Loran Station Attu Island

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LORAN STATION ATTU

Loran-A - Theodore Point 1944 - 22 JUN 1949
Coordinates: 52 45 09 N - 172 54 31 E (MIT 1948 Appendix B)
Coordinates: 52 45 11N - 172 54 43 E - 1948 Op Data Report
Google Earth Coordinates: 52 45 4.47N 172 54 39.33E

Loran-A - Murder Point 22 JUN 1949 - JUL 1961 (approximate)
Coordinates: 52 48 29.37 N 173 09 43.14 E (USCG ltr 1951)
Google Earth Coordinates: 52 48 16.93 N 173 09 46.43 E

Loran A/C - CASCO COVE
Loran-A Coordinates: 52 49 58.82 N 173 10 58.86 E (Jul 1975)
Loran - A Google Earth Coordinates: 52 49 57.73 N 173 10 58.48 E
Loran-C Coordinates: 52 49 44.134 N 173 10 49.528 E
Loran - C Google Earth Coordinates: 52 49 43.72 N 173 10 49.84 E

Pictures:

Documents

Fact Sheets:

Site Survey:	LORAN A: SEP 1943 Theodore Point LORAN C: JUL – SEP 1959 Barabara Point
Construction Date	LORAN A: 7 DEC 1943 – JAN 1944 Theodore Point
Constructed by:	LORAN A: Construction DET "A" - Theodore Point LORAN A/C: Beck & Associates $1,629,000.00 15 Mar 1960
Established:	LORAN A: JAN 1944 - Theodore Point 01 NOV 1948 - Murder Point – caretaker status 10 JUL 1961 - Casco Cove Loran A/C: 152255Z NOV 1961 - Commissioned
Disestablished:	LORAN A: 25 JUL 1949 - Theodore Point - 22 Jun 1949- Operations transferred to Murder Point JUL 1961 - Murder Point JUL 1979 - Casco Cove LORAN C: 26 AUG 2010
Operated by:	USCG
Chain:	LORAN A: ALEUTIAN, WESTERN ALEUTIANS LORAN C: BERING SEA, NORTH PACIFIC
Station Letter designation:	LORAN A: 1L0, “T” 1L2, 1L7 “L” LORAN C: S6, SL2 – “Y” SH7, 5930, 9990, 5980– “X”
Station code name:	DOOR 3
Station Unit Number/OPFAC:	USCG 62, Navy 163 Theodore Point 13-565 – Murder Point 1960 – 17-350810 17-40191
Station nickname:
On-air testing date:	LORAN A: 11 FEB 1944 - Theodore Point LORAN C: 11 DEC 1960
Operational date:	LORAN A: 8 JUN 1944 - Theodore Point 22 JUN 1949 - Murder Point 10 JUL 1961 - Casco Cove LORAN C: 101000Z JUL 1961 – Chain declared OPS
Operations Ceased:	LORAN A: 222200Z JUN 1949 - Theodore Point 101000Z JUL 1961 - Murder Point 302400Z JUN 1979 - Casco Point LORAN C: 9990 - 8 FEB 2010 5980 - 01 AUG 2010
Station Operation:	LORAN A: Single SLAVE/SECONDARY LORAN C: Single SLAVE/SECONDARY Dual SECONDARY
Station pair:	LORAN A: 1943 – 22 JUN 1949 AMCHITKA 1949 – 30 JUN 1979 ADAK LORAN C: S6, SITKINAK, ST PAUL SL2, SH7, 5930 - PORT CLARENCE, SITKINAK, ST PAUL 9990 - KODIAK, NARROW CAPE, PORT CLARENCE, ST PAUL (Kodiak replaced Narrow Cape which replaced Sitkinak) 5980-X, PETROPAVLOVSK, Kamchatka, Russia (M), ALEXANDROVSK, Sakhalen Island, Russia (Y)
Loran Rate:	LORAN A: 1L0, 1L7, 1L2 LORAN C: S6, SL2, SH7, 5930, 9990, 5980
On-Air:	LORAN A: 1L0, 8 JUN 1944 1L7, 222200Z JUN 1949 1L2, JUL 1961 LORAN C: S6, 011000Z JUL 1961 SL-2, 15 DEC 1961 Port Clarence on-air SH-7, 1969 5930, 25 FEB 1975 9990, 1 MAR 1977 5980, 1991
Off-Air	LORAN A: 1L0, 222200Z JUN 1949 1L7, JUL 1961 1L2, 302400Z JUN 1979 LORAN C: S6, 15 DEC 1961 SL-2, 1969 SH-7, 25 FEB 1975 5930, 1 MAR 1977 9990-X 082000Z FEB 2010 -TERMINATION U.S. LORAN OPS 5980-X - 011900Z AUG 2010 - Termination of US International LORAN OPS
Monitor Rate:
Equipment:	LORAN A: AN/FPN-30 Timers, T-325C Transmitters AM-701 Amplifiers 1 MW LORAN C: 1960 - AN/FPN-41, Timers, AN/FPN-42, Transmitters, 275 kW, 2nd transmitter operational 1962 1970’S - AN/FPN-54A Timers, 1990’s - AN/FPN-44A Transmitters, 400 kW
Antenna Type:	LORAN A: AS-1088-TRN 117ft Tower LORAN C: 625ft – Stainless Inc, Model 1300, 1960
Personnel Allowance:	LORAN A: 1943: 1 ENS/LTJG – 8 Radarmen – 5 Electronics Tech Mates – 2 Motorman – 2 radioman – 4 seaman – 2 cooks 1948 – 1 Officer, 14 enlisted JAN 1953 – LTJG, ETC, ET2, 3 ET3, CS1, HM1, EN1, EN2, DC2, 2 FN, SN LORAN A/C JUL 1963 – 1 LTJG, 1 RELE, 31 Enlisted
Mascot:	1943 - Sooner; Tippy, Susie 1964 – Brown Dog 1971 – Dummy Dog - Rufus 1987 – 1998 – COCO 1989 - Chelsea
Miscellaneous:	1st loran station established at Theodore Point. William A. Baughman, S1c. was killed during the construction phase of the station. 1940’s Station under the cognizance of the CG District 13th 22 JUN 1949 - Loran A station relocated to Murder Point. 1972 – Loss of Life – ET3 working with disgarded ordnance 1961 relocated to the NAVY station at Casco Cove becoming an an A/C station. 1977/78 – Loss of life – MK3 30 JUL 1982 – C-130 crash – SN Steven D Berryhill Station member) and AT3 Brad S Canfield - loss of life http://www.uscg.mil/history/AviationCasualties.asp
Commanding Officers / Officers in Charge	LORAN A: THEODORE POINT 1st CO: ENS Edwin L Doster 1943 – 8 AUG 1944 CO: ENS George Orford 8 AUG 1944 – 02 OCT 1945 CO: LTJG Joseph Ziemien 02 OCT 1945 – 34 MAR 1946 CO: LTJG Ron G. Lineburg 24 MAR 1946 – 8 MAY 1946 CO: CRM James T Meade 8 MAT 1946 – 22 NOV 1946 OINC: ETM2/c Hollis L Peden 22 NOV 1946 – 27 NOV 1946 (Acting) CO: LTJG James H.B. Morton 27 NOV1946 – 17 APR 1947 CO: LTJG Burton V Weston 17 APR 1947 – 1948 OINC: MoMM1/c Edward F Clements 29 NOV 1946 - ? CO: CRELE William H. Keel ? – 05 SEP 1948 Last CO: ENS David Jenkins 05 SEP 1948 – 22 JUN 1949 MURDER POINT 1st CO: ENS David Jenkins 22 JUN 1949 - CO: LTJG Alvin J Boxwell 1949 – JUL 28 1950 CO: ENS Robert S Hall 28 JUL 1950 – 22 JUL 51 CO: LTJG Stuart T Scharfenstein 22 JUL 1951 – 1 AUG 1952 CO: LTJG Richard J Mayer 1 AUG 1952 – CO: LTJG Daniel L Muir ? – 10 JUN 1954 CO: LTJG Adrian L Lonsdale 10 JUN 1954 – 31 MAY 1955 CO: LTJG John F Ellis 31 MAY 1955 – 31 MAY 1956 CO: LTJG Gordon R Campbell 31 MAY 1956 – 20 MAY 1957 CO: LTJG William C Boinest 20 MAY 1957 – 27 MAY 1958 CO: LTJG Richard N Abrahams 27 MAY 1958 – 27 MAY 1959 CO: LT Robert J Ketchel 27 MAY 1959 – 10 JUN 1960 CO: LTJG Paul D Henneberry 10 JUN 1960 - LORAN A/C: CO: LT Everett G Walters ? – 6 APR 1961 CO: LT David R Markey 6 APR 1961 – 3 MAR 1962 CO: LT John E Erwin 3 MAR 1963 – 9 APR 1963 CO: LTJG Martin J Moynihan 9 APR 1963 – 14 APR 1964 CO: LTJG Dennis C Hilliard 14 APR 1964 - CO: LTJG Grey 1968 - 1969 CO: LT Jon McNutt 1970 – 1971 CO: LTJG Malcom Gray 1971 - 1972 CO: LTJG R D Crane 1972 - 1973 CO: LTJG Ingram 1973 - 1974 CO: LTJG Orr 1975 CO: LTJG Kacmarski 1976 - 1977 CO: LTJG James Sabo 1977 – 1978 CO: LTJG Ted Mar 1978 – MAR 1979 CO: LTJG William Davis MAR 1979 – MAR 1980 LORAN C: CO: LTJG Jeff Karonis APR 1980 – APR 1981 CO: LTJG Robert J Wilson MAR 1982 - APR 1983 CO: LTJG Steve White 1985 – 1986 CO: LTJG Monique Foster 1986 - 1987 CO: LTJG Moore 1988 - 1989 CO: CWO Dave Billig JUL 1990 – JUL 1991 CO: CWO Michael Joyce JUL 1991 - 1992 CO: CWO Skip Baldwin 1993 - 1994 CO: CWO Ernie Eberwein 1994 - 1995 CO: CWO Patrick J Calpin 1995 - 1996 CO: CWO David Fowler 1998 - 1999 CO: CWO Brad Brazier 1999 – 2000 CO: CWO Robert J Manning 2000 – 2001 CO: CWO Jesus Mesa 2001 - 2002 CO: CWO Steven Pfister 2002 - 2003 CO: CWO Robert Kaufman 2003 - 2004 CO: CWO Michael Marion 2004 – JUN 2005 CO: CWO Mark S Howard JUL 2005 - CO: CWO Ronald G Long ? – JUN 2007 CO: CWO Robert Coyle JUN 2007 – 25 JUN 2008 CO: CWO Pete Bower 25 JUN 2008 – JUN 2009 CO: CWO James S Beeson JUN 2009 – JUN 2010 Last CO: CWO Jeff L Rosenberg JUN 2009 - 26 AUG 2010

Sep 1948 - Letter of Relief
Jul 1950 - Letter of Relief
25 JUN 2008 - Letter of Relief

Theodore Point Station Layout Summer 1944 - contributed by RdM3c(L) Robert K Yeaton
31 Dec 1946 - Transfer of Sugar Loaf

1948 Letter, file CG-783 awarding the Navy Unit Commendation medal to a member of Construction Detachment 26 [17 MB pdf file]. There in an interesting part of history attached to this letter in the form of a handwritten letter from the recipient of the Navy Unit Commendation. During both of my tours on Attu, I've only known of the Japanese monument marking the Colonel's death (at engineer hill) and the one honoring both American and Japanese at the station. I had never known that Construction Detachment 26 had honored one of their own, at Theodore Point. Bravo Zulu to CD 26.
-Joe Jester, ETC, USCG(ret)

Mar 1948 - Board of Investigation - Commissary Stores
Mar 1948 - ECV construction message - New Station - Murder Point
Jul - Dec 1948 - Murder Point Correspondence
27 Sep 1948 - HQs Memo - Murder Point Construction
Dec 1948 - Operational Data Report
22 Jun 1949 - Transfer of Operations to Murder Point Message
25 Jul 1949 - Disestablishment of Theodore Point - pdf
08 JUL 1959 - Bureau of Land Letter (pdf)
21 AUG 1959 - Land Acquisition (pdf)
01 FEB 1960 - LORAN C USCG Real Property (pdf)
26 OCT 1961 - Radiation Measuring Devices (pdf)
08 FEB 1980 - Property at ATTU (pdf)
08 FEB 1960 - LORAN C Real Property Correspondence (pdf)
181750Z FEB 1960 - LORAN C Land Acquisition msg (pdf)
041930Z MAR 1960 - Land Authorization (pdf)
190103Z MAR 1960 - Access for Construction (pdf)
28 APR 1960 - Navy Letter Land Acquisition (pdf)
09 MAY 1960 - Land Acquisition (pdf)

Pictures: Click on picture for larger image.

Theodore Point, Attu Island

I was told this is the old Loran-A station, not the old, old Loran-A station located at Theodore Point.
-Joe Jester

Current Station. Loran-C transmitter buildings (old transmitter building and new transmitter building) in the lower center portion of the picture. The Loran-A transmitters were on the ground floor in the building just off-center of the picture. The new transmitter building wasn't there in 1973/1974 or 1983 when I was assigned to the unit. Loran-A was discontinued before my second tour.
-Joe Jester

Pictures from google earth.

THEODORE Point

c./1945 (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

Below photos were located at NARA Washington,DC
of Theodore Point c./1947-48

(U.S. Coast Guard photo)

The photos were contributed by Leslie Cloaninger whose father,
John Mitcham, served on ATTU in 1943

Thanks Leslie!

View of Station from about halfway up the 625 foot tower.
--photo provided by Ken Hydock

View from 625' tower c./Dec 2007

c./1978
The below photos were contributed by Bob Coyle (CO 2008/09)

Station crew

Polar Bear Swim 1 JAN 2009
Thanks Bob!
The below photos were contributed by Arthur Petty c./ 1989-90

At the international airport

At the WWII Monument

Last day with HS2
Thanks Arthur!