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KWAJALEIN

1951 - 1977

Station Information

Site Survey: 1950
 
Construction Date: 1950: Naval Contract NOY-13950
JUL - 07 DEC 1954: Station rebuilt
1967: Station rehabilitation completed on July 7th.
 
Constructed by: Fall 1950: Bryne Company
15 OCT 1950: Mid-Pacific Contractors completed construction 12 December 1950
 
Established:
Commissioned:
16 OCT 1950 - pre-commission status
FEB 1951
Decommissioned:
Disestablished:

31 DEC 1977

Operated by:

USCG

Project code name:



Unit Identifier:

1950: 14-350555
1965: 14-40159

Mail address: 1956: LTS, Navy 824, Box 21, FPO, San Francisco, CA
1965: Box 1, San Francisco, CA 96355
 
AKA:

EBEYE

HAM Call Sign:

KX6AA

Personnel Allowance: 1953: 1 Officer; 12 Enlisted
1965: 1 Officer; 12 Enlisted; 2 civilians
1975: 1 Officer; 12 Enlisted; 2 civilians

Station Mascot: 1966: Bruno; Benjo; Halfshot (all dogs)
1968: Bruno; Bridgett; pups Monkey & Banana
1975: Monkey; Ethel (dogs)
Station events: 08 OCT 1950: 9 Enlisted reported aboard

01 MAR 1951: Operations transferred from KWADACK

MAR 1953: Hydrogen bomb test - station personnel participated

01 OCT 1957: MOD 3 (semi-automatic) commenced

1967: Name changed from KWAJALEIN ATOLL to KWANJALEIN

05 JUN 1970: Ebeye Power Plant provided commercial power

AUG 1971: Station upgraded with air conditioning

Commanding Officers: 1951 - 1951: ENS Virgil W. Rhinehart (MAR - MAY)
1951 - 1952: LTJG Ricardo A. Ratti (MAY - JUN)
1952 - 1953:
1953 - 1954:
1954 - 1955: LTJG Hugh G. Wyatt
1955 - 1956: LTJG Rawleigh L. Tremain
1956 - 1957: LTJG Fredric C. Sponholtz
1957 - 1958: LTJG Robert C. Chanaud
1958 - 1959: LTJG Allan A. Landry
1959 - 1960: LTJG John R. Erickson
1960 - 1961: LTJG Donald L. Frantz
1961 - 1962: LTJG James H. Costich
1962 - 1963: LTJG Clyde C. Atkins
1963 - 1964: LTJG Wayne E. Rentfro
1964 - 1965: LTJG James F. Meade
1965 - 1966: LTJG William S. Haight
1966 - 1967: LTJG Robert M. Pochman
1967 - 1968: LTJG James V. O'Neill
1968 - 1969: LTJG Randall D. Peterson
1969 - 1970: LTJG Douglas Bates
1970 - 1971: LTJG Ronald B. Dale
1971 - 1972: LTJG Amir Eiger
1972 - 1973: LTJG David Dahlinger
1973 - 1974: LTJG James R. Reisz
1974 - 1975: LTJG William S. Ingersoll
1975 - 1976: LTJG John W. Bohlen
1976 - 1977: LTJG Thomas Mielke

Station Operations

LORAN-A

08 46 25.59 N 167 44 19.11 E

Chain: MARSHALL ISLANDS
 
Station Letter designation: "Y"
 
Radio Call Sign:  
 
Declared Operational date: 01 MAR 1951

Operations terminated: 31 DEC 1977
 
Station Operation: Single SLAVE (SS)
 
Station pair:
Loran rate:
Coding delay:
Baseline:


KWAJALEIN (S) - ENIWETOK (M)
1L1; 1H2
1000us
Approx. 354.5 Nautical miles
On-air testing date: 020800 DEC 1950: testing for short periods of time
24 JAN 1951
 
On-Air: 1L1 (S) 010001Z MAR 1951
1H2 (S) 1970
 
Off-Air: 1L1 (S) 1970 -Change of rate
1H2 (S) 312400Z DEC 1977 - Service terminated

 
Monitor Rate: Cross rate
 
Equipment: OCT 1950: UE-1b Timers; T-137A transmitters
Fall 1956: new equipment installed
 
Radiator: "T"
 

Fred's Place Reunion Hall:

OLD

NEW

 
General Information Book:

1965

1975

 

Documents:

09 OCT 1950 - Pre-Commissioning Status - pdf

20 JUN 1956 Overseas Loran Station Survey - pdf

Pictures:

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LTJG Fredric C. Sponholtz with station dog c./1956

photo provided by his daughter Casey

Thanks Casey!

Anthony Rossi (BMC) 1964 photos below

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Japanese WWII gun

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Servicing an aid in the channel

Thanks Anthony!

Found on Fred's Place c./1970

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