[Milsurplus] Milsurplus Digest, Vol 71, Issue 39

Wed Mar 24 09:12:49 EDT 2010

Not to minimize Hue's assessment (which I'll admit would seem perfectly 
reasonable in a rational world), but I was a SeaBee officer for a while 
- the SeaBees have always had a special relationship with the Marines 
because of their supply "liberation" abilities.  Judging from that 
experience, an ARB in the photo is not at all unexpected.  I was PWO at 
a Navy AN/FRD-10 HF/DF site in Panama for a couple of years back in the 
1970s, and the Marine guard detachment there had carefully disguised a 
brand new R-390A in a cupboard in their ready room to listen to local 
cantina music.   I have a feeling that some of my SeaBees helped them 
build the cupboard...cough...  It was one of those things that we as 
officers simply turned a blind eye on, as long as it was for morale and 
there wasn't any profiteering going on.  In any case, I can assure you 
an R-390 was *not* in their TOA... :-)

 - Mike  KC4TOS

Al Klase wrote:
> Hue,  We you ever in the military? - Al
>
> On 3/24/2010 4:23 AM, Hue Miller wrote:
>   
>>> 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
>>
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