[Milsurplus] Holiday Puzzle

[John Vendely]

Very likely Mike is correct.  Very little if any of the the post WWII 
family of FM tactical radios appears to have been used during the Korean 
war.  I've made a point of asking Korean war vets I've known about the 
use of this equipment, and not one I've talked to recalled ever seeing 
any.  However, all clearly remembered seeing or using the WWII FM gear 
such as SCR-508, SCR-619, SCR-300, etc., as well as the SCR-536 and 
related equipments.  I have seen a few vague written references 
suggesting that some early samples of  the post war FM sets may have 
been sent to Korea for actual combat testing, but if true, these must 
have been isolated cases.  The GRC family, and the PRC-6, -8, -9, and 
-10 were probably available only in small preproduction quantities, and 
may not have been fully tested at the time.  The support systems for 
them would not have been in place yet.  The Army may also have been 
unwilling to risk capture of these new, state of the art radios.  On the 
other hand, the WWII generation FM sets were generally well designed and 
effective radios, were still relatively new, and not regarded as 
obsolete in 1950.  Records from the time do indicate numerous 
maintenance problems, however.  The SCR-536 was noted as being 
particularly troublesome, but there certainly were large numbers in use 
during the Korean war, and featuring a BC-611 in a war memorial is very 
appropriate. 

73,

John K9WT

Mike Morrow wrote:
>> Look at  http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/projects/WashingtonDC/korean.html
>>     
> e
>> (Squad Leader) and tell me what radio he is  carrying
>>     
>
> There's absolutely no doubt that it depicts a model of the BC-611
> that is earlier than the BC-611-F (no external audio connector base
> plate at the bottom).  The only oddity is that the conical antenna
> cover has not been stowed on the base to which it would be screwed
> after it is removed when the antenna is extended.  The stowage base
> is clearly visible on the top of the radio near the bottom of the
> antenna...pretty good accuracy of the radio depiction!
>
>   
>> It would appear to be a BC-611 but surely the PRC-6 would have 
>> been in use  by then, 1950-52.
>>     
>
> It would have been very inaccurate to have shown an AN/PRC-6.  I
> have never seen an AN/PRC-6 with an order number earlier than 1951,
> which makes it doubtful that there were many AN/PRC-6 units in
> Korea at all before the cease-fire.  The AN/PRC-6 is likely
> very very late Korean War era, if at all.
>
> On the other hand, the SCR-536 (BC-611) could be found in use past
> the mid-1950s.  I have a depot-reconditioned BC-611-F that is in
> NOS condition, with a date of "APR 56" stamped on it.
>
> The vehicular gear of the AN/GRC-3, 5, 7 series was state-of-the-art
> for Korea, and seems to have appeared in in 1949.  However, there
> was much use of the WWII era SCR-508 and -608 gear.  The backpack
> sets AN/PRC-8, 9, and 10 were also state-of-art for Korea, and
> likely some use was actually made of these *very late* in the war.
> However, the WWII SCR-300 (BC-1000) shown in frame 8 doubtless
> was the most common portable FM set for much of the war.
>
> It has often been remarked that the U.S. fought the Korean War
> with WWII leftovers, from weapons and munitions to rations and
> medical gear.  The same applies to radio too. 
>
> For most US radio gear with JAN nomenclature, the component number
> (rather than system number) in the ID is *usually* the best indicator
> of chronology:
>
> AN/GRC-3, 5, 7 series vehicular sets:  RT-66, 67, 68, 70 [1949]
> AN/PRC-8, 9, 10 series back pack sets:  RT-174, 175, 176 [1950-51]
> AN/PRC-6 handset:  RT-196 [1951]
>
> Mike / KK5F
> (If you know a veteran of the Korean War, let him know your respect
> for his service.  No other group of war veterans in the US have been
> so poorly appreciated for their truely thankless service.)
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