[ARC5] Re: HF Air/Sea Rescue Launches (was Needful...)

[David Stinson]

(A friend asked; Reply posted here for general information)

> Do you know the 4 mc frequency?  Your post reminded me that I have at 
> least one of the crystals used in some equipment for that frequency.  It 
> could be that the "Gibson Girl" life boat transmitter was fixed on that 
> frequency, and that's the crystal that I have.

I was just looking for that.  I haven't found the sectional yet,
but I did find the frequency plan for Leyte Gulf, October 1944,
and it specified that PT boats were to be used for
air/sea rescue, and that they were to talk to the aircraft
on 4475 KC HF as primary ASR frequency, with 140.58 MC
as a secondary.  "That rings a bell" and may have been
the freqs used on the ASR picket lines.   The VHF secondary
was not to be used for this unless there was no alternative
(the PT-boats had VHF installed, talked to each other on VHF
and were even required to have Mark III ABK IFF sets installed.
They were not normally allowed to talk to aircraft on VHF).
All the PTs- not just the rescue boats- had HF
also because they had to liaison with the harbor, other craft,
and were required to guard 3115 KC primary  for
local aircraft warning (most other units and aircraft were
also required to do so).  Screening vessels and Hunter-Killer
aircraft were required to guard this HF channel so sub
contacts could be relayed without delay.

I don't remember who it was that set some of us on
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/rep/Leyte/ ,
but he gets mega-gold-stars in my book.
That web site is a huge gold mine of good stuff for us.
It's a favorite of mine, since it puts a final, ultimate
stake in the heart of the "VHF replaced HF" nonsense.
Check out the "lessons learned" section at:
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/rep/Leyte/BatExp/Leyte-BE-78.3.html#comm

It shows HF and VHF used far and wide, with their respective
fans and detractors.  That one page alone has enough "goodies" in
it to keep us talking for months.  Look for your favorite piece of
WWII Navy gear- it's in there somewhere.
And I haven't even begun to dig into the other naval battle
documents in the collection.

73 Dave S.