[ARC5] AN/CRC-7

[Mike Morrow]

> The AN/CRC-7 was carried in Army Air Forces B-29s in the Pacific.
> It is described in an operational crew training manual which was
> reprinted in hardback form some years ago (early 1990s): I own a
> copy of this but can't put my hands on it at the moment.  When I
> find it, I'll post the information.

I'd like to see that, because I have never seen any *real* documentation
of its use by anyone **before** WWII ended.  It's easy to find (for US
Navy sources only) reference to its use in the Korean War era.

> If anyone has a copy of the ROIF (Radio Operator's Information File),
> it might even be described in that manual.  I haven't seen the ROIF,
> but I clearly remember the CRC-7 being referred to in the B-29 training
> manual.  I can't say whether it may have been carried in other aircraft.

There is no mention of the AN/CRC-7 in either of the USAAF ROIF manuals
I own.

There is no mention of the AN/CRC-7 in either of the Flight Operating
Instructions Handbook (dash one) manuals I own (AN 01-20EJ-1 1945, and
AN 01-20EJA-1 15 April 1947) for the B-29, 29A, 29B, 29 Receiver.  However,
the AN/CRT-3 Gibson-Girl *is* mentioned.

There is no mention of the AN/CRC-7 in the late-WWII "B-29 Airplane Commander
Training Manual" that I own.

There's no similar item listed in my radio electronics manual for the
Soviet Tu-4, clone of the B-29s that were interred in the USSR.  Most
of the items aboard the B-29s were closely duplicated.

Hard original documentation in my possession shows no sign of the AN/CRC-7.
I'd be very happy to learn of USAAF use that is documented in original USAAF
publications of the era.

There also seems to be a lot of questionable information about when the AN/CRC-7
was introduced into active service.  One can even find web references that
allege 1943 or even 1942.  That's a pretty good trick, having a JAN nomenclature
item (already up to number 7 in the CRC category!) on the street, even before
the JAN system got adopted on 16 February 1943. :-)

Has anyone come across **any** official reference to the AN/CRC-7, even in
USN service, prior to the end of WWII?  I've not found even one instance.
I've also read many US submarine patrol reports from late in the war, and
never come across reference to attempting comms with a downed aviator on his
140.58 MHz AN/CRC-7.  That example would be the textbook case for which the
AN/CRC-7 was designed.  But that doesn't mean that it didn't happen...tell me
about the items you've seen.

Mike / KK5F