LORAN STATION SELLIA MARINA
Station Information
| Site Survey: | FEB 1958 |
| Construction Date: | 25 JUL 1958 - 03 FEB 1959 |
| Constructed by: | Italian Contractor ($417,000) 03 FEB 1959 - Construction completed |
| Established: Commissioned: |
1958 06 FEB 1959 |
| Decommissioned: Disestablished: |
15 DEC 1994 15 DEC 1994 |
| Operated by: |
USCG |
| Station Project code name: | TACK 1 |
| Unit Identifier: |
1970's: 96-40112 |
| Mail address: | FPO Navy 566 1967 FPO New York 09520 |
| AKA: |
1959 - 1977: SIMERI CRICHI |
| HAM Call sign: |
|
| Personnel Allowance: | 1967 2 Officers; 23 Enlisted |
| Station Mascot: | 1976 - King Omar 1988 - Bob, Akemi |
| Other information: | 11 AUG 1958 - Government of Italy owned cosigned to U.S. Gov't 93.3 acres 16 FEB 1960 - Site survey declassified 05 MAR 1960 - An American transport C-119 crashed into the sea. All survived, 17 sent to a radar station nearby Sellia Marina. LORSTA? 27 APR 1962 - Site survey Part III declassified 1977 - Station name changed - original station name was of the nearby railroad station 19 JUL 1980 - A mystery fighter plane crashed into nearby mountains. The pilot was killed and rescuers who found his body said he wore a helmet with Arabic writing on it. 1986 - Station became Italian control with a Commander in charge of the station however not the mission or function. 010001Z JAN 1994 - Station and operations transferred to the GOI |
| Commanding Officers: | 1959 - 1959 LCDR Alfred P. Manning (JAN - NOV) 1959 - 1960 LT Thomas C. Volkle (NOV - NOV) 1960 - 1961 LT Aristedes K. Manthous (NOV - NOV) 1961 - 1962 LT Charles S. Mincks (NOV - ?) 1962 - 1963 LT Hugh D. Williams 1963 - 1964 1964 - 1966 LTJG Louis M. Casale (SEP - ?) 1966 - 1968 LTJG George A. Blann 1968 - 1970 LTJG James A. Fetters 1970 - 1972 1972 - 1974 LTJG William E. Jones 1974 - 1976 LTJG Arthur R. Bulter (? - MAR) 1976 - 1978 LT George H. Detwiler (MAR - MAR) 1978 - 1980 LT Perry W. Campbell (MAR - ?) 1980 - 1981 LT Gary R. Westling 1981 - 1983 LT Phillip L. Stephenson (? - JUL) 1983 - 1985 LT William L. Bryant (JUL - JUL) 1985 - 1987 LT Ernest A. Gibson (JUL - JUL) 1987 - 1989 LT Billy E. Erickson (JUL - JUL) 1989 - 1991 LT Willem M. Lange (JUL - ?) 1991 - 1993 LT Patrick R. Dowden 1993 - 1995 LT Thomas E. Crabbs ? - 31 DEC 1994 (Decomm) |
Station Operations
LORAN-C
| Chain: | MEDITERRANEAN SEA |
| Radio Call Sign: |
NCI-2 |
| Operational date: Declared Operation: |
250001Z MAR 1959 |
| Operations terminated: |
312400Z DEC 1994 |
| Station Operation: |
Single MASTER (SM) |
| Loran Rate: Function: Baseline: Loran Rate: Function: Baseline: |
SL-4 "M" M-X: Approx. 500 Nautical miles (Matratin) M-Y: Approx. 529.5 Nautical miles (Targabarun) M-Z: Approx. 647 Nautical miles (Estartit) SL-1; 7990 "M" M-X: Approx. 529.5 Nautical miles (Kargabarun) M-Y: Approx. 500 Nautical miles (Matratin) M-Y: Approx. 284 Nautical miles (Lampedusa) M-Z: Approx. 647 Nautical miles (Estartit) |
| On-air testing date: | 01 FEB 1959 - Low power |
| On-Air: | SL-4 (M) 250001Z MAR 1959 SL-1 (M) 1967 7990 (M) 25 FEB 1975 |
| Off-Air: |
SL-4 (M) 1967 Change of rate SL-1 (M) 25 FEB 1975 Changed Identification of GRI 7990 (M) 312400Z DEC 1994 Station operation, maintenance and control turnover to GOI |
| Monitor: | NOV 1977 - Chain monitor established at Sellia Marina utilizing the Austron 5000 for control of chain testing. Chain SAMs shutdown in early part of 1978. ~1981 - Remote monitor established at Cape Rizzuto |
| Equipment: | 1959 - AN/FPN-38/39 sn: 2 & 5 240Kw 1975 - AN/FPN-54 LRE installed 200Kw 1987 - AN/FPN-39 modified - reduced filament voltage - 165Kw |
| Antenna Type: | 625ft TLM Stainless Inc. Model 1100 1958 - 16 APR 2008 |
Fred's Place Reunion Hall: OLD NEW
Awards:
Coast Guard Unit Commendation
01 APR 1970 - 30 APR 1970
Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation
01 MAR 1978 - 31 OCT 1978
29 OCT 1985 - 05 JAN 1987
Coast Guard Overseas Service Ribbon
Documents:
01 JUL 1967 - General Information Book - pdf
03 NOV 1993 - OFCO 002-95 - pdf
NOV 1993 - Board of Survey - pdf
08 DEC 1994 - ACTEUR OPODR 01-95 - pdf
14 DEC 1994 - Turnover correspondence - pdf
06 JUN 1995 - Property Disposal - pdf
Pictures:
Roger Barns 1959 - 60 photo collection
(Courtesy: Carl Burthart c./1972 from tower)
Thanks Carl!
(Couresy: U.S. Coast Guard c./unk)
(Courtesy: Dee Hargett c./unk)
Thanks Dee!
(Courtesy of Jerry Murdock c./1964)
Note from Jerry:The card was printed locally and has several misprints. Note the"I" was used
in place of the numeral "1" in every case on the entire card, "Z" in place of "2"once, Doughty
was misspelled as Daughty, and I am fairly sure T.J. Neukirchshould end with a "k". There
may be others I've missed (for instance, I think there there was a "c" in the ENC's last name).
Winter party 1985-86
contributed by Roger Barns
