[Milsurplus] More Nails in the "No Command HF" Myth's Coffin

[David Stinson]

Here are more nails in the coffin
of the "No Aircraft Command HF in WWII" myth.
Ya'll know that I live for getting stacks of old documents
so I can "pan" them for "nuggets" like these.

These two documents are from the papers of
WWII Naval Air Transport Service (NATS)
senior pilot A.A. Ceasaratto, who was assigned to
NATS Squadron VR-1 (Virginia) and served from 1943 to 1945.
The first sheet is a flight clearance form
from 30 March 1945, clearing his flight of a PB2Y
Coronado assigned to Squadron VR-2 (California)
from Havana to Ebeye in the Marshall Islands
(long way!), beginning the flight
through Squadron VR-6 (Florida) territory.
A second sheet, attached to the flight clearance
document, gives the primary voice radio frequencies
of the Naval stations in VR-6's area.

-------------------
                NAVAL AIR BASE
                (NAVY No.3245)
CONFIDENTIAL
               FLIGHT CLEARANCE     Date: 3-30-45
Plane Type: PB2Y      Squadron: VR-2
ETD: 0100     Destination: Ebeye     ETA: 1130
Purpose of Flight:  Schedule
Communicatons:     Voice          CW
      Calls:        V2552
    Frequencies:     6970          3280 (night)
                                   6025
                                   6585
Weather:
      Latest weather obtained by pilot.
              (Signature of Aerologist) K.E. Hause, Airman 2/c

Certificate:  I have obtained latest weather information
prior to this flight.  My plane is in proper mechanical
conditioin and has radio, radar and navagation equipment,
in working order, necessary to the safety of this flight.
I am familiar with "Lost Plane" and necessary approach
procedures.  (Signature of Senior Pilot)  A.A. Cesaratto

Clearance:
      Flight Cleared at 0025
      (Signature of Operations Duty Officer) W.A. Sater

Note: The carbon copy will be given to the pilot.
(handwritten)
Havana Tower (6970) for taxi and takeoff.
Clergy(?) (6970) for rubber check- circle tender.
Ask for check - Head out on 340 degrees true.
---------------------

Attached to this form was another sheet
listing frequencies for Naval stations in the Carribean.
--------

               NAVAL AIR TRANSPORT SERVICE
               AIR TRANSPORT SQUADRON SIX
                    DINNER KEY BASE
                       MIAMI, FLA

      VOICE FREQ. USED ON VR-6 REGULAR RUNS.

MIAMI       WE RECEIVE ON 2870     WE TRANSMIT ON 2870
GR. EXU.*   WE RECEIVE ON 7385     WE TRANSMIT ON 7385
GTMO.       WE RECEIVE ON 3295     WE TRANSMIT ON 3105
JUA.        WE RECEIVE ON 3295     WE TRANSMIT ON 3105
POR. BIGHT  WE RECEIVE ON 3105     WE TRANSMIT ON 3105
COCO SOLO   WE RECEIVE ON 3295     WE TRANSMIT ON 3295
KEY WEST    WE RECEICE ON 3295     WE TRANSMIT ON 3105

*GR. EXU. - FREQ. CHANGES FROM TIME TO TIME WITHOUT
             THIS SQUADRON BEING NOTIFIED.

---------------------

Given that he leaves Havana at 340 degrees true,
I would guess he flew the aircraft (10 hour flight)
to California first, and that "Ebeye" was
the final destination for the aircraft,
not this flight.  I don't think a PB2Y could have
flown from Cuba to the Marshalls in ten hours ;-).

More goodies later as they surface from this stack.
Already found a cool submarine sighting report
from 21 May 1943- they had a form especially
for this kind of report.

73 DE Dave Stinson AB5S