staffing and Caretaker correspondence - pdf

09 NOV 1948 - Historical New Building Description - pdf

08 DEC 1948 - Plot Plan - pdf

14 JAN 1948 - Plot Plan - pdf

240955Z JUN 49 - Operations transferred to Murder Point - pdf

19 JUL 1956 - Overseas Loran Station Survey - pdf

Pictures:

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U. S. Coast Guard Official Photos

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Contributor Dave Riley c./1957

Thanks Dave!

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