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LORAN STATION SAIPAN ISLAND
15 07 46.76 N 145 41 38.11 E
Pictures
Fact Sheet
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Site Survey: |
SEP/OCT
1944 |
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Construction Date |
5 NOV 1944
– 16 NOV 1944
1 MAR 1945 Station commissioned turnover to 14th
District
1952 - rebuilt permanent cinder block |
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Constructed by: |
CONSTRUCTION DET “C” |
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Established: |
NOV 1944 |
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Disestablished: |
JAN 1978 |
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Operated by: |
USCG |
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Chain: |
THE
MARIANAS |
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Station Letter
designation: |
2L3 – “A”
4H3 – “S” |
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Station code name: |
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Station Unit Number: |
337 |
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Radio Call Sign: |
NRV2 |
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Station aka: |
SAIPAN |
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On-air testing date: |
16 NOV
1944 - Station ready to go on-air
27 NOV 1944 |
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Operational date: |
16 DEC
1944 |
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Operations Ceased: |
312400Z
DEC 1977 |
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Station Operation: |
Single
MASTER (SM) |
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Station pair: |
4H3, 2H3 - GUAM
(COCOS)
2L3 - GUAM (OROTE PT) |
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Loran Rate: |
4H3, 2H3, 2L3 |
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On-Air: |
4H3 – 16
DEC 1944
2H3 - 1 JUN 1952
2L3 - 1 MAY 1953 |
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Off-Air |
4H3 – 1953
Change of Rate
2H3 - 1 MAY 1953 Change of Rate
2L3 – 312400Z DEC 1977 Loran A phased out |
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Monitor Rate: |
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Equipment: |
1948 UE-1
Timers installed |
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Personnel Allowance: |
JAN 1953 – LTJG, ETC, ET2, 4 ET3, RM2, CS1, HM1, EN1, EN3,
BM1, SN |
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Miscellaneous: |
2/3 island
off-limits training techniques Tawian Chinese in
infiltration – CIA
11 APR 1967 - Typhoon Jean - station off air
1967 – Station name changed to SAIPAN ISLAND
Hotel now sit on site |
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Commanding Officers /
Officers in Charge |
ENS Robert
O Leming 1945 - 1946
CO: LT White 1952
CO: LTJG Flanagan 1956 - 1957
CO: LTJG Guy Mizzel 1957 - 1958
CO: LTJG Daniel C. Oslon 1958 - 1959
CO: LTJG Art Mergner JUL 1966 - AUG 1967
CO: LTJG Melvin Sellers AUG 1967- JUL 1969
CO: LTJG T. H. Thomson JUL 1969
Last CO: LTJG Timothy S Sullivan 1977 - 1978 |
Pictures - Click
on picture for larger image
Picture from
google earth.
Loran Station circa 1955
1955 Crew
Loran Station circa 1968
LTJG M.L. SELLERS/LT ART MERGNER
Change of Command Aug 1967
The below photos were contributed by Melvin L.
Sellers, LT, USCG (ret)
Saipan - Saipan Loran Station, Kobler Field in foreground, Loran
Station in upper center of photo,
large green area is location 125 ft transmitting tower, family
housing near highway
Homemade sign
Signal Power Building
Saipan Loran Station, made after Typhoon Jean
which hit on 4/11/1968,
125 ft tower has been replaced, but roof on Signal/Power Building
has not been replaced
Saipan, 1967, Barracks Building, left; Mess
Hall, right; this is the way it looked when I became CO
Saipan, Barracks and Mess Hall, after 11 April
1968, note Typhoon Jean damage to trees,
building painted "desert sand" which was a more pleasing color
Tower blown off pedestal during Typhoon Jean.
Tower damage - 12 Apr 1968
1969 - after rehab.
C123 from Guam, Dec 1967
Commanding Officer's Quarters
Communications Center, Loran Station Saipan,
1968
Generator room showing Generator #3 and the
Distribution Panel.
Generator room showing generators 1 and 2,
circa 1968
Loran-A Transmitter, probably 20 years old in
1969, and ticking like it was brand new.
Timer room, circa 1968. Loran A timers
and Switching unit on the right, Loran-C recorders on the left.
Station Patch, circa 1968
Change of Command, Lt Sellers relieved by Ltjg
Thomson
22 Jul 1969 Letter of Relief (pdf
file)
Thanks Melvin!
Photo contributed by Angus MacFeeley
c./1978
Thanks Gus!
Photos below were contributed by Jack Winslade c./1969
Signal/power building
'The Bomb!'
Junker Karmann-Ghia 14, unauthorized and unlicensed station vehicle.
Occasionally admitted to be owned by ET3 Bernie Rice.
SN John Hewitt prepares tape for radioteletype transmission.
Comms console in background.
AN/SPN-29 LORAN-C monitoring receivers
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