[Milsurplus] Milsurplus Digest, Vol 71, Issue 39

[Hue Miller]

> How about a salvaged ARB from a Navy aircraft crash site?
> Jim

> We could say "impossible". 24 volts and control box cabling and a local
> control tuner would be tuff to come up with in the jungle.? Never thought
> about this particular issue before, but likely no gyrenes listened to
> Tokyo Rose unless stationed at some permanent base where they had
> access to communications receivers.? -Hue Miller
>

> I'm with Jim on this one.  Entertainment and especially news are in
> demand in a situation like that.  Personal radios were nearly no
> existent.  You'd listen to whatever you could get working.  Midnight
> requisition  from a swabbie storeroom would not be out of the question.
>
> Al

My comment on above: Nonsense! Your fantasy! The gyrene grunts are going to 
come
up with 2 vehicle batteries, just happened to by lying around? They raided 
an airfield
repair shop? Right! Raid to steal clothes or food, fuel or tools, anything. 
But wouldn't
you think an  aircraft part might be pretty valuable at this time?

> Being too cheap to buy the HBO or Showtime packages from direct TV I will 
> just have to wait the six months or so till the series shows up on History 
> channel. So can not speculate on anything about the radios on "Pacific", 
> but do have a question about availability of radio equipment for the MEF 
> on Guadalcanal. What would have used for the field operations for that 
> period of time? Would it have been a Navy TBW? Had to be something better 
> than a TBX. Maybe something like TBX/ MAB or DAV for short range and TBW 
> for long range? Was the MAB and DAV ever used in a combat role? Understand 
> that at Tarawa the TBX and TBY failed miserably and the jeep mounted TCS 
> proved to be most useful. How were you supposed to net a TBX and a TBY in 
> the first place?

> Also I have seen this story several times, this is from: 
> http://www.acepilots.com/usmc/hist8.html although I have seen this 
> referred to several other places too.
> "On August 12, the field had 3,800 usable feet, 400 drums of aviation 
> gasoline, and a captured Japanese radio which was used to transmit a 
> message that the field was "ready to receive fighters and dive-bombers." 
> At this point, it was found that the transports bringing VMF-223 and 
> VMSB-232 were being held up at Suva because of the action on the 8th. "
> Or from:
> http://www.microworks.net/PACIFIC/intelligence/allied_offensive.htm
> "On 15 September, Chief Radioman James J, Perkins and RM3/c Joe Jilson set 
> up a High Frequency Direction Finder (HFDF) on Guadalcanal as the first 
> increment of Station AL.  A captured Japanese transmitter was used to 
> transmit bearings to NIT, the net control of the Strategic Pacific HFDF 
> Net at FRUPAC in Hawaii, In addition to targets "flashed" by net control, 
> bearings on local Japanese targets in the Solomons and New Britain were 
> passed to local intelligence officers.  The only open space available was 
> on the Northwest corner of Bloody Ridge just after the 13 September battle 
> there."
> What was the Japanese equipment that was used and for how long? Would 
> assume by the time the Army moved in they brought SCR-299 or 399 with 
> them.
> Ray Fantini

> In one of the 1945 (or maybe even 1944, forgot which month)there is an
> article with photos describing putting into service some Japanese high
> power HF transmitters which were found at the Japanese base after the
> island was taken by US forces. I'm not sure what island the article is
> dealing with, without looking again at the article.
> I have to dig into my WW2 issues of QST find the article.
> Even if the transmitters described were on another island, it'd be
> reasonable to think that the affair was similar on Guadalcanal, and
> possibly the same model Japanese transmitters involved.
>
> 73, Meir WF2U
> Landrum, SC

I'm not familiar with the QST article but possibly Radio News had the same 
photos. Also I think one of the "Historical Division" monographs
on the campaign showed the receiving equipment at receiver building which 
was abandoned intact ( along with copious supplies of all
kinds. ) The receiver pictured, if you have the TM-11-227-E ( is that the 
right manual number, catalog of (some ) Japanese equipment ? )
shows "Special Receiver 92", very large unit with numerous plug in coils. 
The same manual shows 3 or so large transmitters, CW models,
and you could bet this would be the transmitter used with the 92. One 
similar transmitter was found in later years still in a tunnel
under Rabaul city and AFAIK is still there.  The same 92 receiver can be 
seen at ChiChi Jima radio station in a photo in the fascinating
-and harrowing - account in the book "Flyboys".  The 92, you could think of 
it equating to "M1932" in our way of nomenclaturing, and
from that you can understand its apparent ancient cumbersome design.
I have also seen photo, also in Radio News, I think, of US troops listening 
on a captured Japanese receiver (not the 92, but a
regenerative one, I think - also had a real nice speaker with a Japan Navy 
anchor design on it. )
I just the other day came across some published photos of the ChiChi Jima 
radio station building - still structurally intact - and the
large metal tower antenna, which has been felled and slopes down the steep 
hillside to the ocean - still very impressive appearing.
-Hue Miller