[Milsurplus] D Day Comm

[W7QHO at aol.com]

All,

The "Green Books" report the Navy made significant use of the SCR-608/628 and SCR-609/610 combination for ship-to-shore use.  No specific mention of use at Normandy, though, in my recollection.  Can't imagine jumping with a 609 (BC-659 with a battery pack). Humping one through the surf would be no pleasure either, but maybe easier than lugging an SCR-284.  I seem to remenber a report somewhere of 284s being carried up onto the beach but being inoperable due to salt water getting inside.  The 659 is somewhat better sealed up and some of these might have made it through the surf (if , in fact, they were used on D-Day).

Concerning the BC-611 from the beach, in a test last summer with units on the shore and on the SS Lane Victory we were able to get reliable two-way coms up to a couple of miles over a clear, salt water path.    Almost 20 miles out, a GRC-9 on shore (working into a large antenna) was still almost full quieting on the 611 receiver using only the whip.  On the shore, the 611 signal was just decernable at this range. Determined later that one of the 611 transmitters was weak and plan to repeat the test this summer along with an SCR-608/BC-659 combo.


Dennis D.  W7QHO
Glendale, CA